SAN DIEGO – With the regular season wrapped up, the San Diego State women's soccer team is set to play the New Mexico Lobos in the title game of the Mountain West with the winner earning the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The game, scheduled for the UNM Soccer Complex, is set to kickoff at 6:30 p.m. (PT) and will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.
San Diego State is going for its record 12th Mountain West championship and its sixth NCAA bid in the last 12 seasons.
Aztec Team Notes
Chloe Frisch (Sr., MF, Solana Beach, Calif.) was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year by a vote of the league's
head coaches. Frisch has simply been the most dominant offensive force in the Mountain West this year. The Solana Beach, Calif., native, led the Mountain West in shots (41), shots per game (4.10), shots on goal (21) and shots on goal per game (2.10), and her six goals were tied for second most in the league. She had two game winners, in the 1-0 victory at Boise State on the day SDSU won the West Division race and the team's 6-1 win at San Jose State, and totaled 13 points (No. 4 in the MW). Her first team All-MW honor is the second of her career and the second in as many seasons. Frisch is the third Aztec in the last 12 years to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, joining Cat Walker (2009) and Megan Jurado (2012). San Diego State's three offensive player of the year awards are the most by any team currently in the league.
Anna Toohey (Jr., F, Winston-Salem, N.C.) was named the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year by a vote of the league's head coaches. Toohey, a transfer from North Carolina State, tied for third in shots (27) and tied for sixth in shots per game (2.70) in the Mountain West. Her 17 shots on goal and 1.70 per game were second only to Frisch in the league. Toohey scored five goals which was second among the Aztecs and tied for fourth in the conference. From March 20, vs. UNLV, to April 3, at UNLV, Toohey scored a goal in four straight games, and three of those strikes were the game winner. She totaled a team and league high five assists and ranked second in the league, and led San Diego State with 15 points. Toohey is the second Aztec to earn the distinction, joining teammate Laura Fuentes (2018), since it was first awarded in 2016.
Five Aztecs earned first-team All-Mountain West honors by a vote of the league's head coaches. Senior defender Sarah Broacha, junior midfielder Laura Fuentes, freshman striker Emma Gaines-Ramos, junior striker Anna Toohey and senior midfielder Chloe Frisch received the distinction on Thursday. In addition, freshman keeper Alexa Madueno was named a second-team performer and both she and Toohey was included on the All-Newcomer Team. In total the six honorees are the most for the program in a single season since nine Aztecs were honored following the 2015 season.
Sarah Broacha (Sr., D, Pleasanton, Calif.) was named the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending on April 11. In a pair of wins over last weekend, 1-0 at Boise State and 3-1 at Nevada, the Pleasanton, Calif., native was on the field for a total of 165 minutes and led a defense which limited its two opponents to eight total shots, two shots on goal and just a single goal. Broacha was on the field for the entire shutout at Boise State, in which the Broncos attempted five shots and managed just one on goal, and in the 75 minutes she played at Nevada, the Wolf Pack produced just two shots and did not score.
San Diego State is receiving votes (6) in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll (April 11). It is the second time this season the Aztecs have been included in the poll, having garnered two votes in week two (March 9). SDSU is the only team in the Mountain West to be included in the weekly poll this season.
San Diego State has won a record 11 Mountain West women's soccer championships. The program captured all or part of the regular season titles in 1999, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019 and earned the tournament crown and the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017.
The Aztecs and Lobos have met in the Mountain West tournament five times, with San Diego State holding a 4-0-1 advantage. In first round games SDSU is 2-0-1 against New Mexico, having earned victories in 2000 & 2004 and tied, with the Lobos advancing on PKs in 2006. The teams have met twice in the Mountain West Championship match with SDSU winning both encounters (2012 & 2017).
San Diego State has reached the championship match of the Mountain West Conference a record 10 times league history. In those games the Aztecs are 5-3-2. The program lost in its first two appearances (1999 & 2004), but then reeled off an unbeaten streak of seven games (wins in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2017 and draws in 2015 & 2016), before falling in the 2019 game to Boise State.
Saturday's matchup features the two programs which have appeared in the Mountain West Championship tournament more than any others in 21 times the conference has conducted its tournament. San Diego State has 20 appearances and New Mexico has 19 with UNLV and Wyoming being the only other teams currently in the Mountain West to compete in at least 10 league championship tournaments.
