Nov. 6, 2013
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Reset
Wright State (5-9-2, 3-4 Horizon League) at San Diego State (5-9-2, 2-5-2 Pac-12)
Friday, Nov. 8 | 7 p.m. PT | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
Grand Canyon (2-13-1, 1-7 WAC) at San Diego State (5-9-2, 2-5-2 Pac-12)
Tuesday, Nov. 12 | 7 p.m. PT | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
Aztec Story Lines
- The San Diego State men's soccer team begins its final stretch of the 2013 regular season this week, as the Aztecs play host to non-conference opponents Wright State on Friday night and Grand Canyon on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Both matches will be held at SDSU Sports Deck beginning at 7 p.m. PT, and admission is free.
- SDSU is coming off a tie against Pac-12 foe Stanford, 1-1, on the road Sunday afternoon. Senior midfielder Casey Meuser (Granite Bay, Calif.) scored the Aztecs' goal in the 85th minute off a throw in from senior Blake Wise (Frisco, Texas) to knot the score for good. It was Wise's fourth assist this season, which is second-most on the team. Sophomore goalkeeper John Marcuzzo (Oakland, Calif.) recorded a career-high eight saves in only his third-career start, as the Aztecs were able to hold on for the draw despite being a player down after senior Kody Duff (Roseville, Calif.) was issued a red card in the 78th minute.
- Duff recorded two goals on Friday in San Diego State's narrow loss at No. 1 California, 3-2, and is now third on the team with 10 points on four goals and two assists. In addition, Duff was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 8 Team for the second-consecutive year on Oct. 31. He is the only Aztec men's soccer student-athlete to receive the honor since Kevin Sapanli in 2003. Meanwhile, senior midfielder Abraham Villon (Garden Grove, Calif.) recorded his team-leading sixth assist of the season in the second half at California.
- Friday's match against the Golden Bears was the Aztecs' seventh against a ranked opponent this season, and sixth against a team ranked in the top 10 of the NCSAA rankings. In this week's rankings, three of the top five teams are members of the Pac-12, led by No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 Washington and now No. 4 California. San Diego State is in fourth place in the Pac-12 standings with eight points, behind three teams ranked in the top five in the nation.
- The Aztecs are 2-2-1 in their last five contests, 4-3-2 in matches following a loss, 5-3 when scoring first, 5-3-2 when scoring last, 3-1 when leading at halftime, 4-3 when leading in a match, 5-2-1 when outshooting opponents, 4-3 when they have an edge in corner kicks, 2-1 when scoring two goals, 2-2 in one-goal matches or less and 3-3 in Friday matches. The Nov. 12 contest against Grand Canyon will be SDSU's first match on a Tuesday this season.
- In conference play, senior forward Jordan Ongaro (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) leads the Pac-12 in points (12) goals (6) and goals per match (0.67), while Villon is second in the conference in assists (6) and assists per match (0.75). San Diego State leads the conference in shots (117) and corner kicks (41) in Pac-12 play, and is tied for first in shutouts with two.
- Overall this season, Villon is first in the Pac-12 in points per match (1.20), second in points (18) and fourth in both assists (6) and assists per match (0.40). Meanwhile, Ongaro leads the conference in goals (8), is second in goals per match (0.50), and is seventh in both points (16) and points per match (1). Ongaro's eight goals is are tied for 34th in the nation and tied for 42nd in goals per match, while Villon's 1.20 points per match is tied for 51st in the country and his 18 points are tied for 56th.
- Wise is eighth in the Pac-12 in shots per match (1.88), while senior goalkeeper Blake Hylen (San Diego, Calif.) is third in saves with 49. In addition, Marcuzzo's eight saves in Sunday's tie against Stanford is tied for second most by a Pac-12 goalkeeper in a single match this season.
Opponent Notebook
Wright State
The Raiders are coming off a tie at Kentucky, 2-2, on Tuesday, and are 2-1-1 in their last four matches. Sophomore Brett Elder leads Wright State with 16 points on seven goals and two assists, while Eric Lynch is second with 10 points on two goals and a team-high six assists. A season ago, Elder was the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year, a first-team all-league selection and a Freshman All-American. The Raiders appear to be a very physical team, as they've racked up 241 fouls this season, while SDSU has 166.
Grand Canyon
The Antelopes are coming off a loss at Air Force, 2-3, on Tuesday and have lost six-straight matches. GCU will have a rematch against the Falcons at home on Friday and plays at Incarnate Word (Texas) on Sunday. Kyle Ciliento leads the 'Lopes with 14 points on six goals and two assists this season, while Albert Sanchez-Garcia is second on the team with nine points on four goals and an assist. A year ago, GCU advanced to the Division II NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with an overall record of 16-3-1. Head coach Petar Draksin is in his 21st season at GCU with a 216-145-37 overall mark.