Sept. 30, 2005
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men's soccer team opened its inaugural Pac-10 season with a 1-1 tie against visiting Stanford at the SDSU Sports Deck Friday afternoon. It was the second draw of the season for the Aztecs (6-0-2) and ended the team's five-match winning streak. The Cardinal (3-4-2) ended a short two-game win streak in what was their opening league match as well.
SDSU got off to a good start, scoring in the seventh minute. A ball over the top to the left side of the goal by Johann Helgason found midfielder Kraig Chiles, who took one touch and blast the ball into the right side of the net at the 6:56 mark. It was Chiles' team-leading seventh goal of the year and his sixth in the Aztecs' last four matches.
That goal stood up until late in the second half when Stanford equalized. A shot by Dan Shapiro from deep on the right side of the penalty box found teammate Marcus Ryan, whose shot eluded Aztec goalie Tally Hall and went in off the underside of the cross bar. It was Ryan's fourth goal of the year and only the seventh scored by the Cardinal over their first nine matches.
SDSU's best chance for a second goal had come 10 minutes prior to Stanford's equalizer, when Chiles put shot off the right post that had Cardinal goalkeeper Andrew Kartunen beaten.
The Aztecs also had a shout for a penalty kick near the end of the second overtime when forward Raul Bautista broke past two defenders in the box and appeared to be tackled from behind. But the referee was unimpressed and signaled to play on.
San Diego State will now pout its undefeated record on the line when it hosts Pac-10 foe California on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on the Sports Deck. The Golden Bears are ranked third in the nation this week.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Senior defender Matt Couch earned Man of the Match honors for San Diego State for his efforts in the Stanford contest. Couch was instrumental in organizing the back line and getting the defense settled in over the course of the game, winning the ball on numerous occasions both on the ground and in the air.
2005 Man of the Match Honorees8/18 vs. UCSD...........Kraig Chiles, MF8/27 vs. Alumni.........Nick Collins, MF8/30 vs. NJIT...........Luis Trejo, GK9/2 vs. Rutgers........Heath Creager, F9/3 vs. St. John's.....Tally Hall, GK9/10 vs. UC Riverside...Johann Helgason, MF9/15 vs. Pt. Loma.......Raul Bautista, F9/18 vs. UMKC...........Kraig Chiles, MF9/22 vs. Alabama A&M....Matt Couch, D9/25 vs. Duquesne.......Kraig Chiles, MF9/30 vs. Stanford.......Matt Couch, D