Sept. 6, 2015
Final Stats | Photo Gallery 1 
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SAN DIEGO ââ'¬" A staunch defense and relentless attack resulted in a momentous win for the San Diego State men's soccer team. After topping George Washington, 3-0, at SDSU Sports Deck on Sunday, the Aztecs are now 3-0 to start a season for the first time since 1992.
The clean sheet is San Diego State's first shutout this season, and its first without allowing a shot on goal since a 2-0 win in 2013 over Niagara. Offensively, the Aztecs' trio of goals marked just the second time in this millennium that the program has averaged three-or-more goals per game to open a campaign.
"It is significant for us to find wins," San Diego State head coach Lev Kirshner said. "The confidence brewing from these victories will be important for our upcoming games against SIUE and UC Irvine, and they have been a good way to prepare and to win the correct way."
The chips began to fall in San Diego State's favor 15 minutes into the match. After a failed clearing attempt in the box by a George Washington defender, the ball bounced off backwards and into the Colonials' net for the 1-0 Aztec lead.
Solid play by San Diego State's backline protected the advantage, helped by freshman Kyle Adams, whose slide tackles around the box prevented quality George Washington scoring threats.
"He has been very impressive," Kirshner said of the New Zealand native. "His ability to win the area contest is so critical and he is a beast in the air. I'm proud of what he's been able to do for our team. He's a cultured player and has done a great job coming in as a freshman."
The Scarlet and Black's attack continued to press and its aggressiveness paid off in the final third of the opening frame. At 33:05, the Colonials (1-3-0) were served with a foul and Jeroen Meefout's free kick bent perfectly into the top left corner of the net for the 2-0 lead. It was his first marker as an Aztec.
A late second half foul in the box on George Washington yielded the Aztecs' third tally of the game. Taking the shot at the 84-minute mark, San Diego State's most prolific scorer to open the 2015 campaign, Rene Reyes sent a low shot sailing into the right side of the net for the 3-0 score. Reyes now has a goal in each match this season for four on the year.
Meefout led all players with five shots, three of which were on frame, helping San Diego State out-shoot the Colonials, 19-3. Nine of the Aztecs' 19 attempts were on target. Each team took two corner kicks.
San Diego State will attempt to extend its season-opening win streak to four games, a feat unmatched since the 1991 season, with a 7 p.m. contest on Fri., Sept. 11 against SIU-Edwardsville at SDSU Sports Deck.
Said Kirshner of his club, "We're doing a good job of exploiting our opponent and are dangerous on set pieces and are getting a lot of long throws. We're still trying to hit our stride and get the roster together but I'm excited about what's going on."
MAN OF THE MATCH: Rene Reyes is the Man of the Match after converting a penalty kick late in the second half to give San Diego State its three-goal lead. Playing full-time, the redshirt senior took three shots. A native of Oslo, Norway, Reyes has been San Diego State's most prolific scorer to open the young 2015 campaign. He has scored in every match this year, including a two-goal match against San Diego Christian, the first two-goal match of his career.