Nov. 17, 2005
Complete Release and Season Statistics in PDF Format
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SDSU TO FACE UC SANTA BARBARA IN NCAA TOURNAMENT
*San Diego State will travel to UC Santa Barbara to take on the Gauchos in NCAA Tournament first-round action on Saturday, Nov. 19. The match will be played at UCSB's Harder Stadium with kickoff time set for 1:00 p.m. (PST).
*The game will mark SDSU's first post-season tourney appearance since 1989.
*It will be the Gauchos fourth straight appearance. Last year they advanced to the national title game, falling on penalty kicks to Indiana.
SERIES HISTORY
*San Diego State's record against UC Santa Barbara stands at 17-9-3 in a series that began back in 1973. Since that first meeting, the teams have faced each other annually with the exception of the 1990 and 2003 seasons.
*UCSB has won four of the last five meetings with the Aztecs (since 1998) with the fifth match ending in a draw.
*SDSU has a record of 9-4-2 against UC Santa Barbara on the Gauchos' home field and a mark of 8-5-1 against them in San Diego.
SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS
*UC Santa Barbara finished the regular season with a record of 12-4-3. The Gauchos were second in the Big West Conference behind Cal State Northridge with a league mark of 7-1-2.
*UCSB's highest ranking this week is 14th in the College Soccer News poll. It is also ranked 15th by Soccer Times and 21st by the NSCAA.
*The Gauchos are led by Ivan Becerra (10 goals, 2 assists) and Bryan Byrne (5 goals, six assists). Goalkeeper Kyle Reynish has played every minute between the posts for UCSB and has posted a 0.80 goals against average.
*UCSB has two players on its active roster from the San Diego area: midfielders Eric Avila (La Costa Canyon HS) and Brennan Tennelle (Scripps Ranch HS).
SCORING COMPARISON
*While San Diego State's strength this season has been its defense, UC Santa Barbara has relied on its scoring prowess.
*The Gauchos have scored 39 goals in 2005 compared to 20 by the Aztecs.
*On the other side, SDSU has allowed nine goals while UCSB has given up 16.
AZTEC NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
*San Diego has made appearances in the NCAA Tournament six times prior to this season. SDSU's record in previous tourney games is 7-4-1. Here's a listing of those appearances:
1970..T..San Francisco..2-2+1981..W..at California..4-0 W..San Francisco..2-1#1982..W..Fresno State...1-0 L..San Francisco..0-21987..W..at St. Louis...2-1 W..at SMU (pk)....3-2 W..at UCLA........2-1 W..Harvard (pk)...2-1* L..at Clemson.....0-2^1988..L..at UCLA........1-21989..L..at UCLA (pk)...1-2+ lost on corner kicks # win vacated for ineligible player* at Clemson ^National championship gameAZTECS IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
*San Diego State remains among the ranked teams in three of the four national polls this week. Following their 1-0 double-overtime loss to UCLA at home last Sunday, the Aztecs took slight drops in the College Soccer News, Soccer America and Soccer Times polls. They are not ranked in this week's National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll.
*Those polls and where they may be found on the Internet are as follows:
College Soccer News (collegesoccernews.com) - 22nd
Soccer Times (soccertimes.com) - 24th
Soccer America (socceramerica.com) - 22nd
NSCAA (nscaa.com) - not ranked
*In addition, this week's regional rankings compiled by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) listed SDSU eighth in the Far West.
*During season, San Diego State was ranked as high as 14th by Soccer America, 15th by the NSCAA and College Soccer News, and 16th by Soccer Times.
AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS
*Entering this week, San Diego State ranks among the national team leaders in three categories:
Goals Against Average - 2nd (0.46)
Shots on Goal Save Percentage - 1st (0.894)
Shutout Percentage - 4th (0.67)
*Individually, goalie Tally Hall is ranked among the NCAA Division I leaders in two categories: goals against average (3rd - 0.413) and shots on goal save percentage (1st - 0.905).
Shutout City
*With his shutout of Stanford on Nov. 6, SDSU goalie Tally Hall added to his SDSU record for shutouts with his 12th of the season.
*Hall has broken the old mark of 10 shutouts set by Bryan Finnerty during the 1989 campaign.
*As a team, San Diego State's 12 shutouts in its 18 matches is the most in a season since the 1989 squad had the 11 over its 22 matches.
*The 12 shutouts this fall ties for the third-most ever in a season by an Aztec squad since the program began back in 1968.
*The school record for shutouts in a season is 14, set by the 1988 squad that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Aztecs also had 13 shutouts during the 1987 campaign.
RUTGERS TOURNAMENT HONORS
*San Diego State began the 2005 season at the Philips/adidas Classic hosted by Rutgers in early September.
*During that event, the Aztecs defeated Rutgers (2-0) and tied St. John's (ranked fifth at the time) 0-0.
*At the conclusion of the tourney, Aztec goalkeeper Tally Hall was named the defensive MVP of the Classic.
*In addition, defender Matt Couch and forward Heath Creager (along with Hall) were named to the all-tournament team.
PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
*San Diego State sophomore midfielder Kraig Chiles was named the Pac-10 Men's Soccer Player of the Week for Sept. 20-26.
