By BJ Querubin – Staff Writer
After a tough defensive battle, the San Jose State’s Women’s Soccer team grinded out a 1-0 overtime victory against the Utah Valley Wolverines.
With a little over five minutes left of the first overtime period, San Jose State’s forward Jamilecxth Becerra clutched a header from a corner kick by defender Karlee Pottorff.
“I had that gut feeling that it was going in,” said Becerra, a senior leader on the squad.
Following a crushing defeat against the Stanford Cardinal, the Spartans showed their grit and resiliency despite six of players on the field for more than 95 minutes.
“We prepared for that. We tell each other that ‘It’s moments for this,’” said senior defender Carlie James. “It comes down to the smallest things. Whether it comes down to us just recovering right or just doing certain fitness tests every day.”
Head coach Lauren Hanson says that she didn’t need to do much coaching at the end of regulation.
“It’s kind of funny. They coached themselves this time,” Hanson said. “I walked up while they were talking and I didn’t interrupt them. That’s what happens when you have good leaders out there.”
The Spartans’ offensive tenacity paid off with a total of 12 shot attempts and five shots on goal. Five of those attempts came from defender Karlee Pottorff alone.
Despite missing on multiple opportunities to score earlier in the game, the Spartans found their way to capitalize on the one that mattered most.
The Spartans’on-field celebration epitomized how important this win meant to them, and their team morale is at a season high.
They hope to carry their momentum on the road as they travel to Sacramento, to play the Sacramento State Hornets Thursday at 4:00 p.m.
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