SAN DIEGO – The Aztec men's soccer team (4-0-1) extended their unbeaten streak to five matches with a 2-0 win over UC Riverside (0-5-1) at the SDSU Sports Deck Sunday evening. SDSU held the Highlanders without a shot on goal and have now recorded a shutout in each of their first five matches for the first time in the program's 55-year history.
"It's special," Head coach Ryan Hopkins said about the shutout streak. "We ask this group to sacrifice a lot, because it's not just the goalkeeper, it's not just the backline, it's the midfielders, it's the wingers and our forwards. It's a collective team effort and one of our core values is being unselfish and you can see it out on the field and now we are being rewarded for it."
The Aztecs outshot the Highlanders 17-6 and had nine corners to UCR's three.
UC Riverside's Alexander Vukovic was issued a red card in the 12th minute after head butting an Aztec, forcing the Highlanders to play a man down for the final 78 minutes. It was the third straight match where SDSU's opponent has been issued a red card.
The Aztecs didn't score in the first half but had 48 percent of their possession in UCR's back quadrant. Terence Okoeguale nearly scored in the 19th minute on a counterattack, but his shot from the left wing was deflected by the goalkeeper's fingertips.
In the 51st minute, SDSU finally broke through with a beautiful three-man combination. From the left wing, Alexander Levengood sent the ball to Okoeguale near the end line who immediately sent it back to Levengood off the back of his heel. Levengood fired a shot that went off the keeper and right to Rommee Jaridly to clean it up for his third goal in as many games.
The Aztecs put the game out of reach on a beautiful counterattack in the 83rd minute. The SDSU defense cleared it to Levengood in the middle of the pitch who dropped it to a sprinting Beto Apolinar. He then carried for 25 yards before patiently waiting for Austin Brummett to slip behind the UCR defense. Brummett needed just one touch to beat the charging keeper and collected his ninth point in the last four matches.
Goalkeeper Logan Erb (4-0-0) collected his fourth shutout of the year and now has a clean sheet in all five of his collegiate starts.
STAT OF THE MATCH
The Aztecs outshot the Highlanders 17-6 and had a 5-0 advantage in shots on goal.
QUOTE OF THE MATCH
"We are a complete team where the guys are willing to put the team before themselves and that's been the biggest key to our success. If we can continue to do that, we are going to be a really tough team to beat." Head coach Ryan Hopkins
THE NOTE I
SDSU's +9 goal differential is their best through five matches since 1994.
THE NOTE II
The Aztecs are one of two teams (Bryant) who haven't conceded a goal this season.
UP NEXT
The Aztecs are off until September 18 when they host Life Pacific at 7 p.m.
Aztecs Stay Unbeaten, Beat UC Riverside 2-0
