SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men’s soccer team begins the 2025 season this week, playing at No. 17 Virginia Thursday at 5 p.m. PT and then at Howard Sunday at 9 a.m. PT. The Virginia match will be streamed on ACC Network Extra, which requires a subscription, while the Howard match can be streamed for free on NEC Front Row.
Aztec Tidbits
- The Aztecs won the WAC regular season championship last year, the program’s first conference championship in school history. SDSU went undefeated (7-0-1) in the WAC in conference play and shut out their opponents in six of their eight WAC matches.
- SDSU was picked to finish first in the WAC in the preseason coaches poll.
- 2024 was the Aztecs’ first year in the WAC after 19 years in the Pac-12. The Aztecs previously played in the WAC from 1996-98.
- SDSU’s 10 wins in 2024 were their most since 2011.
- Head coach Ryan Hopkins was an assistant at Virginia prior to coming to SDSU. In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he helped the Cavaliers go 31-6-4 and reach the Sweet 16 (2018) and NCAA Championship match (2019).
- Hopkins was named the WAC Coach of the Year last season.
- This is the Aztecs’ second straight year playing a match on the East Coast. They earned a 1-1 draw at Maryland last year.
- The Aztecs had a conference-high three players named to the preseason All-WAC Team, as chosen by the league’s coaches. Cianole Nguepissi was named the Preseason Defender of the Year and Terence Okoeguale and Tristan Viviani made the preseason All-WAC Team.
- SDSU had two players named a “Midfielder to Watch” by the United Soccer Coaches: Okoeguale and Carson Ballagh, a transfer from Oakland University.
- Six starters return from last year’s championship team (Beto Apolinar, Israel Carrillo, Rommee Jaridly, Nguepissi, Okoeguale and Viviani).
- According to Top Drawer Soccer, the Aztecs have the 26th best incoming class in 2025 and the sixth best on the West Coast.
- SDSU has 12 newcomers (5 freshmen and 7 transfers). Five of their seven transfers were all-conference honorees at their previous school.
- In the Aztecs’ two friendlies, four different newcomers started.
- SDSU beat UC San Diego 2-1 and played UC Santa Barbara to a 1-1 draw in preseason play. The Gauchos were picked to win the Big West and are receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason poll.
- SDSU didn’t trail in any of their WAC matches last year, a span of 720 minutes.
- The Aztecs have been nationally ranked at one point in three of the last four seasons.
- In 2024 conference play, the Aztecs led the WAC in goals allowed average (0.25) and shutout percentage (0.75).
- San Diego State has lost just four non-conference matches over their last 23 chances (14-4-5) and is 18-2-2 in non-conference home matches under head coach Ryan Hopkins (5th season).
- Last year SDSU was 9-1-2 when scoring first and 9-1-3 when tied or leading at the half.
- The Aztecs went undefeated in their last five road matches (4-0-1) of the 2024 season, the first time that’s happened since 1989.
- The Aztecs have had a winning record in non-conference play last year in 10 of their last 11 seasons.
- Last year 13 of the Aztecs’ 18 matches were a draw or decided by one goal (8-2-3).
- SDSU ended last season winning seven of their last eight matches that were decided by one goal.
- The Aztecs are 24-11-5 at home since the beginning of the 2021 season.
- Last year three Aztecs had at least five goals (Robbie Matei, Okoeguale and Austin Brummett). It was the first time since 2012 that three Aztecs had at least five goals.
- Defender Reid Fisher was selected by Toronto FC with the 23rd overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft in December. He became the third Aztec to be drafted in the last three years, and second in the first round, joining CJ Fodrey (13th overall) and Blake Bowen (59th) who were both selected in the 2022 SuperDraft.
Player Notes
- Cianole Nguepissi (Birmingham, England) was named the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Last year he made the WAC All-Freshman Team after starting every WAC match and helping SDSU post six clean sheets in their eight conference matches.
- Terence Okoeguale (Cologne, Germany) was named a “Midfielder to Watch” by the United Soccer Coaches and to the Preseason All-WAC Team. Last season he led the Aztecs with 17 points (6 goals & 5 assists) and was named to the All-WAC First Team and to the United Soccer Coaches Far West All-Region Second-Team. His six goals and five assists both tied for the team lead, and he also led the team in shot on goal percentage (58.3%, 14-for-24).
- Tristan Viviani (Redwood City, Calif.) was also named to the Preseason All-WAC Team. He is a three-year starter who has displayed his versatility throughout his tenure on The Mesa by playing all over the pitch. He has appeared in 46 matches with 39 starts in his career and last year played 1,495 minutes, the third most on the team, and played a full 90 minutes in all but four matches.
- Carson Ballagh (Lake Orion, Mich.) joined Okoeguale on the United Soccer Coaches “Midfielder to Watch” List. Last season as a sophomore at Oakland University he was named to the All-Horizon First Team and United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Third-Team after dishing out a league-high five assists in conference play. Ballagh helped Oakland win the Horizon League regular championship both years he was there and was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team on both occasions.
- Okoeguale had eight points in conference play with three goals and two assists. In conference play, he was fourth in the WAC in points per game (1.14) and tied for fifth in goals (3). On the year, he leads the Aztecs with 17 points and is tied for the team lead with six goals.
- Rommee Jaridly (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Beto Apolinar (Los Angeles) are both three-year starters in their fifth year with the program. They each had four assists last year, which tied for third on the team. Jaridly is the only returner who started every match for the Aztecs last season.
- Apolinar and goalkeeper Eddy Vargas (Yakima, Wash.) are the 2025 team captains. It’s the third year Apolinar has been selected as a captain.
- Apolinar and Christian Engmann (Seattle, Wash.) helped lead Ballard FC to the USL 2 Championship match over the summer.
- Transfers Baptiste Boit (Oral Roberts), Juan Zepeda (Temple) and Lleyton Imparato (Memphis) were all all-conference honorees at their previous school. Imparato (Tampa Bay, Fla.) was named the 2024 AAC Co-Midfielder of the Year.
- Viviani, Jaridly and Carrillo are the only returners who averaged at least 75 minutes per match last year.
- SDSU has 12 seniors and seven of them are in their fifth, sixth (Engmann) or seventh (Vargas) year.
Opponent Notebook (Virginia)
The Cavaliers went 11-7-3 last year and made it to the third round of the NCAA Tournament… They are ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches preseason poll… They were picked to finish ninth (out of 15) in the competitive ACC. They have made the NCAA tournament 44 times, the College Cup on 13 occasions and won the national championship seven times… Midfielder Umberto Pelà was named to the ACC Preseason Watch List… Nick Dang led Virginia with six goals last year… They don’t return a goalkeeper that saw action last year… Head coach George Gelnovatch (30th season) has led the Cavaliers to a pair of national championships in 2009 and 2014 as well as six NCAA College Cup appearances and 26 berths in the NCAA tournament… This is SDSU’s first ever meeting with Virginia.
Opponent Notebook (Howard)
The Bison went 2-11-3 last year and didn’t win a non-conference match… They were picked to finish seventh (out of nine) in the NEC Preseason poll… Zach Simmons had seven points last year, the most of any Bison returner… Goalkeeper Liam Keiller started all but one match last year and went 2-9-2 with a 3.01 goals allowed average… Head coach Phillip Gyau is in his 12th season at Howard. He is a former U.S. National Team Player… This is SDSU’s first ever meeting with Virginia.