SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State men’s soccer team hosts Gonzaga Saturday at 7 p.m. in their third Pac-12 match. The contest will be streamed on the Pac-12’s YouTube channel.
Aztec Tidbits
- The Aztecs are 0-0-2 in Pac-12 play so far and are coming off a 1-1 draw vs. Cal Poly Wednesday.
- It was SDSU’s second time playing Cal Poly this season, they earned a 1-1 draw on the road Aug. 30 in a non-conference match.
- The Aztecs are one of three Pac-12 teams that are undefeated (Oregon State and UC San Diego).
- SDSU earned a 2-2 draw at No. 21 Oregon State in their Pac-12 opener.
- It was their first result against a ranked team since tying No. 6 Stanford Oct. 1, 2023, and their first result on the road since Sept. 18 at No. 2 Stanford (0-0).
- SDSU is second in the Pac-12 in goals (20), assists (23) and points (63).
- The Aztecs are also second in the conference in saves per match (3.62).
- Since the beginning of the 2024 season, SDSU is 17-3-7 (.759) when scoring first and 18-6-8 (.688) when tied or leading at the half.
- 10 different Aztecs have scored and five players have at least two goals. 10 different players have also recorded an assist.
- The Aztecs have a program record 20 newcomers in 2026 (12 transfers and eight freshmen).
- 24 of the 27 eligible Aztecs have started this year and 20 of them were making their first ever start for SDSU.
- Due to graduation, transfers and injuries, the Aztecs return just 17.8% of their minutes played from last season’s team. This is the fifth fewest in the nation based on a poll conducted amongst DI men’s soccer sports information directors.
- SDSU is 21-8-5 (.691) in non-conference home matches under Ryan Hopkins (7th season), which includes a 21-7-2 (.733) mark on the SDSU Sports Deck.
- SDSU’s 2026 roster has zero players who scored a goal for SDSU last season and just two players who recorded an assist (Carson Ballagh and Dylan Presto).
- SDSU returns to the Pac-12 in 2026, the league they played in from 2005-2023, after spending the last two years in the WAC as an affiliate member.
- The Pac-12 and The Big West jointly announced a collaborative men’s soccer partnership designed to strengthen and sustain Division I men’s soccer opportunities across the western United States. As part of this strategic partnership, California Baptist, Cal Poly, UC Riverside, and UC San Diego will compete as affiliate members in Pac-12 men’s soccer beginning with the 2026 season.
- The Aztecs were picked to finish third in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll.
- SDSU lost just two regular season matches in the WAC in their two years (10-2-3) and won the 2024 regular season championship.
Player Notes
- Nik Orth (Cologne, Germany) is tied for fourth in the Pac-12 in goals (5) and tied for fifth in points (12)/
- Goalkeeper Nic Diana (Grayslake, Ill.) is second in the Pac-12 in saves per match (3.55).
- Jaxson Hutcheon (Laguna Beach, Calif.) is second on the team with nine points (3 goals and 3 assists). He is also second on the team in shots and shots on goal while leading the team in shot on goal percentage (57.9%).
- Hutcheon, Max Mair (Dana Point, Calif.) Yahir Ocampo-Navarro (Aloha, Ore.) and the freshmen duo of Kian McCusker (Birmingham, England) and Gio Aguirre (San Marcos, Calif.) each have three assists on the year, tied for the most on the team.
- It’s the first time since 2023 five Aztecs have three or more assists.
- Aguirre scored both of SDSU’s goals vs. Navy Aug. 23 to become the first Aztec freshman to score two goals in a match since 2022 (CJ Fodrey).
- Freshman Dylan Mair (Dana Point, Calif.) scored his first career goal at Santa Clara Sept. 20, finishing an assist from his older brother Max.
- Freshmen Griffin Brandon and Luke Strassburg earned their first career starts at CSUN Saturday and played the full 90 minutes.
- Six Aztec field players average at least 70 minutes per match: Luke Fischer (87), Avery Huggins (80), Mattia Boldrini (76), Jonah Kawamura (72), Dylan Presto (73) and Carson Ballagh (72).
- Ballagh, Kawamura and Oscar Emilio Trujillo Lizárraga were named to the Pac-12 Preseason Impact List. That trio are the team captains this year.
- Ballagh (Lake Orion, Mich.) tied for the team lead with four assists last year. He had five the previous season while at Oakland University.
- Kawamura (Honolulu, Hawai’i) came to The Mesa last year but missed the entire season with an injury. He was a three-year starter and captain at UC San Diego and led the Tritons in minutes twice.
- Trujillo Lizárraga is a San Diego native who played at West Virginia last year and at UC Riverside in 2024. He helped the Mountaineers make the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season and was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team the year prior. He was named a “Player to Watch” in the Pac-12 by Top Drawer Soccer.
- Mattia Boldrini (Florence, Italy) was named to the NEC Conference Top 11 Rookie of the Year Team as a freshman at Le Moyne College last season. He scored the game-winner in SDSU’s preseason friendly vs. Point Loma last Saturday.
- Cedric Ngounou (Mississauga, Ontario) was named a Canadian “Player to Watch” by Canada’s Rising Ballers. He won League 1 Defender of the Year while playing for Borough FC in the Ontario Premier League last season.
- Yahir Ocampo Navarro was named a United Soccer Coaches DII First Team All-American and the GNAC Player of the Year while at Western Oregon last year. He tallied 53 points (18 goals and 17 assists) in three years at WOU.
- Trevor Wilson (Kirkland Wash.) and Dylan Presto (Los Angeles) are the only Aztecs who have been in the program three or more years.
Opponent Notebook (Gonzaga)
The Bulldogs are 4-5-2 on the year and 0-2-0 in Pac-12 play… They are 2-1-1 on the road… Both of their Pac-12 matches have been at home, a 5-2 loss to California Baptist and a 2-1 loss to UC San Diego… They beat Sacramento State on the road 3-1 Wednesday… They lead the Pac-12 in corner kicks, shots and shots on goal per game… Drew Pederson is second in the Pac-12 in goals (6) and third in points (14)… Goalkeeper Chema Preciado leads the conference in saves per game (3.73) and is second in save percentage (71.9%)… Head coach Chris McGaughey is in his second season at GU… The Aztecs are 2-4-0 all-time vs. Gonzaga… They last played in 2021, a 2-0 SDSU win.
Coach Hopkins Take
“Gonzaga will present some challenges with their style of play in a game where both teams are really in need of a win.”