WHITTIER, Calif. (Oct. 16, 2022) - The Poets took a break from SCIAC play this weekend, falling 13-5 to the San Jose State Spartans in a home match Sunday against a quality Division 1 team. 

The Spartans opened the scoring before the Poets tied the game, 1-1. San Jose took the lead back for a short period of time before Ethan Saenz scored his second goal of the game and tied it at 2 at the end of the first. 

The second opened and the Spartans started to pull away, scpromg the first three goals of the period before Kaan Hamurculu put the ball in the back of the goal for his first goal of the afternoon. The Spartans would score once more in the second, as the score was 6-3, San Jose State, going into halftime. 

Out of the half, a penalty was quickly called on Whittier, which gave San Jose State a penalty shot. However, Goalie Pierre-Louis Pinchaud made a great block on the shot. The Poets tried to fight back as Patrick Seelhorst connected on an early goal, but the speed and rest time for the Spartans became too much to handle. San Jose State led 10-4 lead at the end of the third. 

The fourth period was also dominated by the Spartans, who would score three more goals this period to bring their total to 13 on the day. Whittier was able to net one final goal when Ricky Reyes Jr. scored his first on a penalty shot. The final score of this game was 13-5. 

The bright spots in this game were Saenz who scored two goals, Reyes with two points, and Pinchaud who recorded a .545 save percentage. 

The men's next game will come Wednesday. Oct. 19 at La Verne at 4 p.m.

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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