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Aug. 25, 2003
Aztecs Open Against Beavers * San Diego State opens its 2003 campaign with a home battle against the Oregon State Beavers at 4 p.m. on Aug. 29. The match-up will be the opening game the season for both teams. The Beavers lead the all-time series between the two schools 4-1.
Always Off To a Fast Start * The Aztecs have won five straight openers overall and five straight home openers. San Diego State is 9-5 in openers all-time and 10-3-1 in home openers.
The Outlook * San Diego State is determined to continue its improvement, coming off a bounce-back 13-7-0 season, 3-3-0 in the Mountain West Conference. The previous two seasons were only the program's second and third losing seasons in its 14-year history. * The Aztecs return 15 letterwinners and 10 starters from last year, including three-time first-team all-MWC honoree Kim Castellanos, a senior forward. Other top returning players include sophomore forward Lisette Martinez, junior forward Gina Salinas, senior defender Hannah Garl and senior goalkeeper Stephanie Pearson.
The Schedule * The Aztecs host only two of the six MWC games, because of a scheduling quirk that makes it impossible for the seven soccer-playing schools to each play three home and three away conference games. SDSU hosts Brigham Young on Oct. 16 and Utah on Oct. 18, while traveling to Wyoming (Oct. 12), Air Force (Oct. 24), New Mexico (Oct. 26) and UNLV (Nov. 1). * The non-conference schedule is highlighted with games against Florida State in the Kansas Tournament on Sept. 14 and a home battle with Arizona State on Oct. 3. The Seminoles are ranked No. 19 in the NSCAA poll and No. 12 by Soccer Buzz Magazine in their pre-season poll. The Sun Devils are No. 11 in Soccer Buzz and unranked by the NSCAA.
SDSU in the Mountain West Conference * The San Diego State women's soccer team was picked fifth in a preseason poll of Mountain West Conference head coaches. Utah was selected as the league favorite, followed by Brigham Young, New Mexico and UNLV, with Air Force and Wyoming picked in the sixth and seventh spots. BYU is also ranked No. 23 in the pre-season National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. * Since its arrival into the MWC in 1999, the Aztecs own a 14-9-1 (.604) record in league matches. SDSU was 12-4 (.667) in their three years of regular season Western Athletic Conference play prior to that.
Home, Sweet Home at the Sports Deck * The Aztecs are coming off an 8-1 season at the SDSU Sports Deck. SDSU has compiled an 18-10 record in the three years of the facility's existence, but even more impressive is its 8-2 record in home MWC games.
Record Watching * Junior Kim Castellanos is climbing her way to the top of the record books. She is currently third in career goals with 30 and total points with 69. Next on the goals chart is Catherine McGuire (1995-98) with 34. Lori LaCoursiere (1996-99) holds the school record of 52. LaCoursiere holds the school record for total points with 148, while McGuire compiled 103. * Goalkeeper Stephanie Pearson has recorded 57 saves in her two years at SDSU, following a one-year stint at Hawai'i, putting her fifth on San Diego State's all-time list.
Scouting Oregon State * The Beavers are coming off a 9-9-2 season, 2-7-0 in the Pac-10, good for eighth place. Oregon State returns 11 of 20 letterwinners, and returns six starters and loses six. * Oregon State is predicted to finish eighth once again in the Pac-10 preseason coaches' poll. * OSU defeated three Costa Rican teams before losing twice to the Costa Rican national team in a 12-day tour of Costa Rica that ended Aug. 23.