Nov. 8, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
Match Week Preview
No. 16/15 San Diego State (9-4-4, 4-3-2 Pac-12) at No. rv/25 UCLA (9-7-1, 4-5 Pac-12)
Thursday, Nov. 10 | 6 p.m. PT | Drake Stadium | Los Angeles, Calif.
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Aztec Storylines
* The No. 16/15 San Diego State men's soccer team will face another crucial road test on Thursday when it squares off against No. rv/25 UCLA in the regular-season finale for both squads at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. Match time is set for 6 p.m. PT, and the contest will be aired on Pac-12 Networks. A live audio stream will also be available courtesy of UCLABruins.com.
* The Aztecs split two games in the Pacific Northwest last week, dropping a tough a 3-2 decision in overtime to Oregon State, before rebounding with a huge 1-0 triumph over No. 11/10 Washington. Against the Beavers on Nov. 3, SDSU received goals by Travis Nicklaw and Greg Norris in the final 13 minutes of regulation to erase a 2-0 deficit and force overtime. However, OSU short-circuited the Aztecs' comeback hopes with an acrobatic goal in the eighth minute of the extra period to pull off the upset.
* Stung, the Scarlet and Black responded with grit and determination against a Husky squad that came into the Nov. 6 clash riding a six-match winning streak. The Aztecs rose to the occasion, however, limiting the host school to just four shots on goal. With time winding down in the second half of a scoreless battle, Pablo Pelaez lined up for a free kick from 25 yards out following a UW foul and promptly drilled the ball into the right side of the net for his second goal of the year and first game-winner as a collegian.
* With the victory, SDSU swept the regular-season series against the Huskies for the first time in program history, knocking their Pac-12 adversary out of contention for a conference championship.
* Not to be outdone, goalkeeper Adam Allmaras made four saves against UW to complete his 10th clean sheet of the year, tying Bryan Finnerty (1989) for second place on the school's single-season shutout list. In addition, Allmaras is fourth on the Aztecs' all-time charts with 20 career shutouts, trailing only Finnerty (26.5 - 1987-89), Mark Stepovich (21.5 - 1979-82) and Tally Hall (21.0 - 2003-06). The SDSU redshirt junior also moved into fifth place on program's career list recently with 181 saves.
* Entering the final match of the regular season, the Aztecs (9-4-4, 4-3-2 Pac-12) are third in the conference standings with 14 points, just ahead of Thursday's opponent UCLA (9-7-1, 4-5 Pac-12), which occupies the fourth position with 12 points. Despite an open date, Stanford (10-3-4, 7-1-1 Pac-12) has already captured the league title with 22 points thus far, thanks to SDSU's aforementioned win over Washington (13-5, 6-3 Pac-12), which has locked up second place with 18 points.
* The Aztecs' 9-4-4 record this season marks the program's best start through 17 matches since 2011, when the Scarlet and Black squad posted a 10-5-2 mark.
* On the national stage, SDSU jumped five places into the 16th spot in the latest NSCAA Division I coaches poll and is ranked 15th once again by Soccer America. The Scarlet and Black was also listed 23rd by Top Drawer Soccer this week while landing in the 25th position in the College Soccer News Top 30 rankings.
* The Aztecs have appeared in the Soccer America rankings for 10 consecutive weeks, climbing to as high as No. 7 on Sept. 12. In addition, SDSU has landed in 10 of 11 NSCAA coaches polls this year, earning a high ranking of 11th on Sept. 13.
* San Diego State will be looking to avenge a 1-0 setback against the UCLA at home on Oct. 8. The Aztecs outshot the Bruins 13-10, but could not dent the scoreboard as Jose Hernan-dez's goal in the 64th minute proved to be the decisive tally. The Pac-12 rivals split their two meetings a year ago, with SDSU claiming a thrilling 1-0 double-overtime victory at home in the regular-season finale after dropping an earlier 4-0 decision in Los Angeles.
* Defense has been a trademark all season for the Aztecs, who enter the week ranked sixth nationally in shutout percentage (0.60) and 14th in goals against average (0.66). SDSU has allowed just 12 goals this year, becoming just the fourth team in program history to give up 12 or fewer scores in the first 17 games of the season, joining the 1987 (12), 1988 (7) and 2005 (8) squads.
