Sept. 24, 2008
SAN DIEGO -
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SDSU Men's Soccer Begins Tough Four-Game Road Trip When It Travels Across the Country for Sunday Match at No. 17 Dartmouth
The San Diego State men's soccer team begins a crucial four-game road trip on Sunday (noon ET) when it travels to Hanover, N.H., for a game against Dartmouth. The Big Green, which are nationally ranked as high as No. 17 by Soccer America, are 4-1-0 and boast one of the top scoring teams in the nation. Following the flight to the East Coast, the Aztecs (2-4-0) will commence Pac-10 Conference play with trips to UCLA (Oct. 5), Stanford (Oct. 10) and California (Oct. 12). Each of the four teams on SDSU's road trip are either currently nationally ranked or have been ranked at sometime this season.
Scouting the Big Green
Dartmouth comes into the weekend as one of the top teams in nation, boasting a 4-1 record. The Big Green, which travels to Sacred Heart on Sept. 26 before playing the Aztecs two days later, has wins against No. 3 Indiana (4-0), Fairleigh Dickinson (3-1), Colgate (2-0) and Hartwick (2-1). The team's only loss came on Sept. 5 in the first game of the season at Notre Dame (2-1).
The Big Green are ranked in all five major polls, including No. 18 by NSCAA/adidas. Dartmouth is also ranked No. 19 by Soccer Times and No. 20 by College Soccer News.
Dartmouth comes into the weekend as the eighth-highest scoring team at 2.40 goals per game (SDSU is tied for 20th at 2.00). Lucky Mkosana leads the high-scoring Big Green with nine points on five goals and an assist, while Bryan Giudicelli (two goals, one assist) and Andrew Olsen (one goal, three assists) have five points apiece. Sean Milligan has played all 450 minutes in net and is 4-1-0 with a 0.80 goals against average and two shutouts. He has 18 saves for a 81.8 save percentage.
Sunday's game will be the second meeting between the two schools. On Sept. 19, 2004, the Aztecs and Big Green battled to a 1-1, double-overtime tie in San Diego. Current Director of Soccer Operations Andrew DiCicco earned a start in the midfield and had an assist on Dione Scott's goal in the tie.
At the Helm
Lev Kirshner is in his ninth year as the head coach and 12th season overall. Kirshner, just one of three coaches in the 40-year history of the program, has brought SDSU back to the national spotlight with back-to-back runner-up finishes in the Pac-10 and two trips to the NCAA tournament in the past three seasons.
Since the men's soccer team earned its full allotment of scholarships in 2005, the Aztecs have gone 28-21-14 (.555), including an 11-9-10 (.533) mark in the Pac-10.
Over his eight seasons, Kirshner has coached two All-America selections, three Academic All-America picks, eight professional players, five all-Far West selections and 33 all-conference picks.
Aztecs Celebrate 400th Victory in Program History
On Sunday, Sept. 14, the San Diego State men's soccer team picked up its 400th victory in program history with a 2-0 shutout versus Air Force in Denver. In its 41st season of Division I soccer, SDSU is now 400-258-82 (.596), including 28-21-14 (.555) in its three-plus years in the Pac-10.
Over the 40-plus years, the Aztecs have advanced to eight NCAA tournaments (1969, 1981-82, 1987-89, 2005-06), including one final four. The final four appearance came in 1987 when San Diego State came from behind in each of its NCAA tournament games to win by 2-1 scores. The run was stopped in the NCAA championship game when host Clemson downed the Aztecs, 2-0. The 1987 squad joined the 1973 men's championship volleyball team as the only two Aztec teams to ever make a NCAA final.
In addition to its many team awards, SDSU has garnered numerous individual accolades as well. The program has produced two National Soccer Hall of Fame Members, five World Cup participants and/or Olympians, 26 national team members, four Hermann Trophy Candidates and 10 All-American selections.
Junior Nick Cardenas Named to 2008 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List
Junior defender Nick Cardenas (Thornton, Colo.) has been named to the 2008 Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Watch List. Considered the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer, the recipients of the MAC's Hermann Trophy are selected by Division I head coaches who are current members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Cardenas is one of 11 defenders and 18 juniors on the list.
Cardenas, a two-time NSCAA/adidas all-Far West team selection and all-Pac-10 pick, has eight goals and three assists over his two-plus seasons. The 2006 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and an U.S. U-20 National Team Camp call-up, Cardenas has started 41 collegiate games, anchoring a defense that has posted 15 shutouts over the past two-plus years.