*Chiles, from San Diego, Calif. (Poway HS), scored the game-winning goal on a penalty kick with just over two minutes left against Alabama A&M, giving the Aztecs the 1-0 victory. Two days later, he scored two goals in the second half of San Diego State's 3-0 win over Duquesne.
*Chiles had scored five times in San Diego State's three matches including two against Missouri-Kansas City prior to the Alabama A&M contest.
FIRST SEASON IN PAC-10
*The Aztecs surprised many Pac-10 followers with the quality of their game during San Diego State's inaugural season as members of the league.
*SDSU was picked to finish sixth (last) in the conference's preseason poll, but ended the year tied for fourth with Washington.
*The team's losses in 2005 all came in league play at Oregon State and Cal, and at home to UCLA. All three teams were ranked when they defeated SDSU.
PAC-10 CONFERENCE LEADERS
*SDSU continues to lead the Pac-10 in two categories including goals allowed (nine) and goals against average (0.46).
*Goalkeeper Tally Hall leads the conference in shutouts (12) and goals against average (0.41).
*Midfielder Kraig Chiles is second in the league in goals per game (0.39) and goals scored (seven). He is also tied for fourth in points (14) with teammate Heath Creager.
WORKING OVERTIME
*SDSU's six draws this fall is a new school mark for ties in a season. Over the previous 37 seasons, SDSU had finished the year with four ties on seven occasions.
*SDSU's eight overtime games this season ties for the most ever for an Aztec squad. The 2001 team also played eight overtime contests and went 3-1-4 in those games.
*The Aztec record in overtime affairs in 2005 is 0-2-6.
AZTECS EARN NATIONAL HONORS
*Three Aztecs were named to national teams of the week during the 2005 season.
*Senior defender Matt Couch was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for his performance in the matches vs. Stanford and Cal (Sept. 30 and Oct. 2).
*Kraig Chiles earned that same honor for his performance in wins over Alabama A&M and Duquesne the previous weekend (Sept. 22 and 25). Chiles was also named to the Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer national teams of the week at that same time.
*Dennis Sanchez was named to Soccer America's and Top Drawer Soccer's national teams of the week after scoring the winner against Cal on Oct. 2.
PAC-10 ALL-ACADEMIC
*San Diego State goalkeeper Tally Hall and midfielder David Dally have been honored as members of the 2005 Pac-10 Soccer All-Academic team. The players were cited for their achievements in the classroom as well as on the soccer field.
*Hall, SDSU's starting goalkeeper, is a kinesiology major who was named to the second team.
*Dally, a business major, is a reserve midfielder who came off the bench in 12 of SDSU's 18 games this season and garnered honorable mention all-academic accolades.
TOP DRAWER SOCCER HONORS
*A pair of Aztecs have been honored by Top Drawer Soccer by being named to its national teams of the season.
*Goalie Tally Hall was named to the third team all-national squad for his performance in goal in 2005.
*Freshman midfielder Dennis Sanchez was selected to the organization's national all-rookie team.
JUST WATCH
*Freshman forward Kevin Werbner was listed among the top-100 freshman to watch this season according to collegesoccernews.com.
*Werbner, a Manchester, Conn. native, was a five-year starter for his ODP Region I team and was the U-16 U.S. national team's leading scorer during its tour of Mexico in 2002. As a prep at Manchester High School, Werbner earned 2004 conference player of the year honors as well as being a three-time all-conference and two-time all-state selection.
*He finished the 2005 regular season with a goal and two assists while starting five of the 15 games in which he appeared.
THE FOUR SENIORS
*At the conclusion of the 2005 campaign, SDSU will bid farewell to four seniors, three of whom are starters and one a prominent reserve off the bench.
*The three starters include: forward Heath Creager, who is tied for the team lead in points with 6 goals and two assist; defender Matt Couch, who has been a four-year starter at his position; and defender Eric Santiago, a second-year Aztec who has started every game and contributed three assists this fall.
*The fourth senior is defender Mike Mercuriali, who regularly comes off the bench and averages about 30 minutes per contest.
FRESHMAN CONTRIBUTIONS
*Four freshman have gotten their names on the score sheet during SDSU's 2005 season.
*Kevin Werbner, Dennis Sanchez and Omar Persad all have a goal and a pair of assists this fall. In addition, Nick Collins has contributed an assist. Werbner, Sanchez and Persad are true freshmen while Collins is in his second season at San Diego State.
*Of the 23 athletes who played for the Aztecs this season, eight have been freshmen.
*In addition, SDSU's 29-man roster this fall has a total of 14 freshmen, seven of whom are redshirts who are expected to play next year.
AZTEC NOTES
*The Aztecs have not given up a goal in the first half through 18 matches this season.
*The Aztecs' seven home wins this fall is the most in a season since 1998 when they also recorded seven.
*The 20 goals that SDSU has scored this season surpasses its for the 2004 campaign when it netted 16 in 19 games.
*The nine goals allowed by SDSU ties for fewest in a season by an Aztec squad. The 1970 team allowed nine goals, but those came during just a 10-game season.