* Individually, Adam Allmaras is ninth in the nation with an .846 save percentage and is ranked 18th with a .664 goals against average, both tops in the conference. The La Costa Canyon High product also leads the Pac-12 with 66 saves (3.88/gm) and 10 shutouts. In addition, Travis Nicklaw is tied for fifth in the league with a team-high five goals, highlighted by game-winners vs. No. 1 Akron (Sept. 2), crosstown foe San Diego (Sept. 25), No. 16 Washington (Oct. 2) and Cal (Oct. 23). Nicklaw's four decisive tallies are tied for the top spot in the conference and rank 19th in the country.
* Meanwhile, forward Jeroen Meefout is tied for 10th in the Pac-12 with four goals on the year. Earlier in September, the Aztec junior was named the most outstanding offensive player of the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Central Tournament after recording a pair of braces in victories over UT Rio Grande Valley and Memphis.
* Midfielders Pablo Pelaez, AJ Vergara and forward Daniel Sagno were each named to the mid-season Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Top 100 list on Oct. 17. Pelaez was ranked 21st, Vergara landed in the 79th spot, while Sagno was listed 89th. With their selections, the Aztecs tied UCLA for the most Pac-12 players on the website's initial freshman rankings of the 2016 campaign.
* With its success, San Diego State has garnered several individual accolades at the conference and national level this year. Adam Allmaras (Sept. 6/Oct. 25), Jeroen Meefout (Sept. 13) and Travis Nicklaw (Sept. 27/Oct. 4) have already earned Pac-12 Player of Week honors. The Aztecs' five weekly Pac-12 nods are the most in the same season since SDSU joined the conference in 2005. Not to be outdone, Nicklaw (Sept. 6) and Allmaras (Oct. 4) were named to the Top Drawer Soccer National Team of the Week, while Meefout (Sept. 13) and defender Matt Callahan (Oct. 3) received the same recognition from College Soccer News.
* Entering the final week of conference play, four Pac-12 teams are among the top 30 in the latest NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), including the Aztecs, who sit at No. 30. Washington slipped into the fifth spot in this week's RPI, while Stanford remains in the No. 6 position, followed by UCLA (28), California (52) and Oregon State (85). Collectively, the Pac-12 is the No. 2 RPI conference in the nation, sporting the toughest opponent strength of schedule (.547) and the second-best overall winning percentage (.575) in the country.
* The Aztecs are 9-0-2 this season when leading in a match, including a 4-0-1 mark when maintaining the upper hand at halftime. In addition, San Diego State has posted a spotless 7-0 record on Sundays this season and is 7-2 in one-goal matches.
* Now in his 17th season, Lev Kirshner is tied with Kevin Grimes of California as the longest tenured head coach in Pac-12 men's soccer. Under Kirshner's direction, the Aztecs own an 80-63-20 overall record in non-conference play.
Opponent Notebook
UCLA
The Bruins (9-7-1, 4-5 Pac-12), who are receiving votes in this week's NSCAA poll, snapped a four-match losing streak with a wild 4-3 victory at Oregon State on Nov. 6. Junior Abu Danladi scored two goals against the Beavers, including the game-winner in the 80th minute, while sophomore Jackson Yueill notched three points on a goal and one assist. For the season, UCLA has been led by Danladi, senior Felix Vobejda and redshirt junior Brian Iloski, who are tied for fifth in the Pac-12 this week with five goals apiece. In addition, Yueill leads the conference with nine assists, which ranks sixth nationally, while goalkeeper Kevin Silva is 12th in the country with a league-best 5.00 saves per game. As a team, the Bruins are tied with Stanford atop the conference with 31 goals (1.82/gm) overall, but rank just fifth in the Pac-12 with a 1.44 goals against average on the season. UCLA is 5-4-1 at home this season, including a 3-1 non-conference triumph over Coastal Carolina in its last game at Drake Stadium on Oct. 29. Former Bruin All-American Juan Salcedo is in his 13th season on the Westwood campus, directing his alma mater to a 169-69-40 record.