Oct. 5, 2005
SAN DIEGO -
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This Week's Action
The Aztecs (8-5) kickoff the Mountain West Conference portion of their schedule on the road with a pair of matches this weekend. SDSU will face Wyoming at 3 p.m. MDT Friday followed by a 1 p.m. MDT match against Air Force.
Lets Get It Started
SDSU is playing on the road to open up the conference slate for the third consecutive year.
*The Aztecs are hoping to ride the momentum of one of their most successful starts in school history. The eight wins by October 1 are the most since 1996, when they went on to finish 16-7 before falling in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship game to host Brigham Young.
*The Aztecs are 6-2-1 all-time in conference-opening matches and 3-2-1 in MWC-opening games.
Better Late Then Never
Through the first 13 games, the 2005 Aztecs have been a second half team. SDSU has scored 13 of its 16 goals (81.3 percent) in the second session and has 25 more shots (86-61) than it has in the first half.
*The Aztecs have outscored their opponents, 13-6, in the second half and have outshot the opposition, 86-66.
Youth Is Served
It's hard to believe that this team is made up mostly of underclassmen and transfers (UAT), but consider this through the first 13 games:
*The UAT average 8.8 starts per game (6.4 spg by freshmen)
*The UAT have played 100 percent (1,190+/1,190+) of the time in goal (76.1 percent (906+/1,190+) by freshmen)
*The UAT have scored 81.3 percent (13/16) of the goals (68.8 percent (11/16) by freshmen)
*The UAT have had 82.4 percent (14/17) of the assists (58.9 percent (10/17) by freshmen)
*The UAT have had 81.6 percent (40/49) of the points (65.3 percent (32/49) by freshmen)
*The UAT have taken 87.2 percent (129/148) of the shots (65.5 percent (97/148) by freshmen)
*The UAT have taken 87.0 percent (60/69) of the shots on goal (62.3 percent (43/69) by freshmen)
*The UAT (and freshmen) have scored 87.5 percent (7/8) of the game-winning goals
The Ball Stops Here...
Freshman Christi Yount is off to an excellent start in her first season on The Mesa. In 10 games, Yount is 6-4 with a 1.09 goals against average. She has 35 saves (76.1 save percentage) and four shutouts.
*On Aug. 26 against Cal State Fullerton, Yount became the first Aztec freshman to start an opening game in net since Katherine Judkins in 1996. Judkins is among the school leaders in many categories including career shutouts (first, 23.5), career saves (second, 192), career GAA (second, 0.97), GAA in a season (first, 0.61 in 1998) and shutouts in a season (second, 10.5 in 1998).
*Katie Sullivan (1997) was the last SDSU goalie to see any playing time as a freshman goalkeeper.
*Click on the PDF release to see how other Aztec freshmen have done since 1992.
...And There
*Sophomore Cat Burson, a transfer from UC Santa Barbara, has got the starting nod in net three of the last four games for the Aztecs. In 284:23, Burson is 2-1 with a 0.32 GAA and two shutouts. She has faced 31 shots and has a remarkable 92.9 save percentage.
*While playing for the Big West Champion Gauchos in 2004, Burson appeared in seven games, finishing with a 3-2-1 record in 599 minutes. She posted a 0.60 goals against average, best on the team, and had three shutouts. Burson had 27 saves and a team-best 87.1 save percentage.
*Click on the PDF release to see a comparison between Burson last year at UCSB and this season at SDSU.
Strength Of Schedule
*The coaching staff certainly didn't make things easy for the young squad with a schedule that will feature six opponents who advanced to the 2004 NCAA soccer tournament. Here is a look at how far those teams advanced:
*NCAA quarterfinals: Portland (20-4), Washington (17-5-1)
*NCAA third round: Nebraska (14-9)
*NCAA second round: San Diego (12-8)
*NCAA first round: UNLV (12-5-2), Utah (13-6-3)
*Combined record of the six teams: 88-37-6 (.694)
*Combined 2004 record of SDSU's 2005 opponents: 195-160-46 (.544)
*Combined 2005 record of SDSU's 2005 opponents: 110-81-22 (.568)
The Mello And Sutton Connection
*The Aztec coaching staff must be excited knowing that they will have the freshmen tandem of Jen Mello and Erika Sutton for four years. The duo is responsible for 44.9 percent of the team's points (22/49 points) thus far and three of Mello's team-leading five goals have been off assists from Sutton. Sutton's five assists are also tops on the team.
*The Aztecs are 6-1 when Sutton records at least one point, 5-1 when Mello does the same and 4-1 when each contribute at least one point.
*Click on the PDF release to see some of the other top freshmen duos in school history.
