Game Week Preview
New Mexico State (0-0; 0-0 WAC) at San Diego State (0-0; 0-0 MW)
Friday, Aug. 17 | 7 p.m. PT | Mountain West Network | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
Storylines
- San Diego State, the 10-time Mountain West champions, officially opens the season on Friday when it plays host to New Mexico State at 7 p.m. PT atop SDSU Sports Deck. Admission to the season opener is free and the contest will stream live on the Mountain West Network.
- The Aztecs enter the campaign as the preseason favorites in the Mountain West after they raised the conference tournament trophy last November in Las Vegas, Nevada, and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2014. San Diego State nudged San José State for the top spot in the MW preseason poll, earning 112 points and four first-place votes compared to the Spartans' 111 points and five first-place considerations.
- San Diego State found itself last week at the No. 1 spot in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll for the sixth straight season and approaches 2018 having won four of the last six regular-season crowns.
- SDSU captured the conference title last season by winning four straight regular-season games to end the year and shutting out both Boise State (1-0) and New Mexico (3-0) at the Mountain West Championship. The Aztecs have won eight of the last 12 MW trophies (regular season and tournament), all of which have come under head coach Mike Friesen's watch. The 12th-year head coach has guided San Diego State to nine conference crowns.
- The Aztecs are opening the season at home for the fourth time in five seasons. It is, however, the first time they have opened vs. a non-Power-5 foe since 2015, when they defeated Utah Valley, 6-0. SDSU heads into its 30th season opener with a 16-12-1 all-time record in lidlifters.
- San Diego State is riding a 4-game regular-season winning streak into Friday's contest vs. the Aggies. A win would give SDSU its longest regular-season winning streak since it won 10 straight in 2015. Dating to a Sept. 29, 2017, road victory over Utah State, the Aztecs are 8-2-2.
- Friday's clash with New Mexico State comes one week after SDSU dropped a 2-0 home decision to Cal State Fullerton. The Aztecs created a handful of chances in the exhibition, but could not put any away. Both teams put five shots on target, but the Titans, who won the Big West tournament and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 2017, finished with advantages in shots (11-8) and corner kicks (5-1).
- The Aztecs started a young group vs. Cal State Fullerton as seven were either freshmen or sophomores (three freshmen, four sophomores). Second-year midfielder Chloe Frisch led the team with a pair of shots and both were on target. Four juniors, meanwhile, rounded out SDSU's Starting XI.
- San Diego State brings back four of its top six point-earners from last year, including leading goal-scorer Mia Root. The forward posted 10 goals as a true freshman and was one goal shy of entering the program's single-season top 10. Root finished with 23 points on the year, two short of the team lead (Aliyah Utush - 25), and five shy of matching Hannah Keane's 28 in 2013, which ranks as the 10th-best single-season effort in school history.
- Joining Root as the top returning point-getters are classmates Frisch and forward Esther Arnarsdottir, and junior midfielder Rachel Speros. Frisch had a pair of goals to go with three assists (7 points) in 2017, while Arnarsdottir and Speros each contributed two goals and two assists for six points. Others who recorded points and are back this season include sophomore defender Sarah Broacha (1 goal, 1 assist), junior forward Darcy Weiser (1 goal) and sophomore defender/midfielder Phoebe Leitch (1 goal).
- Junior goalkeeper Gabby English highlights the defense. She is a two-year returning starter, who appears on all three career goalkeeping charts, ranking fifth in shutouts (15.5), sixth in saves (162) and seventh in GAA (1.20). Last season, English started all 22 games and posted a GAA of 1.14 to go with 7.5 shutouts and 78 saves.
- The backline returns Broacha and junior Yasmin Ahooja, who both started last year's NCAA tournament game at UCLA. Broacha started every game as a true freshman, while Ahooja started half of her 20 games played. Junior Ariana Robles will also play a large role after starting 13 of 18 games a season ago and 30 of 37 in her career.
- SDSU's young squad, which features just one senior in Nikolina Musto, will face a New Mexico State team that it has never faced in the history of the program.
- The Aztecs will play just once this week before next week's home-road split. Texas Tech visits America's Finest City on Friday in a rematch of last year's game in Lubbock. The Red Raiders made a 49th-minute goal stand to earn a 1-0 win. After playing host to TTU, SDSU will face Long Beach State for a Sunday evening contest. San Diego State will look to avenge last season's 2-0 home loss to the 49ers. The Aztecs outshot LBSU, 9-8, and each had five shots on goal.
Opponent Notebook
New Mexico State
The Aggies are coming off a 3-1 exhibition loss at Arizona State on Sunday... NMSU allowed three goals in the first 27 minutes and held the Sun Devils scoreless the rest of the way... Corey Kizer recorded New Mexico State's lone goal in the 67th minute off a feed from Micaela Milavec... The Aggies finished in sixth place in the preseason WAC coaches poll... Senior forward Aileen Galicia earned preseason all-WAC honors after a junior year in which she had 10 goals and five assists for 25 points... The Aggies are coached by Rob Baarts, who is in his first season at the helm of the program.
Women's Soccer to Face NMSU in Season Opener on Friday