A list of 15 semifinalists will be selected by a coaches committee in November, with three finalists announced in early December. They will invited to the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis, Mo., for a news conference on Jan. 9, 2009, where the winner will be announced, with a presentation banquet following.
Three Aztecs - Chris Keenan (1987), Marcelo Balboa (1988-89) and Kyle Whittemore (1988) - have been named Hermann Award finalists, but no SDSU athlete has ever won the award. Most recently, Tally Hall was a semifinalist in 2006.
Aztecs Picked to Finish Fifth in Pac-10
Despite returning 10 starters, including five all-conference selections, from last season's runner-up squad, the San Diego State men's soccer team has been picked to finish fifth in the Pac-10 Conference in the preseason poll voted on by the league's coaches Wednesday.
SDSU picked up 11 points, two behind fourth-place Washington (13). California was selected to repeat as league champions with 24 points, including four of the six first-place votes.
The Golden Bears were followed by UCLA (20 points) and Stanford (17 points), which each picked up one first-place vote. The Huskies (13), Aztecs (11) and Oregon State (5) rounded out the conference.
Last season, San Diego State finished 8-7-4 overall and 4-4-2 in Pac-10 play, ending up in a three-way tie for second with Stanford and UCLA.
SDSU, which has never been picked higher than fourth in its four preseason polls, has finished the season better than each of its predicted finishes. In its inaugural Pac-10 season in 2005, the Aztecs were picked sixth, yet managed a fourth-place finish. San Diego State finished second in each of its past two seasons despite being picked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the preseason poll.
Bring `em On
Year after year the Aztecs play one of the toughest schedules on the West Coast and this year is certainly no exception.
In fact, the 2008 schedule may be the toughest of Kirshner's nine-year tenure as eight of the 18 games are against teams who made the 2007 NCAA tournament. In addition, nine of the contests are versus teams who finished the season with a 37 RPI rating or better.
"It is one of the best, if not the best, schedules we have had in San Diego State history in terms of quality, the diversity of teams we are playing and the breadth of the location of where we are playing," Kirshner said. "We would not do this if we didn't think our team was prepared for it."
Of SDSU's six opponents thus far this season, three are currently nationally-ranked. The road doesn't get any easier as the Aztecs begin a four-game road trip at No. 18 Dartmouth on Sunday, followed by trips to No. 30 UCLA, Stanford and sixth-ranked California.
An Offensive Machine
Head coach Lev Kirshner said before the season that he thought this would be the most athletic and versatile team he has been apart of in his 12 seasons (ninth as head coach) at San Diego State. If the first three weekends are any indication, he might be right.
The Aztecs have put up 12 goals in six games and are scoring 2.00 goals per contest. After scoring twice in a tough, 3-2 overtime loss to Michigan in the opener on Sept. 5, in which SDSU outshot the visitors, 15-10, it tacked on six more goals in a 6-0 rout on Sept. 7 against Albany. Two weekends ago in Denver, San Diego State had three goals in two matches, including two in a shutout against Air Force. Last week the team managed just one goal in two games, despite outshooting the opposition, 32-19.
The 12 goals in six games have the Aztecs ranked in a tie for 20th in the nation in scoring offense with 2.00 goals per game. Top-ranked Wake Forest leads the way with 3.33 goals per game. Dartmouth, which SDSU plays this Sunday, is eighth with 2.40 goals per match. Last season, the team didn't record its 12th goal until its 10th game of the season, a 3-2, victory over eventual Pac-10 champion California on Oct. 12.
The 12 tallies have come from seven different Aztecs, including three by true freshman Daniel Steres and two apiece by junior Evan Toft, sophomore Raymundo Reza and true freshmen Joe Corona. Redshirt juniors Matt McManus and Jamel Wallace, and sophomore Khadim Diouf have also scored for SDSU. Overall, 12 different players have contributed at least one point on the season for San Diego State.
In the Pac-10 rankings, the Aztecs are tops in shots per game (18.00) and are tied with California for first with 6.00 points per match. In addition, SDSU is second goals (2.00) and assists per game (2.00), and third with 5.33 corner kicks per match.
A Star in the Making
Maybe a surprise to almost everyone except the Aztec coaching staff and team has been the play of Daniel Steres. Steres, a Calabasas, Calif., native, made his collegiate debut in style in the beginning of September, racking up five points on two goals and an assist. In addition, Steres, a midfielder, moved to the backline to help preserve a lead in the Albany game, securing the tournament's Most Valuable Defensive Player in the process. Since then, Steres has added a goal (vs. UC Davis - Sept. 21) and an assist (at Denver - Sept. 12).
