SAN DIEGO – The No. 17 Aztec men's soccer team (6-0-1) begins Pac-12 Thursday when they host California (3-2-3) Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The SDSU women's team plays Air Force at 5 p.m. that night.
Aztec Tidbits
- SDSU was ranked No. 6 in the initial NCAA RPI rankings. They are ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, and No. 14 by Top Drawer Soccer.
- The Aztecs are the only team in the nation that has yet to concede a goal.
- SDSU leads the nation in eight stat categories including: goals allowed average (.000), goal differential (+24), goals per game (3.43) and assists per game (4.14).
- This is the first time in school history that SDSU hasn't allowed a goal through seven matches.
- This is also the best goal differential the Aztecs have ever had through seven matches (+24).
- The Aztecs' .929 win percentage is the second best in the nation.
- Under head coach Ryan Hopkins (4th season), the Aztecs are 15-1-0 in non-conference home matches.
- The Aztecs are undefeated (10-0-2) in their last 12 non-conference matches.
- SDSU is 18-7-1 in home matches over the last three years.
- This is the second time in the last three years that SDSU has won their first six home matches.
- SDSU is allowing just 2.3 shots on goal per game.
- The Aztecs have attempted nearly double the shots as their opponent (111-56) and nearly triple the shots on goal (45-16). SDSU is 15th in the nation in shots per game and 24th in shots on goal per game.
- SDSU was outcornered for the first time all season in their last match vs. Utah Tech (8-4). The Aztecs average 7.14 corners per game which leads the Pac-12 and is seventh in the nation.
- 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 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. Six games in, they are 6-0-0.
- 15 different Aztecs have started a match this season. Of that group, nine were making their first career start for SDSU.
- 15 of the 18 field players who have appeared in a match this season have recorded a point.
- 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
- Austin Brummett (Bow, N.H.) has a team-high 15 points, and averages 2.14 per game, which is fifth in the nation
- Alexander Levengood (Richmond, Va.) has a Pac-12 high six assists. His 0.86 assists per game is fifth in the nation.
- Rommee Jaridly (Chino Hills, Calif.) has tallied a point in each of SDSU's last five matches, including two game-winning goals.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Logan Erb (Houston, Texas) has played 552 minutes in his college career and never conceded a goal. He is the only keeper in the nation with a perfect goals against average (0.000) and save percentage (1.000).
- Terence Okoeguale (Cologne, Germany) is second on the team in points (10) and goals (5). He has scored four goals in the past two matches. His .417 shot on goal percentage leads the team (minimum 10 shots attempted).
- Lorenzo Hernandez (San Mateo, Calif.) has eight points, which he has accumulated in just 269 minutes (1 point per 33.6 minutes).
- Brummett, Jaridly, Jules Anderson (Ocean, N.J.) and Seth Clark (Christchurch, New Zealand) are all tied for second on the team in assists with three each.
- Four Aztecs have played every minute against D1 competition: Reid Sproat, Beto Apolinar, Reid Fisher and Noah Crétier. Outside of those four, two others have started every match (Rommee Jaridly and Jules Anderson)
- Fifth-year senior midfielder Henry Smith-Hastie (Los Angeles) was tabbed team captain for the 2023 campaign.
Coach Hopkins' Take on California
"Cal is a team that is hungry and motivated to take points. Our games with them have always been tightly contested and I expect nothing less Thursday."
Opponent Notebook (California)
The Golden Bears are 3-2-3 overall and 0-1-1 in the Pac-12… They went 3-8-6 last year and 1-6-3 in the Pac-12… Last week they tied Oregon State 2-2 before falling to Washington 1-0… They are 1-1-2 on the road… They have outscored opponents 13-9 on the year… Evan Davila leads the team in goals (3), points (7) and shots (19)… Goalkeeper Connor Lambe has started all but one match and is allowing 1.11 goals per game… Marco Brougher got the start in goal in their last game and allowed one goal… Head coach Leonard Griffin is in his second season at Cal. He was previously the head coach at Grand Canyon and San Francisco… The Aztecs are 24-27-5 all-time vs Cal… Over the last two years, SDSU is 1-1-1 vs. Cal.
No. 17 Aztecs Host Cal Thursday Night
