SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s soccer team is back in America’s Finest City this week for a pair of matches on the SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs host UC San Diego at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, and Eastern Washington at noon on Sunday, September 15. Attendance to both matches is free, and they will be streamed on the Mountain West Network for fans who are unable to attend in person.
San Diego State (1-3-1) just wrapped up arguably its toughest stretch of matches in the Mountain West era as the Aztecs faced three consecutive ranked opponents for the first time since at least 1999. Last Thursday, San Diego State took an early lead at No. 16 Texas when Emma Gaines-Ramos scored the first goal allowed at home by the Longhorns all season but was bested 3-1. The Aztecs outshot then No. 11 Oklahoma State 20-14 on August 31, but finished behind in goals, 3-0. The week before, SDSU suffered a 3-1 defeat on August 22, in which Kali Trevithick scored one of only two goals allowed by now unanimous No. 1 Stanford this season. Gaines-Ramos leads the Aztecs with two goals this season while Carlin Blake and Trevithick each have a pair of assists and Gaines-Ramos and Trevithick are tied with four points each. Alexa Madueno has played the entire season in goal for SDSU, tallying 21 saves with a shutout.
UC San Diego (1-5-1) is coming off a 1-1 tie at Washington State on September 8. The Tritons’ lone win of the season was a 3-0 result over Nevada on August 25. Last season, UCSD finished with a 5-8-5 record. The teams have met on four occasions, playing in La Jolla in 1990 and 1991, finishing with a 1-0 Aztec win and a 1-1 tie, respectively. After a 2-2 tie on the SDSU Sports Deck in 2022, San Diego State earned a 3-2 victory in La Jolla on September 7, last season.
Eastern Washington (3-2-1) defeated Hawai‘i 2-0 on September 8 in its last match. The Eagles also have wins at Kennesaw State and South Dakota this season. EWU has already passed its win total from last season’s 2-14-1 finish. The teams have met twice, both times ending with shutout victories for the Aztecs. SDSU won 3-0 on September 2, 2001, in Missoula, Montana, and 2-0 on the road in Cheney on September 3 last season.
Following this week’s action, San Diego State has three more matches remaining in this homestand, its longest of the season. SDSU wraps up its nonconference slate against (RV) Utah Valley on Sunday, September 22. The Aztecs begin conference play against Nevada on Thursday, September 26, and UNLV on Sunday, September 29. All three matches on the SDSU Sports Deck are free to attend and will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.