Sept. 20, 2004
SAN DIEGO -
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San Diego State returns to action this weekend when it travels to CS Northridge at 1 p.m. Friday and UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. Sunday. The Matadors come into the match on Friday with a 4-1-1 record, while the Gauchos are 4-4-0 overall.
Last Weekend With the Aztecs
SDSU finished 0-1-1 last weekend at the Sun Devil Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., in games versus Oklahoma and Dartmouth. On Sept. 17, the Aztecs tied the Oklahoma Sooners, 0-0, in double overtime. Senior goalkeeper Sophia Perez played all 110 minutes and made five saves for SDSU. Perez earned her second consecutive shutout and third of the season in the tie.
On Sept. 19, SDSU dropped a 1-0 decision to the Big Green of Dartmouth. The match remained scoreless until the 89th minute when Dartmouth's Sarah Johnson took a through ball from classmate Emily Tracy and fired the ball into the right side of the net.
Defense Wins Championships
If it's true that defense wins championships, the Mountain West Conference better watch out for San Diego State. Prior to Dartmouth's goal at the 88:32 mark of the second half, the Aztecs had gone 288:38 without allowing a goal, its longest streak since 2003 when they made it 299:54 before a 1-0 loss to UNLV in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament.
Sophia Watch
In seven starts this season, senior goalkeeper Sophia Perez (2-3-2) has made 37 saves while recording a 90.2 save percentage in 666:57. Her 0.54 goals against average is 23rd-best in the country. The Aztec single-season record for goals against average is 0.61 set by Katherine Judkins in 1998.
Spreading the Wealth
Junior Alexis Solovij, a 2003 first-team all-MWC selection, leads the Aztecs in scoring with five points on two goals and one assist. Sophomore Jen Klunder has one goal and one assist, and senior Gina Salinas and junior Amanda Swiader each have one goal.
Scouting the Matadors
CS Northridge, which is coming off a 1-0 overtime victory over UC Davis, is 4-1-1. The Matadors are 2-0-1 in their last three games (all overtime affairs) and have outscored their opponents, 10-4, in 2004. Senior Rebecca Hidalgo and junior Brianna Monka lead the team in scoring with seven points (three goals and one assist). Senior goalkeeper Karen Comstock (3-1-1) has a 0.55 goals against average and a 86.4 save percentage in six games.
SDSU leads the all-time series with Northridge, 3-0. The Aztecs and Matadors last met in 2002, when Lisette Martinez had one goal and one assist to lift SDSU to a 2-1 victory in the SDSU tournament. The Aztecs are 28-10-3 all-time against members of the Big West Conference.
Scouting the Gauchos
UC Santa Barbara comes into the match against SDSU with a 4-4-0 record, after falling to UC Davis, 1-0, on Sept. 19. The Gauchos have been led by the play of senior Jennifer Borcich, who has six goals and four assists for 16 points. Sophomore Allie Kueny has contributed two goals and three assists, and senior Randi Johns and sophomore Chandi Bickford have one goal and four assists apiece. Junior Jamie Considine (2.08 goals against average) and freshman Catherine Burson (0.90 GAA) have split time in the net.
SDSU is 6-2 all-time against Big West opponent UC Santa Barbara. In the last meeting between the two schools, the Aztecs defeated the Gauchos, 2-1, Sept. 29, 2002, at the SDSU Sports Deck.
Home Away From Home
Following the two games at CS Northridge and UC Santa Barbara, the Aztecs will travel to Tempe, Ariz., when they play Arizona State on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. (PST.). It will be the third time SDSU has travelled to Sun Devil Stadium this year, but the first meeting between the two teams. On Sept. 17 in the Sun Devil Invitational, the Aztecs tied Oklahoma, 0-0, in double overtime. SDSU lost, 1-0, to Dartmouth on Sept. 19 in the second game of the Sun Devil Invitational. Following the trip to Tempe, the Aztecs will play host to Washington at 1 p.m. (PST.) on Oct. 3.
Did You Know?
The Aztecs are 2-2-1 all-time when playing matches in the state of Arizona.