What A Difference A Year Makes
*After 13 games in 2005, the SDSU's 8-5 (.615) record is .230 percentage points better than last year's record of 3-6-4 (.385) after 13 matches. However, the improvement doesn't only stop in the win-loss column, but in virtually all the statistics as well. The Aztecs' 2005 team has scored twice as many goals through 13 games as last year and has 14 more assists. This year's squad is also twice as likely to score when they take a shot (16 goals/148 shots) compared to last year (8 goals/149 shots). Attendance at the SDSU Sports Deck in 2005 is also up 49.8 percent. *Click on the PDF release for a comparison between the 2004 team, which advanced to the MWC championship game, and this year's squad
Aztecs Receiving Votes In Latest Soccer Buzz West Region Poll
*SDSU is receiving votes for the second consecutive week in the Soccer Buzz west region poll. The Aztecs have been as high as No. 11 in the poll and have received votes or been ranked in each of the past five weeks.
*SDSU plays two more teams this season who are currently ranked in the west region - (rv) Utah and (5) Brigham Young - after already facing (1) Portland, then No. 14 Cal State Fullerton (now ranked 12th), then No. 12 Washington, then receiving votes Pacific and then receiving votes Long Beach State (now ranked 15). The Aztecs also played Nebraska, a team that has been ranked in the central region top seven and as high as No. 2 the whole season.
*The Aztecs are 2-2 against regionally ranked teams this season with wins against then No. 12 Washington (1-0, Sept. 14) and then No. 14 (Cal State Fullerton (2-0, Aug. 26).
Depth Is The Key To Winning
*SDSU has started 19 different players so far this season and only four - seniors Alexis Solovij and Amanda Swiader, and freshmen Millie Allen and Jen Mello - have started all 13 games for the Aztecs.
*The Aztecs have had nine different lineups and only two lineups have started more than one game together.
*SDSU is 5-2 (.714) when senior Erica Lopez gets the starting nod, the best record of a player with five starts or more.
Swiader Becomes Active SDSU Scoring Leader
*Despite starting as a defender in all 13 games this season, senior Amanda Swiader is third on the team with points off two goals and two assists. With a helper on an Erika Sutton game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Hawai'i on Saturday, Swiader became the active SDSU career scoring leader with 19 points, passing classmate Lisette Martinez (18 points).
*Swiader is also the SDSU active leader in games (70) and starts (66).
*In her career, the Aztecs are 10-2-1 (.808) when Swiader scores at least one point and 4-0 this season.
*Through 13 games, Swiader has already set single-season highs of two goals and six points.
*Click on the PDF release for the active Aztec scoring leaders.
Last Week With The Aztecs
*SDSU won both of its games last week at home improving to 4-2 at the SDSU Sports Deck in 2005. On Wednesday, the Aztecs downed crosstown rival San Diego, 2-0, and defeated Hawai'i, 2-1, on Saturday.
San Diego State 2, Hawai'i 1
*SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State women's soccer team scored both of its goals in the second half in a 2-1 victory over Hawai'i Saturday afternoon at the SDSU Sports Deck. With their third consecutive home win, the Aztecs improved to 8-5 on the season, while the Rainbow Wahine fell to 3-6-2.
Freshman Jen Mello got things started for SDSU in the 23rd minute (22:21) when she took a pass from senior Ashley Cooper, beat a Hawai'i defender on the left side of the field, and drilled the ball into the upper-right corner from about 12 yards out. Mello leads the team with five goals.
Freshman Erika Sutton made it 2-0 Aztecs at 44:30 off assists from senior Amanda Swiader and sophomore Ashley Young. Swiader took a throw-in from Young and one-touched the ball to Sutton, who settled it and put the ball into the lower-left side of the net from just outside the penalty area. Sutton is tied with Mello for the team-lead with 11 points on three goals and five assists.
SDSU went into halftime with an 8-4 lead in shots and a 5-1 advantage in corner kicks.
In the second half, the Rainbow Wahine's Natasha Kai took advantage of a misclear by an Aztec defender in the 65th minute and booted the ball past SDSU goalkeeper Christi Yount (6-4) from eight yards away for her sixth goal of the year. Shawn Higa was credited with the assist on the play.
Kai, who had a game-high eight shots, almost tied the match for Hawai'i with a little more than 11 minutes left in regulation, but Yount's diving save kept the score at 2-1 in favor of the Aztecs.
Yount played all 90 minutes for SDSU and made five saves, while Kori Lu (3-6-2) had six stops for the Rainbow Wahine.
Cooper led the Aztec offense with three shots, while Mello, and fellow freshmen Millie Allen and Mariko Strickland had two shots apiece.