In the now 33 seasons of Aztec women's soccer, San Diego State has started a season with at least eight wins in its first ten games three times. In 1998 the team opened the campaign 9-1-0, the best 10-game start in program history. In 2012, SDSU was 8-1-1 after ten games and now in 2021 the program has opened the campaign 8-2-0. In both the previous years the team has at least eight wins in its first ten games, SDSU earned all or part of its conference championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament.
Since the 2021 Spring schedule consists of only Mountain West contests, the Aztecs 8-2-0 mark is an impressive record for league play. The MW went to a ten-game league schedule in 2013 and an 11-game slate in 2014. In the nine years since the initial change, the Aztecs have opened the conference slate with at least eight wins in its ten games five times, including this year. In 2013, 2014 & 2015 the team got off to a 9-1-0 start and in the last two years the team has opened conference play 8-2-0. In each of the previous four times, the team has won at least a portion of the MW regular-season and in two years (2013 & 2014), the team went on to win the conference tournament and compete in the NCAA tournament.
San Diego State wrapped up the regular season at No. 8 in shots per game (17.40), No. 12 in the nation in scoring offense (2.50 goals per game), No. 15 shots on goal per game (8.20) and No. 17 in points per game (6.90). In addition, the team is averaging 1.90 assists per game, which is No. 35 in the nation. SDSU leads or ranks second in the Mountain West in each of those categories.
The Aztecs 21 total assists are No. T-1 in the league and No. 48 in the nation.
SDSU ranks No. T-1 in the Mountain West in total goals (25) and total points (71) which rank No. 41 & No. 44 in the nation, respectively.
San Diego State's 25 goals through ten games are the most in program history and the most since the 1999 team scored 23 times in its first ten outings, which is the most goals an Aztec team has ever totaled in its first ten games. The 1989 team played only nine games but totaled 24 goals, the team's nine game goal scoring record to open a season, and the 1996 squad tallied 22 goals in its first ten games.
Anna Toohey (Jr., F, Winston-Salem, N.C.) was named the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending on March 28. In a pair of home victories, 2-1 over Fresno State and 3-0 over San Jose State, Toohey produced seven shots, put all on frame, scored two goals, the game winner in each contest, and added an assist. It was her first MW Player of the Week honor and the first for an Aztecs this season.
Aztec Player Notes
Chloe Frisch (Sr., MF, Solana Beach, Calif.) is the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Mountain West honoree. She is pacing the side with six goals, 41 shots and 21 shots on goal. Frisch had the game winners at San Jose State (March 12) and at Boise State (April 9) and also scored versus Nevada (March 5), at Fresno State (March 14), vs. Fresno State (March 26), and at UNLV (April 3). Her goals per game (0.60) rank No. 52 nationally. Among MW performers, she ranks No.1 in shots & shots/game and shots on goal & shots on goal/game, No. T-2 in goals & goals/game (6, 0.60) and No. 4 in points & points/game (13, 1.30). Entering the week nationally, her shots per game (4.10) and shots on goal per game (2.10) rank No. 17 & No. 23, respectively. She has earned a starting assignment in each of the team's ten games and has played 786 minutes.
With an assist on the Jessica Sanders (So., D, San Carlos, Calif.) goal vs. Boise State (March 7), Chloe Frisch moved into a tie for eighth on the program's career assist list. Frisch has 16 career assists, on par with Erika Sutton (2005-06) and Hannah Keane (2011-14), and enters Saturday's game one assist from equaling Kelly Grogg (1996-98) for seventh place with 17.
Anna Toohey (Jr., F, Winston-Salem, N.C.), a transfer from North Carolina State, has a goal in four of the last six games, three of which were game winners, and an assist. She has earned a starting assignment in each of the last nine games and has been on the field for 639 minutes. Toohey earned the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week on March 29 and leads the team in game winners (3), points (15) and assists (5). She is second in goals (5), shots (27) and shots on goal (17). Her three game winners rank No. 27 in the nation entering this week. In the MW she is No. 1 in assists & assists/game (5, 0.50), No. 2 in point & points/game (15, 1.50) and shots on goal & shots on goal/game (17, 1.70), No. T-2 in game winners & No. 3 in game winners/game (3, 0.30), No. T-4 in goals & goals/game (5, 0.50) and No. T-6 in goals & goals/game (5, 0.50). Toohey was named the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year, first-team All-Mountain West, and was included in the Mountain West All-Newcomer Team.
