Aug. 19, 2015
SAN DIEGO -
SDSU Women's Soccer Weekly Notes
Game Week Preview
Utah Valley (0-0) at [RV] San Diego State (0-0)
Friday, Aug. 21 | 7 p.m. PT | Mountain West Network | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
[RV] San Diego State (0-0) at [16] Kentucky (0-0)
Sunday, Aug. 23 | 7 p.m. ET | SEC Network+ | Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex | Lexington, Ky.
Storylines
- San Diego State opens its 27th season of Division I women's soccer this week with games vs. Utah Valley and at 16th-ranked Kentucky. SDSU will play host to the Wolverines on Friday at 7 p.m. PT before heading to Lexington to face the Wildcats on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
- The Aztecs' season opener vs. Utah Valley will be streamed live at GoAztecs.com via the Mountain West Network. San Diego State's road test at Kentucky, meanwhile, will air on the SEC Network+ and be available through the WatchESPN app and online at ESPN3.
- Last Friday, the Aztecs were in action for the first time in 2015 when Long Beach State visited Montezuma Mesa for an exhibition contest. Both teams finished the first half in a scoreless tie, but less than 15 minutes into the second half, returning starter Aliyah Utush was tackled in the box setting up Victoria Barba's successful penalty kick. SDSU was in control the entire game and limited the 49ers to three shots, including one on goal.
- On Monday, the Mountain West revealed its preseason coaches' poll and the results showed San Diego State atop the poll for the third consecutive year. The three-time defending MW regular-season and tournament champions received nine of 12 first-place votes and a total of 119 points. Colorado College was predicted to finish in second place after picking up two first-place considerations and 109 points. Wyoming was selected third (96 points), New Mexico and Utah State finished in a fourth-place tie (82), and Boise State rounded out the top half with 81 points and the final first-place tally.
- After winning 15 games a year ago, San Diego State enters 2015 as one of the elite teams in California having won 49 games over the last three seasons. The Aztecs' total trails only UCLA (61) and Stanford (56) for the most in the state since the start of the 2012 campaign.
- SDSU has appeared in a school-record three straight NCAA tournaments, which is the fourth-longest active streak in the state of California behind UCLA (18), Stanford (16) and California (11).
- Ninth-year head coach Mike Friesen will bring in an overall coaching record of 97-53-22, which equates to a .628 winning percentage, the highest in Aztec women's soccer history.
- The San Diego State roster features six returning starters, 15 returning letterwinners and eight newcomers (five freshmen, three transfers). Included in SDSU's six returning starters are Meggie Gulczynski, Ashley Hauke, Stacie Moran and Jen Rupey, all of whom started along the Aztecs' backline in 2014, and goalkeeper Melanie Vaughn.
- SDSU will look to reverse a sideways trend on Friday vs. Utah Valley. In each of the last two seasons, the Aztecs have dropped their first game of the year, falling to USC at USD in 2013 and to Michigan State at home in 2014. Despite the loss to the Spartans, San Diego State is 4-1-1 in season openers at home since the start of the 2004 campaign.
- When San Diego State travels to Kentucky, the Wildcats will face a team that was very good on the road in 2014. SDSU went 6-2 in true road games, winning five straight during the regular season before falling at California in the 2014 NCAA tournament. Since 2011, the Aztecs are 21-9-2 (.688) in true road contests.
- San Diego State has held its own when it comes to playing nationally ranked squads in the regular season since the start of 2011. The Aztecs have gone 4-5-1 against teams that have appeared in the polls at game with two of those victories coming against top-10 squads, including last year's 3-0 triumph over No. 10 Michigan.
- Friday's game will mark the first meeting between SDSU and Utah Valley, while the date at Kentucky will be just the second all-time get-together. The Aztecs dropped a 3-2 decision to the Wildcats in San Diego on Oct. 3, 1999.
Opponent Notebook
Utah Valley
The Wolverines were 2-1 winners in their exhibition vs. Weber State back on Aug. 14... UVU received goals in the seventh (Taylor Kirk) and 44th minutes (Breanna McCarter) to take a 2-0 lead before allowing a goal in the 81st to provide the final margin... Utah Valley is coming off a 2014 season in which it posted a 13-7-2 record (7-3 WAC; 3rd)... Senior Kali Stubbs is the top returning point earner after recording five goals and five assists for 15 points (tied for team lead) last year.... Senior goalkeeper Jessica Duffin (0.84 GAA, 81 saves) is also back after playing every minute in 2014.
Kentucky
The Wildcats open the season at home vs. Washington on Friday before welcoming SDSU... Kentucky was picked to finish in third place in the SEC and received one of 14 first-place votes in the annual coaches poll... UK returns nine starters off a 2014 team that reached the NCAA Sweet 16... Kentucky's team captain quartet of Alex Carter, Olivia Jester, Cara Ledman and Courtney Raetzman were named to the SEC watch list.