Game Week Preview
[rv] Texas Tech (2-0; 0-0 Big 12) at San Diego State (1-0; 0-0 MW)
Friday, Aug. 24 | 7 p.m. PT | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
San Diego State (1-0; 0-0 MW) at [rv] Long Beach State (1-1; 0-0 Big West)
Sunday, Aug. 26 | 6 p.m. PT | BigWest.TV | George Allen Field | Long Beach, Calif.
Notes
- San Diego State returns to action this week with a pair of games, both home and away, starting Friday. The Aztecs will play host to Texas Tech at 7 p.m. PT on Friday night before heading north to Long Beach State for a Sunday night contest at 6 p.m. PT.
- SDSU opened the season last week with a gritty 1-0 home win over New Mexico State. The home side was issued a red card early in the first half, forcing the Aztecs to play the final 69:47 down a player. Taylor Moorehead, however, scored in the 85th minute and the defense held firm en route to the victory.
- Moorehead, a freshman, entered the game in the 76th minute and head coach Mike Friesen's decision paid dividends nine minutes later. The forward scored on her only attempt and was one of eight different Aztecs to take a shot. Moorehead was also only one of four true freshmen to log minutes, joining the starting trio of Lauren Dicus, Laura Fuentes and Florence Laroche.
- With Moorehead's goal, the last two San Diego State goals, dating to last season, have been scored by true freshmen. In the first round of the 2017 NCAA tournament, then-freshman forward Mia Root dented the scoreboard to provide the Aztecs their only goal in a loss to UCLA.
- Ariana Robles was credited with the assist on Moorehead's game-winning play. The junior defender notched her first assist since Sept. 23, 2016, vs. Air Force and started at center back for the first time of her career.
- San Diego State has won five consecutive regular-season games, a streak that dates to last season, and is 7-1 over its last eight outings. The shutout was also the Aztecs' fifth in their last eight contests.
- The Aztecs went with a starting lineup that featured zero seniors, four juniors, four sophomores and three freshmen against the Aggies. Of the 11, four were suiting up for San Diego State for the first time (three freshmen, one sophomore transfer). In all, one-third of the players (6-of-18) who logged action were playing in the Scarlet and Black for the first time. Nikolina Musto, the team's lone senior, played 15 minutes off the bench and attempted one shot.
- Four of the six newcomers who saw action vs. New Mexico State (Fuentes, Malia Kaleohi, Laroche and Moorehead) were responsible for four of the team's eight shots, including all four shots on goal. It continues last year's trend when newcomers attempted 49.5 percent of the team's shots (136-of-275).
- The Aztecs will welcome Texas Tech to the Sports Deck a season after they dropped a 1-0 decision in Lubbock. Kirsten Davis, who scored the game-winner in the 49th minute, is back for her sophomore campaign as is junior Jordie Harr, who assisted on the play.
- San Diego State and Texas Tech are getting together for the third straight season with the Aztecs in search of their first victory. The Red Raiders won in America's Finest City in 2016, before capturing their second consecutive 1-0 win last season. Friday will be the third all-time meeting in school history.
- SDSU will look avenge another loss from last year when it meets Long Beach State on Sunday at George Allen Field. The Aztecs were on the short end of a 2-0 home loss in 2017, despite outshooting the 49ers, 9-8, and putting an equal amount of shots on goal (5-5). Two LBSU goals in the final 12 minutes of the first half doomed the home side. Nadiyah Siqueiros, who scored the second goal, is back for her sophomore year.
- The Aztecs will be in search of their first series win vs. Long Beach State since a 2009 home victory. San Diego State has dropped two straight in the series and is 0-2-1 in its last three meetings. SDSU, however, is 5-3-1 all-time vs. the 49ers.
- The game at Long Beach State will be the first of four consecutive games on the road. Next week, the schedule will take the Aztecs to Northern California for clashes with California (Aug. 31) and UC Davis (Sept. 2). A single-game week will follow and will feature cross-town foe San Diego. That get-together is set for Sept. 7, inside Torero Stadium. SDSU defeated UC Davis (1-0) and USD (3-1) at home last season, and will face the Golden Bears for the first time since the 2015 campaign.
Opponent Notebook
Texas Tech
The Red Raiders, who are the second team out of the United Soccer Coaches Top 25, are 2-0 after producing a 2-0 win over New Mexico and a 1-0 shutout of Pepperdine last week... Both team's are on SDSU's schedule this year... TTU, in fact, has not allowed a goal to any team this season after blanking Denver in a road friendly, 1-0... Jade King has a pair of goals with Charlotte Teeter providing the other... Marissa Zucchetto has rarely been threatened, having been forced to make just five saves in two games.
Long Beach State
The 49ers are 1-1 after a heartbreaking defeat at UCLA and a 1-0 home win over SMU... Long Beach State, which is receiving votes in the latest top-25 poll, gave up a goal with two seconds remaining in the second half to fall to the Bruins... Siqueiros, meanwhile, provided the game-winner against the Mustangs... Imani McDonald has received the nod at goalkeeper in both games and has 12 saves to go with a 0.50 GAA... LBSU will play host to Northeastern on Friday before the Aztecs visit.