Aug. 23, 2005
SAN DIEGO -
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Aztecs Open Up 2005 Season Against Titans, Lumberjacks
San Diego State opens up its 2005 season on the road for the second consecutive year with a match at CS Fullerton at 7 p.m. Friday. The Aztecs then host Northern Arizona at noon Sunday on the SDSU Sports Deck, their lone home match in the first seven games of the season.
Glance at the Titans
CS Fullerton is coming off a successful 2004 season after finishing as co-champions of the Big West Conference with an 11-8-1 overall record and a 7-1-1 mark in league play. The Titans, which return 10 starters and 17 letterwinners, are also ranked No. 15 in the preseason west region poll by SoccerBuzz. CS Fullerton welcomes back senior Kellie Cox, the 2004 Big West Midfielder of the Year and the 2004 Big West Goalkeeper of the Year junior Karen Bardsley (7-3-1, 0.71 GAA, five shutouts). Other returning first-team all-Big West selections include senior Kandace Wilson (10 goals, one assist) and 2004 Olympian (Mexico) senior defender Marlene Sandoval.
SDSU vs. CS Fullerton
*The Aztecs and Titans are meeting for the ninth time overall with SDSU holding an impressive 6-2 series advantage.
*With eight previous meetings, CS Fullerton represents the Aztecs' fourth-most common opponent among non-Mountain West Conference schools, trailing only UC Irvine (13 meetings), UC Santa Barbara (9) and San Diego (9).
*The .750 career winning percentage against the Titans is SDSU's second-highest among teams it has played at least eight times (Air Force, .888, 8-1).
*The Aztecs are 3-1 all-time in Fullerton, Calif., but fell to the Titans, 4-0, in their last meeting there on Sept. 27, 2002.
*SDSU has won four of five games against CS Fullerton.
*In the eight meetings, the Aztecs have outscored the Titans, 24-15.
*SDSU is 30-10-4 (.727) all-time against current Big West Conference opponents.
Aztecs in Season Openers
*Heading into the 2005 campaign the Aztecs own a 9-7 (.563) record in season-opening games, including wins in five of the last seven seasons.
*On two occasions, CS Fullerton has been SDSU's season-opening opponent with the Aztecs winning both matches (5-0 in 1993 and 4-2 in 1998).
A Glance at the Lumberjacks
Northern Arizona heads into the 2005 season looking to improve on its 2004 campaign, where it finished 5-11-2 overall and sixth in the Big Sky Conference with a 2-4 record. The Lumberjacks return nine starters, however, from a squad which recorded a school-record six shutouts in 2004, including first-team all-Big Sky goalkeeper senior Andrea Berra. Sophomore Dani Davis led Northern Arizona with five goals and 10 points last season and senior Stefanie Smith has seen action in 45 games in her career. Cee Cee Odorfer, the 2004 Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year, will join the Lumberjacks in 2005 after sitting out last season recovering from a knee injury.
SDSU vs. Northern Arizona
*This will be the first meeting between the Aztecs and the Lumberjacks. Against common opponents last season, SDSU finished 3-1, while Northern Arizona was 0-3.
*The Aztecs are 6-1 (.857) all-time against current Big Sky Conference opponents.
Aztecs in Home Season-Openers
*SDSU has been successful in its season-opening home matches, earning a 10-5-1 (.656) record, and outscoring its opponents, 35-16 (2.2-1.0).
*Among the 10 season-opening home victories, six have been Aztec shutouts.
*SDSU owns a 3-2 record in season-opening home games at the SDSU Sports Deck.
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