Aztecs Host No. 19 OSU for Season Finale

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No. 19 Oregon State (8-4-0, 5-4-0) at San Diego State (1-6-2, 1-6-2) 
Saturday, April 17 | 2 p.m. PT | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
Media Coverage: SDSU Live Stream | Live Stats

Aztec Storylines
• The Aztecs host No. 19 Oregon State this Saturday at 2 p.m. for their regular season finale. This will be their sixth match against a ranked opponent.
• SDSU fell at California 3-1 last weekend. The Aztecs scored in the fifth minute but then saw the Golden Bears score three unanswered goals.
• The Aztecs announced the hiring of Bryce Cregan as assistant coach on Monday. Cregan comes to The Mesa from the University of Pittsburgh who is currently No. 1 in the nation.
• The Aztecs' lone senior Tevenn Roux will be returning next year, taking advantage of the NCAA's offer of an additional year of eligibility for student-athletes. Therefore, there won't be any senior day festivities Saturday.
• SDSU has trailed at halftime just twice this season.
• The Aztecs have scored first in five of their nine matches.
• Goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono leads the Pac-12 in total saves (34) and saves per game (3.8).
• Blake Bowen leads the team with three goals and eight points. Freshmen Iñigo Villaldea and Andre Ochoa are tied for second on the team with six points.
• Ochoa has recorded a point in four straight matches.
• All four Aztecs that have started every match are underclassmen.
• 16 Aztecs were named SDSU scholar athletes for having either a 3.0 cumulative GPA or for posting a 3.2 GPA in the spring or fall semester of 2020.
• Jona Birkholzer and Jordan Korbus earned the prestigious Malik Award after posting a perfect 4.0 GPA in the 2020 fall semester.
• Coach Hopkins recently joined other college coaches across the nation in the formation of the Clive Charles Diversity Hiring Initiative, which will create and increase pathways of entrance, advancement and representation for emerging and current Black and minority soccer coaches.
• The Aztecs beat No. 4 Washington 2-0 win on March 28, their first win over a ranked opponent since 2016 and their first win over a top five team since 2006. Both came against UW.
• Ryan Hopkins is in his first year as the Aztecs' head coach. He comes to SDSU from Virginia (2018-19) whereas an assistant he helped lead the Cavaliers to the 2019 NCAA Championship match. Hopkins has also made stops as an assistant at Denver (2013-17), Wisconsin (2012), Cal Poly (2009-11) and Concordia (2004-08), his alma mater.
 
Notes from the Cal Match (L, 3-1 April 10)
• The Aztecs scored in the fifth minute, their fifth time scoring first.
• Tristan Weber scored SDSU's lone goal, connecting on a strike from 35 yards out.
• Goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono finished seven saves. His third match in the last four collecting at least seven saves.
 
Coach Hopkins' Take on Oregon State
"The guys are ready for one more battle as we play our sixth ranked team in the last 10 games. I know our guys want to finish strong. We are a different team at the Sports Deck, which has become an imposing place for anyone in the country to come to. The field and atmosphere play perfectly into our high energy passing and pressing style."
 
Opponent Notebook (No. 19 Oregon State)
Oregon State is 8-4-0 overall and 5-4-0 in the Pac-12, good for third place.… After facing SDSU on March 20, they lost three straight matches before beating Stanford 3-2 last weekend… They have 35 assists, the third-most in the nation... Gloire Amanda leads the nation in points (33) and goals (13). Four of his goals have been game-winners... Mouhameth Thiam's six assists are third in the conference... Goalkeeper Adrian Fernandez has a goals allowed average of 0.91... Head coach Oregon State Terry Boss (3rd season) is 26-16-5 at Oregon State… SDSU head coach Ryan Hopkins replaced him as the lead assistant at Virginia when he took the OSU job… The Aztecs are 11-20-3 all-time against Oregon State… The Beavers beat SDSU 5-0 earlier this season.