Rachelle Elve (So., F, Huntington Beach, Calif.) had the first hat trick of her college career in a 6-1 dismantling of San Jose State (March 12). It was the 10th hat trick in program history and the first since Aliyah Utush had one against New Mexico on Nov. 4, 2017. Elve was the team's top goal scorer last season with seven strikes. In addition to her three goals, Elve has one assist, and her seven points are tied for third on the team. Her 11 total shots and six shots on goal are tied for fifth and fifth on the squad, respectively. Elve has appeared in all 10 games this season, has earned three starting assignments, and has been on the field for 384 minutes.
Veronica Avalos (Sr., F, San Diego, Calif.) waited until the final regular season game of her career, at Nevada (April 11), to open her goal-scoring account, but when she did she made a big deposit...three tallies. It was the first hat trick of her career, and the second by an Aztec this season (also: Rachelle Elve at San Jose State) and 11th in program history. Avalos has made three starts in 10 appearances and produced seven shots, all on frame. She saw 508 minutes of field time and had the game winner at Nevada single handedly outscoring the Wolf Pack 3-1 in a 3-1 decision.
Laura Fuentes (Jr., MF, Newark, Calif.) has four assists to lead the side. She is third on the team in points (8), is fifth with two goals, and tied for fifth in shots (11). Her first goal came on a PK and was the game winner against Boise State (March 7) and she picked up her second against San Jose State (March 28). Her assists came against Nevada (March 5), two at San Jose State (March 12) and against San Jose State (March 28). In MW ranks No. T-2 in assists & No. T-2 in assists/game (4, 0.40). Fuentes was named first-team All-Mountain West on Thursday.
Ranking second on the team lead in assists (3), Emma Gaines-Ramos (Fr., F, San Diego, Calif.) is third on the side with 17 shots and shots on goal (8). Her assists came in the victories against SJSU (March 12 & March 28) and on the game-winner vs. UNLV (March 20). She has earned a starting assignment in each of the team's ten games and been on the field for 508 minutes. In MW ranks No. T-6 in assists & No. T-6 in assists/game (3, 0.30). Gaines-Ramos was named a first-team All-Mountain West performer on Thursday.
Sarah Broacha (Sr., D, Pleasanton, Calif.) is a first-team All-Mountain West performer. The center defender controlled the action in front of the goal and anchored the back line, earned a starting assignment in each of the team's 10 contests and among field players ranked second on the team in minutes (830). She has produced three shots and put one on frame. The reigning Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week, Broacha was a second-team All-MW honoree after each of the previous two seasons.
Phoebe Leitch (Sr., D/MF, Forest Row, England) has a goal and an assist. She has produced six shots, putting four on goal in ten appearances and 384 minutes.
The goal from Jordan Girman (Sr., D, Cotati, Calif.) was the first of her college career and came in the San Jose State rout (March 12). In eight appearances, all starts, she has produced eight shots and put three on goal. Girman also had an assist in the game at UNLV (April 3).
Claire Watkins (So., D, San Diego, Calif.) didn't wait long to open her career account at SDSU. She had the game winner in the season opener against Nevada (March 5). In addition, Watkins had an assist on the game winner against San Jose State (March 28). A starter in each game this year, she attempted six shots and put one on frame in 570 minutes.
On two shots, Jessica Sanders (So., D, San Carlos, Calif.) has one goal, in the Boise State 3-1 victory. It was the first goal of her college career. She has appeared in five games.
On three shots, in 10 appearances, Kiera Utush (So., D, Rocklin, Calif.) has one goal, in the victory over San Jose State (March 28). It came off a set piece from outside the top of the 18 from the left side. Utush has played a total of 506 minutes.
In addition to Fuentes' four and Gaines-Ramos' three assists, Daniela Filipovic (Jr., D, Laguna Hills, Calif.), Taylor Moorehead (Jr., F, Valencia, Calif.), and Malia Kaleiohi (Jr., MF/F, San Diego, Calif.) have one assists each. For Filipovic, it was her first point as a college player. Kaleiohi doubled her career-point total with her assist and for Moorehead it was the third assist of her Aztec career.
Keeper Alexa Madueno (Fr., GK, Woodland, Calif.) has played every minute (909:35) this season. Facing a total of 101 shots, she has stopped 30 of the 41 that reached her line, a save percentage of .732, and had a goals against average of 1.09. She surrendered one or fewer goals in seven games, gave up two goals twice and allowed three goals just once. Madueno is the first true freshman keeper to start every game in a season for SDSU since Aubree Southwick in 2007, and she is the third player, and only true freshman, to play every minute in a season since Stephanie Pearson in 2003. The only other keeper to start and play every minute in a season for San Diego State since 2003 was Brooke Lisowski in 2019. Her record for the season and her career is 8-2-0. Madueno is a second-team All-Mountain West honoree and a member of the MW All-Newcomer Team.
