Sept. 2, 2003
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San Diego State looks to end skid * San Diego State hosts Long Beach State at 3 p.m. Thursday, with aspirations to end its three-game losing streak (dating back to last season) and post its first victory of the young season. The losing streak is its longest since a four-game skid in 2001.
* The Aztecs have lost the first two games of the season for the first time since 1995, but rebounded that year to finish 13-5-3 and win the inaugural Western Athletic Conference post-season tournament. The other two times that SDSU started 0-2, the team finished with winning records of 10-8-0 in 1994 and 7-5-1 in 1990.
Home Sweet ... Where do we play anyway? * The Aztecs game against Long Beach State is its second in only six home games this season, their lowest total of home matches since 1990.
* SDSU's next home match is at 1 p.m. on Sept. 26 against Nevada.
* SDSU has compiled an 18-11 record in the three-plus years of the SDSU Sports Deck's existence and an 8-2 record in home MWC games.
Aztecs take a break * San Diego State takes its longest break of the season between games following Thursday's match with Long Beach State. The seven days off will allow the team to prepare for UCF and Florida State. The Golden Knights are coming off a 18-5 season while the Seminoles were 13-7-3 last year, advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals.
The penalty kick is good * Senior forward Kim Castellanos scored on a penalty kick at the 71:52 mark of Monday's 4-1 loss to UC Irvine. The kick was her second straight make dating back to the clutch game-winner (at the 88:38 mark) in the 2002 Mountain West Conference post-season tournament quarterfinal victory over UNLV, 2-1. She had missed two during the 2002 regular season.
Record watching * Senior forward Kim Castellanos is climbing her way up the record books. She is currently third in career goals with 31 and in total points with 71. Next on the goals chart is Catherine McGuire (1995-98) with 34 while Lori LaCoursiere (1996-99) holds the school record of 52. LaCoursiere holds the Aztec record for total points with 148, while McGuire compiled 103.
* Senior goalkeeper Stephanie Pearson has recorded 61 saves in her two-plus years at SDSU (following a one-year stint at Hawai'i), which places her fifth on San Diego State's all-time list.
Number change * JoBette Nabarro, previously No. 25, will wear No. 6 for the remainder of the season.
Scouting Long Beach State * The 49ers have also started the 2003 campaign with an 0-2 record. Long Beach State lost to both San Diego and Stanford by identical 1-0 tallies.
* Long Beach State was selected in the fifth spot in the pre-season Big West coaches poll. Ten Big West schools sponsor women's soccer.
* San Diego State leads the all-time series 3-0 following last season's 3-0 road victory.
* Sophomore defender Natalie Messina is currently leading the 49er attack with two shots recorded. Freshman midfielder Brenna LaBine, senior forward Able Curry and freshman midfielder Erin Empting each have contributed one shot each.
* Sophomore goalkeeper Meghan Hanwyk has allowed two goals in two complete games for a 1.00 GAA goals against average.