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SDSU plays six contests against opponents who finished among their conference’s top two
Source: goaztecs.com press release
Photo via goaztecs.com
July 26, 2016 (San Diego) - Coming off of his team’s best campaign in four seasons, San Diego State men’s soccer head coach Lev Kirshner has announced the Aztecs’ 2016 slate. The schedule features 10 matches at SDSU Sports Deck, six contests against opponents that finished among their conference’s top two, and four matches versus teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Additionally, all of the Aztecs’ road Pac-12 matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
“We have one of the toughest and most complete schedules in the country,” Kirshner said. “Because we feel that we have one of our best teams in recent years, we made our schedule more difficult. We are confident that we have a team that will not only be able to compete with our strong opponents, but will be able to beat some of these programs.”
The Aztecs kick off their season at the Gonzaga Soccer Tournament with matches against first-time opponents UIC and Bradley. SDSU takes on the Flames on Aug. 26 at 3:30 p.m. and the Braves on Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. Bradley finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference, while UIC won its sixth regular season Horizon League title in 2015.
The Scarlet and Black makes its home debut on Sept. 2 under the lights of SDSU Sports Deck with a 7 p.m. match against Akron. Last season, the Zips posted an outstanding 18-3-3 mark, falling to eventual national champion Stanford, 0-0, on penalty kicks in the second semifinal of the NCAA College Cup.
The Courtyard Marriott Central San Diego Tournament then begins on Sept. 9 against UT Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m. The Aztecs continue tournament play when they welcome Memphis to Montezuma Mesa on Sept. 11 for a 1 p.m. match.
San Diego State hits the road for a Saturday night matchup at Cal Poly on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. The Mustangs earned a berth to their first NCAA Tournament in seven seasons last year, falling in the opening round to UCLA.
The Aztecs return home for a pair of matches against Pacific and USD. The match against the Tigers is slated for 4 p.m. on Sept. 23, while SDSU contends with its crosstown rival at 7 p.m. on Sept. 25. In 2015, the Toreros were the WCC co-champion, its third title in four years.
Pac-12 play starts with a three-match home stand for the Aztecs against Oregon State, Washington and UCLA.
SDSU welcomes the Beavers on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. and takes on the Huskies for a noon matinee on Oct. 2. The Bruins venture south for a 7 p.m. match on Oct. 8. UCLA is coming off of its second-place finish in the Pac-12 and its 33rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, eventually falling in the second round.
The Aztecs then face a home-and-home against their Northern California conference rivals. On Oct. 13, SDSU travels to the reigning national champion, Stanford. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m. California is up next on Oct. 16 at 2 p.m.
The following weekend, San Diego State plays host to the Cardinal and Golden Bears, taking on Stanford on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. and California on Sunday, Oct. 23 at noon.
The match against the Golden Bears will be SDSU’s final of the regular season at SDSU Sports Deck.
After a bye week, the Aztecs venture to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon State and Washington. San Diego State battles against the Beavers on Nov. 3 at 3 p.m. and the Huskies on Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.
SDSU concludes the regular season on Nov. 11 at UCLA. The match is slated to begin at 6 p.m.
The Scarlet and Black returns nine of its 11 starters from a 2015 club that notched its best record since 2011 at 8-8-3, wrapping up the campaign with a thrilling 1-0 double overtime win at home over No. 16 UCLA. The incoming 2016 class includes three National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Americans, five student-athletes with national team experience and two transfers boasting all-conference honors.
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