Defensive troubles plague Spartans in 5-1 loss

By Sofia Wright — Staff Writer

On a chilly Friday night, San Jose State’s men’s soccer wasn’t able to warm up what has been a cold start to the season.

Looking for their first win, the Spartans (0-3-0) fell short as the Santa Clara University Broncos (2-1-0) galloped past with a 5-1 win.

In the first half, the Spartans were shut out and down two goals.

SJSU would score in the second half, but allow three more goals.

“Our reaction to conceding is quite poor right now,” said head coach Simon Tobin. “We stop doing what we’re very, very good at.”

It wasn’t until the 26th minute that the Broncos would score their first of five goals.

The Spartans’ defensive struggles continued as SCU scored twice within five minutes of each other in the first half, which gave the Broncos the 2-0 lead.

SCU senior Sam Agosti capitalized and netted the Broncos’ third goal only 44 seconds into the second half.

“Basically game over,” Tobin said about the Broncos’ third goal. “It’s Santa Clara anyway … it’s tough because they come quick and fast.”

The Broncos’ aggressive play did not help the Spartans’ woes.

SJSU did see many scoring opportunities. By the end, it was only out shot 12-8.

The Spartans got on the board as midfielder Eduardo Buenfil scored SJSU’s lone goal in the 59th minute.

The Broncos went on to score two more goals and secure the home win.

In the 76th minute, Henning Jolivet would come into the game as the new keeper, signifying the Broncos’ confidence to hold their lead and get their second win of the season.  

The Spartans will be on home turf Monday night as they take on No. 8 Saint Mary’s at 7 p.m.

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