Oct. 12, 2007
Final Stats in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
SAN DIEGO - The 24th-ranked San Diego State men's soccer team scored the first three goals of the game en route to a 3-2 victory over No. 8 California Friday afternoon at SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs (6-2-2 overall) ran their unbeaten streak to seven games and are now 2-0-0 in Pac-10 play. The win also ended the Golden Bears' (7-3-1, 2-1-0 Pac-10) six-game unbeaten streak.
Senior Kraig Chiles (San Diego/Poway HS) scored twice for SDSU, including the first goal of the game just 5:37 into the first half. The play was set up when sophomore Steve Beitashour sent a left-footed cross into the penalty box where Chiles found himself free and easily headed the ball into the lower-left corner of the net.
San Diego State had plenty of chances to score the rest of the half, including a Chiles blast in the 11th minute that nearly missed the left post. Sophomore Jamel Wallace (San Diego/Oceanside HS) had a low-line shot attempt from 12 yards away in the 39th minute that was somehow saved by California goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
The Aztecs tacked on another goal to close the half when freshman Khadim Diouf collected senior Freddy McDonald's original shot and ripped a high shot from eight yards that bounced off the crossbar and into the net. It was Diouf's second goal in as many games.
Just 2:44 into the second half, Chiles found himself open inside the box once again on a long throw in by sophomore Matt McManus and calmly headed the ball into the lower-right corner. It was his team-leading fourth tally of the season.
Chiles almost added a third goal in the 52nd minute but his half-volley narrowly missed the near post on the right side just outside the 18-yard box.
Chiles had a game-high five shots for SDSU, while Beitashour added two attempts.
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Brad Byrns (6-1-2), who was named to three national teams of the week on Monday and Tuesday, made four saves for San Diego State, including a diving stop in the 88th minute.
Andrew Jacobson had both goals for California - the first off a pass from Evan Sassano at the 52:24 mark and the second in the 76th minute (unassisted).
The Aztecs continue their Pac-10 play with a match against No. 21 Stanford at 2 p.m. Sunday at SDSU Sports Deck.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Senior co-captain Kraig Chiles was named Man of the Match after scoring two of SDSU's three goals in a 3-2 Aztec win over No. 8 California on Friday. Chiles, who leads the squad with 10 points on four goals and two assists, also had a game-high five shot attempts in the victory.
WITH THE VICTORY
* SDSU is now unbeaten in its last seven games, tied for the seventh-longest single-season unbeaten streak in the program's 39-year history. SDSU hasn't lost a match since Sept. 7.
* San Diego State is 4-0-3 in its last seven Pac-10 games. The Aztecs haven't lost a Pac-10 match since Oct. 8, 2006, when they played with 10 men for most of the game in a 2-1 loss to UCLA.
* SDSU is off to its best start in Pac-10 play with a 2-0-0 record. The previous two seasons, San Diego State was 1-0-1 (2005) and 1-1-0 (2006) after two contests.
* The Aztecs are 5-0-1 following a victory this season, 6-0-0 when scoring first, 4-0-0 when leading at the half and 4-0-0 in one-goal games.