While the San Diego State University football team suffered through a 49-10 defeat at Air Force Academy on Saturday to absorb its fourth consecutive defeat (0-2 in Mountain West play), the university’s men’s and women’s soccer teams continue to rank among the best in the country.
The Aztec men played to a scoreless draw against Stanford on Sunday to extend their season-opening record to 6-1-2. SDSU kicked off the season having not allowed a goal in its first seven matches (6-0-1) while out-scoring opponents 24-0 for the best goal-differential in the nation.
The Aztecs lost, 1-0, in their Pac-12 opener to visiting Cal on Sept. 28 to snap their consecutive shutout streak as only one of two teams in the nation yet to allow a goal. It was the best start in program history through seven games.
Impressive indeed.
SDSU’s women’s team left its mark on last season with a final 7-6-8 record and trip to the Mountain West semifinal playoffs.
The Lady Aztecs return eight starters off that squad this season with yet another South County heavy roster featuring five players from Metro Conference schools: redshirt-sophomore midfielder Alyza Eckhardt (Bonita Vista), redshirt-junior forward Emma Gaines-Ramos (Otay Ranch), junior midfielder Denise Castro (San Ysidro), redshirt-junior midfielder Olivia Sekimoto (Eastlake) and redshirt-sophomore forward Dori Savage (Mater Dei Catholic).
Add head coach Mike Friesen, the winningest coach in program history, to the South County list.
Gaines-Ramos and Castro both earned All-Mountain West first team honors last season.
Gaines-Ramos scored a career-high six goals and added seven assists, while Castro scored a career-high and team-leading seven goals to go with four assists in 2022.
Both players have nearly surpassed those numbers midway through this season. Castro topped SDSU in season scoring through 12 games with six goals and four assists for 16 points (two points for each goal and one point for each assist) while Gaines-Ramos followed with 13 points on four goals and five assists.
The Lady Aztecs’ top three scorers were counted among their South County contingent with Savage resting in third place with 11 points on five goals and one assist. Sekimoto (four assists) ranked sixth in team scoring. Eckhardt has three points on one goal and one assist.
It’s added up to an exciting 8-2-2 start to the new season, including a 3-0-1 mark in MW play.
Castro was named the MW Player of the Week after tallying six points (two goals, two assists) in a 5-1 win at Fresno State on Sept. 21 to face off conference play and a 2-2 draw at San Jose State on Sept. 24.
It was the third career player of the week award for the San Ysidro alumna.
Savage scored both SDSU goals in a 2-0 win at Eastern Washington University on Sept. 3.
Castro scored two goals, her 18th and 19th in her career to move into a tie for ninth all-time in career goals in the program, as the Lady Aztecs blanked crosstown rival University of San Diego, 4-0, in a non-conference match played Sept. 14 at Snapdragon Stadium in front of 2,533 fans, the second-largest crowd in SDSU women’s soccer history.
Gaines-Ramos scored her first goal of the season and added an assist while Sekimoto also scored her first goal of the season in the showcase victory.
The Lady Aztecs notched their sixth win in seven matches after defeating Colorado College, 3-1, on Sunday at the SDSU Sports Deck. Gaines-Ramos continued her hot play with a goal and assist as the hosts fired off 32 shots, the most in a single game since 2016.
Entering Thursday’s home match against Boise State, SDSU had not lost since Aug. 31. The Lady Aztecs host Utah State on Sunday at noon.
SDSU’s men’s leaders include sophomore Austin Brummett (six goals, three assists), junior Terence Okoeguale (five goals), sophomore Romme Jaridy (three goals, three assists), redshirt freshman Lorenzo Hernandez (three goals, two assists) and senior Alexander Levengood (one goal, six assists).
Sophomore goalkeeper Logan Erb sports a minuscule 0.14 goals-against average.
The Aztecs host USD in a non-conference match Oct. 14 at Snapdragon Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
In the football loss. West Hills alum Jack Browning booted a school-record and conference-record 61-yard field goal.