General Notes
In its game at San Jose State (3/12), the Aztecs totaled six goals. They were the most tallies in a game by an SDSU team since the team put up five goals in a 5-4 victory at Air Force on Oct. 19, 2019. The five-goal margin of victory (6-1) is the largest since a 5-0 victory over Air Force on Oct. 22, 2018.
San Diego State's six goal total at San Jose State equals the highest in a road contest in program history (since the 1989 season). It matches the six goals scored at Fresno State in a 6-0 win on Sept. 2, 1996 and a 6-0 win at Wyoming on Oct. 10, 1999. The six goals are tied for the third most in a game (regardless of location) for a San Diego State team. The most goals in a game came in a 10-0 win at La Verne (9/25/98) in the third contest in program history.
In a one-time only scenario, the 2020 season will be contested in the Spring 2021 semester and will consist of Mountain West Conference games only. The 10-match conference-only schedule, in a divisional double round-robin format, will take place over a six-week period (March 5-April 11). Matches will be played on Friday and Sunday. A single match will take place on Sat., April 17, at a campus site between the two division winners to determine the Conference automatic qualifier to the NCAA tournament.
The Aztecs are in the West Division with Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, San Jose State and UNLV. The Mountain Division includes Air Force, Colorado College, Colorado State, New Mexico, Utah State and Wyoming. There will be no regular season inter-divisional games.
Head Coach Mike Friesen is in the midst of his 14th campaign leading the Mountain West's most dominant women's soccer program. Friesen has guided his squad to ten Mountain West championships (five tournament and five regular season), and five NCAA Tournament appearances. In 13+ seasons of conference play, Friesen has an 88-26-15 record. His 88 victories are the most by any current Mountain West head coach.
Friesen's 158 victories (158-93-33) since the start of the 2007 season, the year he took control of the program, are the most wins by any coach in the Mountain West. Colorado College's Geoff Bennett ranks second on the list with 140 victories in the last 13+ seasons.
San Diego State was picked to finish with a share of the conference crown in the MW preseason coaches' poll. It marked the tenth time in 11 seasons the Aztecs have been picked to finish in either first or second place in the league. The only time SDSU was lower than second place in the preseason poll in the last 11 campaigns was last season, a year in which it was predicted to finish fourth. That team went 10-9-1, shared the Mountain West regular-season title at 8-3-0, and reached the championship game of the league tournament.
Having won five of the last eight regular-season titles, SDSU found itself as the favorite or co-favorite in the eyes of the conference's head coaches for the seventh time in the last eight years.
The Aztecs have won nine of the last 15 MW trophies (regular season and tournament), all of which have come under the direction of head coach Mike Friesen. In total, the 14th-year head coach has guided San Diego State to ten conference crowns.
Inside The Matchup With New Mexico
The Aztecs have played the Lobos 29 times dating back to the 1993 season and lead the all-time series 14-10-7, which includes a 4-5-4 record in games played in Albuquerque... San Diego State is 3-1 in its last four contests at New Mexico, however in last year's regular season finale, the Lobos hammered SDSU 6-0 in Albuquerque... Aztecs head coach Mike Friesen is 7-5-3 against the Lobos, including 3-2-1 in games in New Mexico.
Notebook
The Lobos (9-1-0) enter Saturday's final match... Last week New Mexico won its final two regular season home games, 3-1 over Wyoming and 2-0 over Colorado State... Entering the week, UNM was scoring an average of 2.50 goals per game, but allowing a measly league best 0.30 per outing... New Mexico has gotten 15 of its 25 goals from the one-two punch of Gwen Maly (9 goals) and Alesia Garcia (6 goals)... Maly leads the team with 21 points and of her 27 total shots, 14 have been on frame, and she has four game winners... Garcia has 14 points, one game winner, and 15 of her 24 shots have been on goal... Keeper Emily Johnson has played in eight games and has a 7-1-0 record... In 715:37 she has allowed just three goals (0.38 GAA) and made 26 saves (.897 save percentage)... New Mexico is coached by Heather Dyche, who brings a 64-38-10 six-year record with the Lobos into Saturday's match... In six meetings with the Aztecs, Dyche's teams have a 3-3-0 record.
-SDSU-
Aztecs Set To Play New Mexico For MW Title Saturday
