Oct. 11, 2007
SAN DIEGO - In a game featuring the current Aztec stars and past greats, the alumni came out on top with a 2-0 win at SDSU Sports Deck on Sunday.
The father of San Diego State soccer, Chuck Clegg, who coached the Aztecs from 1982-1999, led the alumni to the win. Unfortunately, Grandpa George Logan, who was at the SDSU helm from 1968-81, was unable to make the trip, but was missed greatly by the alumni and current Aztecs alike.
Foreign sensation Christian Thiele (1997) earned Man of the Match honors after scoring the game's first goal. After the first goal, Mike Mercuriali (2003-05) was subbed for a cone to secure the alumni defense.
Former captain Ryan Curtis (2000-03) scored the other tally for the victors.
The alumni could have tacked on even more goals but the stage wasn't big enough for Brad Walsh (1986-89) as he missed many chances he would have tucked away in the 1987 Final Four. In that final four match against Harvard, Walsh scored the game-tying goal and then nailed the game-winning penalty kick to give SDSU its only trip to the national final.
Garry Wilcox (1984-85) showed where the lineage in goal began by earning another career shutout for the alumni, easily collection numerous chances by the current squad. Wilcox's eight shutouts in 1985 are still the fifth-most in a single-season by an Aztec.
It is said that the alumni outshot the current squad, 63-8. The rumor was, however, that every time an alum went over the midfield, a shot was counted.
Some interesting tidbits from the alumni match: The Most Defiant Player Award went to Jan Norby (1976-78). When Clegg said, "Jan, go in up top," Jan responded, "Are you kidding? Forget it. I am not playing there." Clegg put him in the back with plenty of worker bees around him ... Worst Dressed (as usual) went to former captain Heath Creager (2003-05). What did the trick? Well his fluorescent yellow socks with charcoal grey shorts and red uniform top probably had a little something to do with it ... The Most Dangerous Player Without a Goal went to Eric Wohl (2001-04). Dubbed by current head coach Lev Kirshner (2000-Present) as the best 6-on-6 player in coach K's era, Wohl just could bit find the target ... Eric Santiago played in sunglasses for reasons that can't be discussed in this article.