SAN DIEGO – The Aztecs (4-0-1) host Life Pacific (1-6-1) Monday at 7 p.m. Admission to all matches on the SDSU Sports Deck is free.
Aztec Tidbits
- There won't be a live stream for Monday's or Thursday's match (vs. Utah Tech).
- SDSU is ranked No. 18 in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll. They are also No. 2 in the Far West Region rankings, which puts them ahead of Pac-12 foes Oregon State, Washington, Cal and UCLA.
- This is the second time in the last three years that SDSU has been ranked. They rose as high as No. 13 in 2021.
- The Aztecs are one of two schools in the nation that have yet to allow a goal (Bryant) this year.
- This is the first time in school history that SDSU has posted clean sheets in each of its first five matches.
- SDSU's +9 goal differential is the 10th best in the country and the Aztecs' best through five matches since 1994.
- The Aztecs are undefeated (8-0-2) in their last 10 non-conference matches.
- SDSU is also undefeated (1-0-3) in their last four non-conference meetings against teams that are ranked or receiving votes.
- The Aztecs' .900 win percentage is tied for the eighth best in the nation.
- SDSU's opponent has been issued a red card in each of its last three matches. The Pac-12 has the best non-conference winning percentage in the nation (18-5-6, .724). The conference has been rated as NCAA Division I's top RPI conference each of the past two seasons.
- The Aztecs are in a stretch where they will play eight straight at home, which is the longest streak of consecutive home games in the program's 56-year history.
- Under head coach Ryan Hopkins (4th season), the Aztecs are 13-1-0 in non-conference home matches.
- SDSU is 16-7-1 in home matches over the last three years.
- 15 different Aztecs have started a match this season. Of that group, nine were making their first career start for SDSU.
- The Aztecs have 10 newcomers in 2023 with six transfers and four freshmen. Top Drawer Soccer ranked SDSU as having the 14th best incoming class in the country. SDSU was rated as the best incoming class in the nation a year ago.
- Of the six transfers new to SDSU in 2023, four are fifth-year seniors, one is a fourth-year senior and the other is a junior. In total, the Aztecs have 10 players in their fourth or fifth year of college.
- The Aztecs also have eight players who are true or redshirt freshmen and four of them already have made a start this season.
- SDSU had 15 players playing in the USL League Two over the summer. Nine of them played for clubs that made the playoffs including Christian Engmann, a transfer from Saint Mary's, who won the championship with Ballard FC.
- Following last season five Aztecs signed professional contracts, believed to be the most in program history. CJ Fodrey, the Top Drawer National Freshman of the Year, became the highest selection in the MLS SuperDraft in school history when Austin FC drafted him No. 13 overall. Blake Bowen (Seattle Sounders), Jacob Castro (Seattle Sounders), Kyle Colonna (New Mexico United) and Elias Katsaros (Tacoma Defiance) also moved to the professional ranks.
Player Notes
- Sophomore Austin Brummett (Bow, N.H.) was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week after scoring two goals and dishing out two assists last week in his first two starts of the year. Brummett was also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week, making it the second straight week an Aztec has been named to a national team of the week (Reid Sproat, Top Drawer Soccer)
- Brummett has a team-high nine points, which is third in the Pac-12. He has recorded a point in four straight matches.
- Rommee Jaridly (Chino Hills, Calif.) has scored a goal in each of SDSU's last three matches, including two game-winners. He is tied for the Pac-12 lead in game-winning goals and seventh in the nation.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Logan Erb (Houston, Texas) has played 462 minutes in his college career and never conceded a goal. He is one of two keepers in the nation with a perfect goals against average (0.000) and save percentage (1.000).
- Alexander Levengood (Richmond, Va.) along with Brummett are tied for the second-most assists in the Pac-12 with three.
- Four Aztecs have played all 450 minutes: Reid Sproat, Beto Apolinar, Reid Fisher and Noah Crétier. Outside of those four, three others have started every match (Rommee Jaridly, Jules Anderson and Seth Clark).
- Fifth-year senior midfielder Henry Smith-Hastie (Los Angeles) was tabbed team captain for the 2023 campaign.
Coach Hopkins' Take on Life Pacific
"This will be a great contest to see if our group is special enough to stay focused, keep paying attention to detail and not be satisfied with what we have accomplished thus far."
Opponent Notebook (Life Pacific)
The Warriors are 1-6-1 on the year… They are in San Dimas, Calif. and compete in the Golden State Conference of NAIA… They are 1-4-1 on the road… They have lost their last three matches and scored just one goal in that span.
No. 18 Aztecs Host Life Pacific Monday
