Aug. 18, 2014
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Women's Soccer Weekly Notes
Game Week Preview
Michigan State (0-0; 0-0 Big Ten) at San Diego State (0-0; 0-0 MW)
Friday, Aug. 22 | 7 p.m. PT | Mountain West Network | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
UC Davis (0-0; 0-0 Big West) at San Diego State (0-0; 0-0 MW)
Sunday, Aug. 24 | Noon PT | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
Storylines
- San Diego State opens its 26th season at the Division I level on Friday when it plays host to Michigan State at SDSU Sports Deck. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PT with the contest streaming live on the Mountain West Network. The Aztecs will then welcome UC Davis to Montezuma Mesa on Sunday at noon PT. Admission for all games is free.
- The Scarlet and Black faced Cal State Fullerton last Friday and the teams played to a 2-2 draw. SDSU fell behind, 2-0, in the 73rd minute, but received goals from Hannah Keane in the 77th and Erika Leal in the 87th to level the score. Keane almost cashed in the winner with five seconds left, but her shot sailed just over the crossbar. The Aztecs enjoyed a 19-9 advantage in shots and a 9-4 edge in shots on goal.
- SDSU is opening 2014 with four straight games at home for just the second time in the history of the program and for the first time since 2012. That season, the Aztecs posted the nation's best record at 21-2-1, advanced to the Sweet 16 and finished with a national ranking of 7/7/3 (NSCAA/Soccer America/Soccer Times).
- The back-to-back Mountain West regular-season and tournament champions are expected to win their third straight regular-season crown. San Diego State last week was picked by the league's coaches to finish atop the league after it earned five first-place votes and 115 points overall. The Aztecs finished ahead of MW newcomer Colorado College (112 points, 5 first-place votes) and Boise State (103 points, 2 first-place votes).
- San Diego State is unbeaten in its last four season openers at home (3-0-1) and has won three straight, all by 1-0 scores. All three victories were under the direction of head coach Mike Friesen. In season openers regardless of venue, the Aztecs are 3-3-1 under Friesen.
- SDSU has been dominant at home over the last two seasons, posting a record of 21-2-1 (14-1 in 2012, 7-1-1 in 2013). The two blemishes were to a pair of top-10 clubs in No. 5 UCLA in the 2012 Sweet 16 and No. 9 Portland last season. The Aztecs enter their date with the Spartans having won five straight home games.
- In 7 p.m. home games over the last two seasons, San Diego State has been very impressive. In 2012, the Aztecs were 7-0 and last year posted a 4-0 record. SDSU is set to play at least six home games this season that are scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
- The Aztecs are coming off a two-year stretch where they won 34 games (21 in 2012, 13 in 2013), which tied the school record for most wins over a two-year period. SDSU won 19 in 1998 and 15 in 1999 en route to a pair of NCAA appearances.
- The Aztecs are facing Michigan State for the second time in as many seasons and are completing a home-and-home series. A season ago, SDSU and the Spartans competed to a 1-1 double-overtime draw in their first-ever meeting. Keane assisted on Haley Locker's goal in the 25th minute only to have MSU's Kirsten Evans knot the score in the 45th.
- SDSU enters its contest against Michigan State with a 4-3-2 record vs. schools in the current Big Ten alignment (1-1 vs. Indiana, 0-1 vs. Michigan, 0-0-1 vs. Michigan State, 3-0 vs. Minnesota, 0-1-1 vs. Nebraska).
- San Diego State and Big West member UC Davis will meet for the first time in the history of both programs.
- Against current Big West programs, SDSU is 48-23-6 all time (4-3 vs. Cal Poly, 7-5 vs. CS Fullerton, 5-3 vs. CS Northridge, 6-0 vs. Hawai'i, 5-1-1 vs. Long Beach State, 10-4-3 vs. UC Irvine, 4-2-1 vs. UC Riverside, 7-5-1 vs. UC Santa Barbara).
- The Aztecs return one of the most dangerous offensive players in the nation in Keane. The senior led the team and the Mountain West in points and goals scored with 28 and 12, respectively. A native of Sacramento, Keane last year was an NSCAA third-team all-Pacific Region performer, first-team all-MW choice and conference tournament MVP.
- In addition to Keane, SDSU returns its second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers from a season ago. Junior midfielder Victoria Barba (2013 NSCAA all-Pacific Region third team, first-team all-MW) is back after posting 11 points (3 g, 5 a) in 2013. Seniors Locker and Kelsey Booth (2013 first-team all-MW), meanwhile, recorded eight points apiece (2 g, 4 a).
- Goalkeeper Melanie Vaughn returns as well after a breakthrough campaign in 2013. The junior led the Mountain West with 10 shutouts, and added 81 saves and a 1.04 GAA in her first year as a starter. The Harbor City native was an MW all-tourney pick.
Opponent Notebook
Michigan State
The Spartans dropped its exhibition game vs. No. 3 Virginia, 2-1, in a tilt that was played in three 30-minute segments... Freshman Jamie Cheslik notched Michigan State's goal in the second minute of the game... MSU went 9-8-2 (3-8 Big Ten) in 2013.
UC Davis
The Aggies took down Sonoma State in its friendly on Saturday, 4-1... UC Davis received two goals from Kayla Collins, and one apiece from Rachel Smith and Audrey Romano... Last season, UCD posted a record of 6-9-3 (3-4-1 Big West).