Aug. 11, 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - San Diego State's 2009 men's soccer recruiting class has been ranked as the 22nd-best in America by College Soccer News. It is the third top-25 class by SDSU in the past four years and fourth top-40 recruiting class over the past five campaigns.
The accolades of the six-player group include, but are not limited to, an under-17, 18 and 20 U.S. national team starter, numerous high school All-Americans, another adidas ESP participant, multiple starters on ODP teams, a nationally-ranked goalkeeper and one of the top defenders from the state of Texas.
On the website, the Aztecs are one spot behind perennial power Indiana (21st) and ahead of South Carolina (23rd), Harvard (24th) and Santa Clara (25th). Other schools behind San Diego State include Big East members St. John's (26th), Connecticut (27th) and Georgetown (28th), Big West programs Cal Poly (33rd) and UC Irvine (38th), and SEC power Clemson (35th).
SDSU returns eight of its 11 starters, including College Soccer News preseason senior All-American Nick Cardenas (Thornton, Colo.), and 97 percent of the program's scoring from a year ago.
The Aztecs' 18-match schedule, which includes four former national champions and seven games against 2008 NCAA tournament teams, begins Sept. 1 at home against Loyola Marymount at 4 p.m. PT. Prior to the first official contest, San Diego State plays two exhibitions - on Aug. 22 (1 p.m.) at home against local derby UC San Diego and on Aug. 26 (7 p.m.) at 2008 NCAA tournament participant Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.