SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State men’s soccer team hosts San Diego Monday at 5 p.m. for the team’s annual match at Snapdragon Stadium. Tickets are as low as $10 and the first 500 fans receive an Aztec Soccer T-shirt.
Aztec Tidbits
- This is SDSU’s fourth time playing at Snapdragon Stadium and they have set a program record for attendance in each of the previous three matches. Last year 3,802 fans were at the Aztecs’ 3-3 draw against UC Davis, besting the previous record of 3,632 that was set in 2023 against USD.
- The Aztecs are coming off a 4-0 win vs. Life Pacific Thursday.
- SDSU outshot the Warriors 34-5. After being held scoreless in the first half, they exploded for four goals in the second half with two coming from Israel Carrillo Pérez.
- San Diego State has lost just five non-conference matches over their last 26 chances (16-5-5, .712) and is 19-2-2 (.870) in non-conference home matches under head coach Ryan Hopkins (6th season).
- The Aztecs are 25-11-5 (.671) at home since the beginning of the 2021 season.
- SDSU has had a winning record in non-conference play last year in 10 of their last 11 seasons.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- SDSU’s 10 wins in 2024 were their most since 2011.
- Head coach Ryan Hopkins was named the WAC Coach of the Year last season.
- Six starters return from last year’s championship team (Beto Apolinar, Israel Carrillo Pérez, Rommee Jaridly, Nguepissi, Okoeguale and Viviani).
- 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).
- Since the beginning of the 2024 season, SDSU is 11-1-2 when scoring first and 11-1-3 when tied or leading at the half.
- The Aztecs are 5-1-1 in their last seven road matches.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Israel Carrillo Pérez (San Jose, Calif.) scored his first two career goals Thursday vs. Life Pacific. His first was a brilliant free kick from 22 yards out that snuck inside the upper left corner.
- Christian Engmann (Seattle, Wash.) leads the team in minutes and has scored the game-winning goal in both of SDSU’s wins. Engmann was an All-WCC honoree while at Saint Mary’s (2020-22) but played just five matches over the previous two seasons while dealing with injuries.
- Lleyton Imparato (Tampa Bay, Fla.) has had an assist in each of the last two matches, both coming off free kicks.
- 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. Entering the year, 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.
- 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 starting goalkeeper Eddy Vargas (Yakima, Wash.) are the 2025 team captains. It’s the third year Apolinar has been selected as a captain.
- Vargas has posted a shutout in each of the last two matches.
- Apolinar and Engmann helped lead Ballard FC to the USL 2 Championship match over the summer.
- Transfers Baptiste Boit (Oral Roberts), Stephan Moreira (SIU Edwardsville), Juan Zepeda (Temple) and 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 and Moreira was the 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
- Viviani, Jaridly and Carrillo Pérez 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 (San Diego)
The Toreros are 1-1-1 on the year with all matches being against ranked opponents away from home… They were picked to win the WCC and were ranked No. 10 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll… They are coming off a 3-2 win at No. 21 Denver Thursday… Prior to that they lost 2-1 at No. 15 Duke and play No. 20 Furman to a 0-0 draw… Samy Kanaan (No. 50), Noah James (No. 64) and Ethan Warne (No. 83) were named top 100 players in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer… Vicente Ayala and Cesar Bahena joined Kanaan and Warne on the All-WCC Preseason Team… Goalkeeper Adam Salama was named the MAAC’s top goalkeeper last year while playing for Rider. He finished second in the NCAA with a 0.63 goal allowed average last year… They have made the NCAAs the last three seasons and made it to the third-round a season ago… Head coach Brian Quinn is in his eight season as the USD head coach. Prior to that he was an assists for 11 years… The Aztecs are 16-8-3 all-time vs. USD.
Coach Hopkins’ Take on San Diego
“We are looking forward to the battle of San Diego at an amazing venue. San Diego is an extremely physical and direct team so our ability to raise our intensity and win our duels will be the key factors in the match.”