For the game, SDSU outshot Hawai'i, 12-11, and had five more corner kicks (7-2).
San Diego State 2, San Diego 0
*SAN DIEGO -- Freshman Mariko Strickland and senior Ashley Cooper each scored a goal in the second half to lead the San Diego State women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over crosstown rival San Diego Wednesday at the SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs' win was the first over the Toreros since Oct. 7, 1998, when SDSU took a 4-2 triumph on the campus of San Diego.
The Aztecs controlled the play for the majority of the first half as five of their six shots were on goal. However, none of the attempts really threatened Torero goalkeeper Karen Cook and the sophomore made five routine saves. San Diego managed only two shots (one on goal) in the first session, but had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
SDSU continued its strong play in the second half and freshman Erika Sutton almost gave the team a 1-0 lead five minutes after intermission, but her one-touch shot missed the right side of the net by inches, keeping the game scoreless.
The Aztecs' persistence paid off at the 55:03 mark when Strickland received a pass from sophomore Lisa Nielsen, beat a Torero defender and blasted the ball into the lower-left corner from 10 yards out for her second goal of the season.
Cooper added an insurance goal in the 87th minute when her 20-yard floating shot from the left side of the field bounced off the inside-right post and into the net. The goal was Cooper's second career tally and first since Sept. 23, 2003.
SDSU, who started five freshmen in the match, finished the game with 16 shots and tied a season-high with nine attempts on goal (UC Irvine, Sept. 11) while limiting San Diego to just eight shots. The Aztecs also won the corner kick battle, 6-5.
Sutton finished with a game-high five shots (three on goal) for the Aztecs, while Strickland, Cooper and senior Amanda Swiader contributed two attempts apiece.
Aztec sophomore goalkeeper Cat Burson played all 90 minutes and made four stops for her second shutout of the season. In three games, Burson is 2-1 with a 0.32 goals against average and 92.9 save percentage.
A Glance At The Cowgirls
*Wyoming is 4-3-3 this season, but is coming off a 1-0 loss to Oregon on Sunday.
Mercy Adetoye is tied for the MWC-lead with six goals. Tamika is the Cowgirls' other top scorer with four goals and one assist for nine points. Jamie Scarcliff (4-2-1, 0.87 GAA) and Ashley Sheppard (0-1-1, 1.62) have split time in net for Wyoming.
SDSU Vs. Wyoming
*The Aztecs are 4-1-1 ( .750) all-time against the Cowgirls, including a 1-0 victory on the SDSU Sports Deck last year.
*The Aztecs have outscored the Cowgirls, 13-6 (2.2-1.0), in the series.
*SDSU is 1-1-1 against Wyoming in Laramie.
*Junior Jennifer Klunder knocked in a header into the upper-right side of the net from 15 yards away in the Aztecs a 1-0 win last October.
Seniors Amanda Swiader and Alexis Solovij have each started twice vs. Wyoming and classmate Erica Lopez has one assist in three games.
*Click on the PDF release to be see current Aztecs' statistics against Wyoming.
A Glance At The Falcons
*Air Force is off to a 4-8-1 start this season and has lost five of its last six matches.
Brittany Perkowski leads the team in scoring with nine points (four goals, one assist), while Meredith Benson has contributed three goals for six points.
Jennifer Drew (4-8-1, 1.70 GAA) and Erin Wallace (2-3-1, 1.45) have each seen significant playing time in the net for Air Force.
SDSU Vs. Air Force
*SDSU is 8-1 (.889) all-time against Air Force and its eight wins against the Falcons are its most against any team. The Aztecs shutout Air Force twice last season, winning 2-0 on Oct. 22 at the SDSU Sports Deck and 2-0 in the semifinal round of the Mountain West championships.
*The Aztecs have outscored Air Force, 16-4 (1.8-0.4) and have shutout the Falcons in their last four meetings. In fact, of SDSU's eight wins in the series, seven have been shutouts.
*The Aztecs are 2-1 in Colorado Springs with their last loss coming on Oct. 21, 2001 (3-0).
*Solovij and Swiader (two shots) have each earned four starts apiece in past games against Air Force, while Lopez has played in three games (two starts) in the series.
Sophomore Jessica Girdner headed in her first collegiate goal in the MWC semifinals in a 2-0 shutout over the Falcons last November 4. Klunder has also been productive in previous meetings, as evident by her five shots (three on goal) and one assist, while senior Ashley Cooper has one assist in two starts.
*The Aztecs are 19-13-4 (.583) against MWC opponents in the regular season and 24-18-5 (.564) overall.
*Click on the PDF release to be see current Aztecs' statistics against Air Force.