Sept. 20, 2002
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men's soccer team netted four second-half goals, including three scores in a 12 minute-span early in the second period, to claim a 4-1 victory over IUPUI in the first match of the SDSU/USD Tournament. Sophomore forward Eric Wohl registered two goals to lead the Aztecs (2-2-1) to their second consecutive victory.
After a physical but scoreless first half that included two of IUPUI's four yellow cards, SDSU struck early in the second period when sophomore Paul Szefler took possession of a loose ball at the top of the penalty box and fired it past Jaguar goalkeeper Drew Deffner to give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead in the 48th minute. Szefler leads the Aztecs with four goals and nine points on the season and has tallied one goal in each of the four games that the Aztecs have scored.
After IUPUI was whistled for a foul just beyond the box, senior Tyler Tinling took the ensuing free kick and bent the ball over and around IUPUI's wall of defenders and into the right corner of the net for a 2-0 Aztec lead. The goal was Tinling's third of the season and he has now scored in back-to-back matches.
Less than four minutes later, Wohl recorded his first goal of the match when he corralled a bad goalie clearance and scored from 10 yards out to put SDSU up, 3-0.
IUPUI cut it to 3-1 in the 76th minute when senior Ben Higginbotham headed in Shane McIntyre's free kick from the left side for his fifth goal of the season, but the Jaguars could get no closer as SDSU goalkeeper Brian Barnes and his defense held the opponents to just two wide shots the rest of the way.
Wohl tacked on his second goal of the match in the 88th minute to finalize the score at 4-1.
IUPUI out-shot SDSU, 13-12, but mustered six shots on goal to the Aztecs' eight. IUPUI keeper Deffner made four saves before being pulled after allowing his third goal of the match.
Barnes registered five saves for the Aztecs to move to a career total of 208 and within two saves of second-place Bryan Finnerty (210) on SDSU's all-time career saves list. Barnes is now just five saves shy of current goalkeepers coach Matt Hall's school record of 213.
The second game of today's action in the SDSU/USD Tournaments pits Drake against No. 13 San Diego at Torero Stadium. The Aztecs return to action against Drake on Sunday for a noon start.