Aztecs Host San Diego Saturday Evening

Up Next
San Diego (3-3-6, 1-0-1) at San Diego State (4-5-2, 1-2-1)
Saturday, October 15 | 7 p.m. PT | SDSU Sports Deck | San Diego, Calif.
Live Stream: Aztec Digital Network

Aztec Storylines
- The Aztecs step away from Pac-12 play this week for a non-conference showdown with crosstown foe San Diego this Saturday at 7 p.m. on the SDSU Sports Deck.
- SDSU is 11-4-0 at the Sports Deck over the last two seasons.
- The Aztecs are 9-3-3 in their last 15 non-conference matches.
- SDSU lost at UCLA 2-0 last week and finished their first pass through Pac-12 play with a 1-3-1 record.
- It was their first loss when having more shots on goal than their opponent.
- Prior to the UCLA game, the Aztecs beat Oregon State 3-0, scoring their most goals in a Pac-12 game since the season finale of the 2017 season (4-1 vs. UCLA). That win also snapped a seven-game losing streak against the Beavers.
- The Aztecs set an attendance record for a home game in their Snapdragon Stadium debut on Sept. 27 when 2,769 fans were in attendance to see SDSU take on No. 2 Washington.
- Earlier this season the Aztecs went undefeated against three top-10 teams in a two-week span: (2-2 at No. 7 Creighton (Sept. 5), 2-1 vs. No. 6 Denver (Sept. 11), and 0-0 draw at No. 2 Stanford (Sept. 18). This was the first time since SDSU's run to the national championship game in 1987 that the Aztecs recorded at least three results against top 10 teams in a two-week span.
- This was also the first season since 1987 that the Aztecs have had two road results at top ten teams in a season.
- SDSU's five goals against UNLV on Sept. 9 was their most in a game since the season opener of the 2013 season (5-0 vs. No. 16 San Diego).
- The Aztecs have 16 newcomers (12 freshmen and four transfers) and had their 2022 recruiting class tabbed No. 1 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. Five of those newcomers have started at least four matches for the Aztecs.
- The Aztecs have started five freshmen and had another three come off the bench in each of their last two games.
- In total, nine different freshmen have made a start this year.
- 20 different Aztecs have made starts this year while 22 Aztecs have made an appearance. SDSU has used 10 different lineup combinations in their 12 matches.
- The Aztecs have trailed at halftime in just 10 out of 39 matches (25.6%) under Coach Hopkins.
 
Player Notes
- Freshman forward CJ Fodrey (San Diego, Calif.) leads the team in points (10) and goals (4). He is tied for third in points in the conference and fourth in goals.
- Fodrey was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason Freshman Best XI, one of three forwards in the nation selected.
- Iñigo Villaldea (Gijón, Spain) missed seven matches but has collected five points in the five matches he has played. The junior midfielder made the All-Pac-12 First Team and United Soccer Coaches Far West Region Second Team pick last year and named a "Midfielder to Watch" in the preseason by the United Soccer Coaches, one of just three Pac-12 players to be recognized.
- Freshman Tristan Viviani (Redwood City, Calif.) played for the Malta Under-20 Youth National Team in the Slovenia Nations Cup a few weeks ago. This was his second time playing with Malta (Spring of 2022). He has started 10 of the 11 matches he has appeared in while averaging 80.5 minutes per game.
- Goalkeeper Jacob Castro (Spanaway, Wash.), an All-Pac-12 First Team selection last season, leads the conference in saves (36) and is second in saves per game (3.3).
- Donovan Roux (Davidson, N.C.) leads the team with three assists and is second on the team with seven points.
- Beto Apolinar (San Diego), Blake Bowen (San Clemente, Calif.), Javi Camargo (Oceanside, Calif.), Joe Daluz (San Diego), and Fodrey are all tied for second on the team lead with two assists.
- Junior defender Elias Katsaros (Seattle, Wash.) was named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week and the Pac-12 Player of the Week earlier this year after scoring two goals on headers in SDSU's 2-1 win over No. 6 Denver. Additionally, he was also named to both Top Drawer Soccer's and College Soccer News' National Team of the Week as well as being one of Soccer America's "Three Stars of the Week."
- Katsaros became the first Aztec to be named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week since at least 2010 when the organization began tracking the award.
- Senior midfielder Blake Bowen (San Clemente, Calif.) has been an All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection in each of the past two seasons. He scored three game-winning goals last year, including two that occurred in the final seconds of regulation.
- Three Aztecs have started all 12 matches: Blake Bowen, Kyle Colonna and CJ Fodrey. Bowen, Colonna and freshmen defender Noah Crétier (Nice, France) are the only field players to have more than 950 minutes (out of 1,080 possible).
- The captains for the 2022 season are senior defender Kyle Colonna, junior goalkeeper Jacob Castro and junior midfielder Iñigo Villaldea.
 
Coach Hopkins' Take on San Diego
"USD is going to be a beast of a matchup. They are big, powerful and very athletic. They play with a ton of belief and have secured three or four results in the last five minutes of games. Add in the local derby aspect and this has all the makings of a typical Pac-12 type game."
 
Opponent Notebook (San Diego)
The Toreros are 3-3-6 on the year and 1-0-1 in the WCC… They are undefeated in their last eight matches, going 3-0-5 in that span… They are 3-2-2 on the road and 0-0-4 at home… They have scored 14 goals and allowed 13 and are outshooting their opponents 173-113… Mason Turnbridge leads the team in points (11), goals (5), shots (38) and shots on goal (18)… Goalkeeper Jason Dubrovich has a goals allowed average of 1.08 and a save percentage of .723… He has collected four shutouts… Head coach Brian Quinn is in his fifth season as the Toreros' head coach after spending 11 years as an assistant at USD… The Aztecs are 15-7-2 all-time against San Diego and have won four of the last five. Last year SDSU won 2-1 in a thrilling finish. The Toreros tied the game at 1-1 in the 88th minute, but then the Aztecs scored the game-winner with four seconds remaining when Blake Bowen finished an Iñigo Villaldea free kick from 30 yards out.