SAN DIEGO – The No. 22 Aztec men's soccer team (6-1-2 0-1-1) heads to the Pacific Northwest to take on Washington (4-3-3, 1-1-1) Thursday night and Oregon State (5-3-1, 2-0-1). Sunday afternoon. SDSU has played their last eight matches at home (a school record). Their last road match was Aug. 24 at Denver (T, 0-0).
Aztec Tidbits
- SDSU was ranked No. 22 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Additionally, the Aztecs were ranked No. 21 by Top Drawer Soccer and No. 22 by College Soccer News. The Aztecs are ranked second in the Far West Region, behind just Oregon State and ahead of the remainder of the Pac-12.
- The Aztecs are ranked No. 25 in the latest RPI, just behind Washington (No. 23) and right in front of Oregon State (No. 26). All six Pac-12 teams are in the top 33.
- SDSU went 0-1-1 in their opening weekend of Pac-12 play. The Aztecs fell to Cal 1-0 Thursday night. It was SDSU's first loss of the year and the first goal they had conceded.
- The Aztecs then played No. 6 Stanford to a 0-0 draw Sunday. This was the second time in the last two years that SDSU has played the Cardinal to a 0-0 draw while Stanford was ranked in the top 10.
- SDSU was the first team to shutout Stanford since Washington did it Oct. 6, 2022, a span of 18 matches.
- Stanford has been shutout just three times in its last 22 matches with two of those coming against SDSU.
- The Aztecs were the last team in the nation to concede a goal, a span of 650 minutes.
- This is the second time in the last three years that SDSU has allowed two goals or less through their first nine matches.
- SDSU is top two in the nation in six statistical categories: save percentage (1st, 0.962), goal differential (+23), goals allowed average (2nd, .111), shutout percentage (2nd, 0.889), assists per game (2nd, 3.22) and total assists (29).
- SDSU is allowing just 2.89 shots on goal per game.
- The Aztecs have attempted nearly double the shots on goal as their opponent (51-26).
- This is the second time in the last three years that SDSU has been ranked. They rose as high as No. 13 in 2021.
- SDSU is 18-8-2 at home over the last three years.
- The Aztecs are undefeated (10-0-2) in their last 12 non-conference matches.
- This is the second time in the last three years that the Aztecs have won each of their first six home games.
- 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 Pac-12 is rated as the top conference per RPI rankings. The conference has had the best RPI in each of the last two seasons.
- 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 goalkeeper Logan Erb (Houston, Texas) allowed his first career goal Thursday vs. Cal, snapping a streak of 572 minutes to start his college career. He leads the nation in save percentage (0.962) and is second in goals against average (0.139)
- Austin Brummett (Bow, N.H.) has a team-high 15 points, and averages 1.67 per game, which is 22nd in the nation. In September, he had a stretch where he recorded a point in six straight matches.
- Alexander Levengood (Richmond, Va.) has a Pac-12 high six assists. His 0.67 assists per game is 11th in the nation.
- Terence Okoeguale (Cologne, Germany) is second on the team in points (10) and goals (5).
- Rommee Jaridly (Chino Hills, Calif.) has nine points on three goals and three assists. In September he had a five-match stretch of recording at least one point.
- Lorenzo Hernandez (San Mateo, Calif.) has eight points, which he has accumulated in just 309 minutes (1 point per 38.6 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.
- Three Aztecs have played every minute against D1 competition: Reid Sproat, Beto Apolinar and Reid Fisher. Those three plus Noah Crétier and Jaridly have started every match and are averaging at least 80 minutes per match.
- Fifth-year senior midfielder Henry Smith-Hastie (Los Angeles) was tabbed team captain for the 2023 campaign.
Coach Hopkins on Northwest Trip
"The Pacific Northwest swing is always a difficult task. Both teams are top level competition with Oregon State at the top of the Pac-12 table right now. We know we will have to be close to our best as a team to accumulate points in both games."
Opponent Notebook (Washington)
The Huskies are 4-3-3 overall and 1-1-1 in conference play… They are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll… They are coming off a 2-0 home loss to Oregon State… Prior to that they beat No. 5 Portland 3-1… They are 2-2-1 at home… Last year they went 15-2-3 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament… They have a +1 goal differential (12-11)… Peter Kingston leads the team in points (7), assists (5) and shots (16)… Goalkeeper Sam Fowler has a goals allowed average of 1.00… Head coach Jamie Clark (13th season) has a career record of 165-57-28 and has led the Huskies to 10 NCAA Tournaments… The Aztecs are 7-26-8 all-time vs. UW… SDSU last won at Washington Nov. 6, 2016, when UW was ranked No. 10… SDSU head coach Ryan Hopkins got his first career win vs. UW when the Huskies were ranked No. 4 (March 28, 2021).
Opponent Notebook (Oregon State)
The Beavers are 5-3-1 and 2-0-1 in Pac-12 play… They are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll… They won at UW 2-0 last weekend and have also beaten Stanford 2-1 on the road… They are 2-2-0 at home… They are top 20 in the nation in assists per game (2.56) and points per game (6.56)… Logan Farrington leads the Pac-12 in points (19) and goals (8)… Fran Cortijo is tied with Alexander Levengood for the most assists in the conference with six… OSU has used two goalkeepers. Luis Castillo, last year's starter, made the last start and has a goals allowed average of 1.03 on the year… Head coach Greg Dalby is in his first year at OSU. He came from Penn State where he spent five years as an assistant… The Aztecs are 12-23-4 against OSU all-time… They went 1-1-0 against them last year.
No. 22 Aztecs Play at Washington Thursday
