SAN DIEGO – The Aztec men's soccer team (6-4-5, 0-4-3 Pac-12) heads to the Bay Area for their final road trip of the regular season. SDSU plays at Stanford Thursday at 7 p.m. and then at California Sunday at 2 p.m.
Aztec Tidbits
- SDSU went 0-1-1 last week, falling to Oregon State 1-0 and then tying Washington 1-1.
- The Aztecs are top 15 in the nation in six statistical categories including shutout percentage (8th, 0.533), assists per game (11th, 2.47) and goal differential (15th, +19).
- The Aztecs played Stanford, when they were ranked No. 6 in the country, to a 0-0 draw Oct. 1st. This was the second time in the last two years that SDSU has played the Cardinal to a 0-0 draw while Stanford was ranked in the top 10.
- SDSU was the first team to shutout Stanford since Washington did it Oct. 6, 2022, a span of 18 matches. Stanford has been shutout just three times in its last 28 matches with two of those coming against SDSU.
- The Aztecs didn't allow a goal for the first 650 minutes of the season and were the last team in the nation that hadn't conceded a goal.
- SDSU is 18-9-4 at home over the last three years.
- The Aztecs are 6-2-3 at home this year and 6-2-2 on the Sports Deck.
- The Aztecs finished their non-conference schedule undefeated (6-0-2). It's the second time in the last three years the Aztecs have gone undefeated in non-conference play.
- SDSU is undefeated (10-0-3) in their last 13 non-conference matches.
- Under head coach Ryan Hopkins (4th season), the Aztecs are 15-1-1 in non-conference home matches.
- 16 different Aztecs have started a match this season. Of that group, nine were making their first career start for SDSU.
- 16 of the 18 field players who have appeared in a match this season have recorded a point.
- This is the second time in the last three years that SDSU allowed two goals or less through their first nine matches.
- This is the second time in the last three years that the Aztecs won each of their first six home games.
- The Aztecs have 10 newcomers in 2023 with six transfers and four freshmen. Top Drawer Soccer ranked SDSU as having the 14th best incoming class in the country. SDSU was rated as the best incoming class in the nation a year ago.
- Of the six transfers new to SDSU in 2023, four are fifth-year seniors, one is a fourth-year senior and the other is a junior. In total, the Aztecs have 10 players in their fourth or fifth year of college.
- The Aztecs also have eight players who are true or redshirt freshmen and four of them already have made a start this season.
- SDSU had 15 players playing in the USL League Two over the summer. Nine of them played for clubs that made the playoffs including Christian Engmann, a transfer from Saint Mary's, who won the championship with Ballard FC.
- Following last season five Aztecs signed professional contracts, believed to be the most in program history. CJ Fodrey, the Top Drawer National Freshman of the Year, became the highest selection in the MLS SuperDraft in school history when Austin FC drafted him No. 13 overall. Blake Bowen (Seattle Sounders), Jacob Castro (Seattle Sounders), Kyle Colonna (New Mexico United) and Elias Katsaros (Tacoma Defiance) also moved to the professional ranks.
Player Notes
- Defender Reid Sproat (Auburn, Ind.) was ranked as the 14th best player in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Logan Erb (Houston, Texas) is tied for 15th in the nation and leads the Pac-12 with six shutouts. He also leads the Pac-12 in save percentage (0.775). Erb was recently named the 89th best player in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer.
- Erb didn't allow a goal for the first 572 minutes to start his college career.
- Alexander Levengood (Richmond, Va.) is second in the Pac-12 with seven assists.
- Levengood's seven assists are the most by an Aztec since Abraham Villon had seven in 2013.
- Levengood, who played at William & Mary for four seasons, has tallied 70 points in his 71 career matches. His 70 points are tied for the 22nd most among active players.
- Austin Brummett (Bow, N.H.) is third in the Pac-12 with seven goals and fourth with 17 points. In September, he had a stretch where he recorded a point in six straight matches.
- Rommee Jaridly (Chino Hills, Calif.) is second on the team with 13 points (4 goals and 5 assists). In September, Jairdly had a five-match stretch of recording at least one point.
- Terence Okoeguale (Cologne, Germany) is third on the team in points with 10 points. Okoeguale, an Akron transfer, has scored five goals.
- This is the first time since 2012 the Aztecs have four players with at least 10 points: Brummett (17), Jaridly (13), Levengood (11) and Okoeguale (10).
- Jules Anderson (Ocean, N.J.) is second on the team with five assists. He scored SDSU's lone goal, his first of the season, against Washington Sunday.
- Seth Clark (Christchurch, New Zealand) has four assists.
- Defender Reid Fisher (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was named the 29th best freshman in the country by Top Drawer Soccer.
- Sproat and Fisher have played every minute against DI competition. Those two plus Noah Crétier (Nice, France) Beto Apolinar (Los Angeles) are averaging at least 80 minutes per game.
- Sproat, Fisher and Jaridly have started every match for the Aztecs. Crétier, Apolinar and Clark have started all but one match.
- Tristan Viviani (Redwood City, Calif.) and Austin Brummett have won Pac-12 Player of the Week awards this season. This is the first time since 2016, when SDSU last made the NCAA tournament, that they have won two Pac-12 Players of the Week.
- Fifth-year senior midfielder Henry Smith-Hastie (Los Angeles) was tabbed team captain for the 2023 campaign.
Opponent Notebook (Stanford)
The Cardinal are 7-2-5 on the year and 1-1-5 in Pac-12 play… They are undefeated at home (3-0-4)… They lead the Pac-12 in goals per game (2.07) and assists per game (2.86)… Zach Bohane has a team-high 19 points (5 goals and 9 assists). His nine assists are tied for the eighth most in the nation.… Shane de Flores has 16 points on five assists and six goals… Rowan Schnebly has a goals allowed average of 0.676, the best in the Pac-12… Head coach Jeremy Gunn (12th season) led Stanford to three straight national championships from 2015-17… The Aztecs are 13-23-10 all-time against Stanford. Over the last five meetings, SDSU is 1-2-2 against them.
Opponent Notebook (California)
The Golden Bears are 6-5-4 overall and 2-3-2 in the Pac-12… They are 2-2-2 at home… They are last in the Pac-12 in most offensive statistics but are holding their opponents to 1.1 goals per game… Evan Davila leads the team in goals (5), points (13) and assists (3)… They have three goalkeepers who have made at least three starts… Connor Lambe, who started the last match has a goals allowed average of 1.08 in nine appearances… played Head coach Leonard Griffin is in his second season at Cal. He was previously the head coach at Grand Canyon and San Francisco… The Aztecs are 24-28-5 all-time vs Cal.
Coach Hopkins' Take on the Road Trip
"We must treat this Nor Cal trip like a conference tournament. It's the point of the season where we need to turn good performances that have results into one point, into three points. If we stick to the details and execute, we have shown we can compete with any team."
Aztecs Play at No. 19 Stanford Thursday Night