Currently, Steres is tied for 72nd in the nation (T-3rd in Pac-10) with 1.33 points per game and tied for 81st (T-3rd in Pac-10) with 0.50 goals per contest.
Steres is also tied with Evan Toft for second on the squad with nine shots on goal, while his 16 shot attempts has him fourth.
In Toft We Trust
San Diego State junior Evan Toft is having, in what the Aztec coaching staff expected, a breakout season early in 2008. The Aurora, Colo., native has amassed two goals and three assists through six games. His 1.17 points per game is tied for fifth in the Pac-10 and is ranked in a tie for 91st in the nation. In addition, Toft's 0.50 assists per match is tied for 42nd in the country (T-3rd in Pac-10).
Toft registered at least one point in the team's first four games this season, the longest such streak on the team. In the Sept. 5 opener against Michigan, Toft assisted on Raymundo Reza's goal just 6:34 into the match. On Sept. 7, Toft collected one goal and one assist in SDSU's 6-0 rout over Albany. Two weekends ago, Toft wasted no time in his return to Colorado as his 30-yard shot found the back of the net just 59 seconds into the match in San Diego State's 2-1 loss to Denver. He followed that up the game-winning helper (along with Nick Cardenas) to Jamel Wallace in the Aztecs' 2-0 victory over Air Force.
In his third year, Toft is the Aztec active leader in points (20) and assists (12). The 2007 second-team all-Pac-10 selection also has four career goals.
Reza Roof
San Diego State sophomore Raymundo Reza is coming out of the gates firing on all cylinders after a fantastic first weekend. Reza, who had one point on an assist in his first season on The Mesa in 2007, picked up two goals and an assist for five points to help the Aztecs to a runner-up showing at the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Central Tournament the weekend of Sept. 5-7.
Reza, who moved to his natural position of midfield this year after playing in the back most of last season, scored his first collegiate goal just 6:34 into the opener against Michigan on Sept. 5. The Denver, Colo., later chipped in with an assist on a Daniel Steres goal in the 87th minute which effectively put the game into overtime. In the Michigan match, Reza set career highs in points (3), goals (1), shots (5) and shots on goal (4).
Against Albany on Sept. 7, Reza added other tally in the 59th minute. He added two shots in 66 minutes. For his efforts, Reza was named to the all-tournament team.
Through six games, Reza has already set career-highs in goals (2), points (5), shots (17) and shots on goal (10).
My Corona
Freshman Joe Corona (San Diego, Calif./Sweetwater HS) has certainly made his presence known on the field. Corona scored two goals in SDSU's 6-0 drubbing over Albany on Sept. 7 and added an assist in the team's loss to No. 23 UC Davis on Sept. 21. His five points are tied with Raymundo Reza for third on the squad.
The best part about his performance is his five points have come on five shots in just 172 minutes of action.
After coming off the bench to play 37 minutes against Michigan in the opener on Sept. 5 without attempting a shot, Corona scored twice in 28 minutes against Albany two days later. His first goal came at the 67:41 mark when he pounced on Daniel Steres' initial shot and poked it into the back of the net. Then, in the 89th minute, Corona took a feed from Daniel Ortega, dribbled into the box and found the right corner of the net from 12 yards. Last weekend, Corona and Dennis Sanchez went back and forth until Sanchez' cross led to a Steres header.
A Look at the Captains
Danny Ortiz and Dennis Sanchez will be looked upon to provide leadership and guidance to the 2008 Aztecs.
The two seniors were named co-captains after being the backbone of the team's defense each of the past two seasons. The two bring experience to The Mesa, combining for 112 appearances and 96 starts in their career.
No other Aztec had started more than Ortiz (36) over the 2006-07 seasons, while Sanchez is the most experienced on the squad with 60 career appearances and 55 starts. Both players were named to the all-Pac-10 honorable mention squad after the 2006 season.
"Danny is a phenomenal young man," head coach Lev Kirshner said. "He is everything you want in an Aztec - a student, good athlete, good person, talented player, a terrific leader.
"Dennis is a mainstay in the program. His workrate is tireless and he will do whatever it takes to win games. I'm just excited to have him finish his career on the right note, wearing the armband and helping us win championships."
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