Kevin Bick and the Aztecs open the season at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic.

Aug. 29, 2012

SAN DIEGO -

SDSU Men's Soccer Weekly Notes | Season Preview

Game Week Reset
The adidas/IU Credit Union Classic
San Diego State (0-0) vs. No. --/15/20 Notre Dame (1-0)
Aug. 31 | 5 ET | Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium | Bloomington, Ind.

San Diego State (0-0) at No. 10/8/8 Indiana (2-0)
Sept. 2 | 2 ET | BTN.com | Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium | Bloomington, Ind.

Aztec Story Lines
- San Diego State opens its 45th season of soccer this week when it travels to Bloomington, Ind., for The adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. The Aztecs will kick-off the season vs. No. --/15/20 (NSCAA/Soccer America/Soccer Times) Notre Dame on Friday at 5 p.m. ET before returning to the pitch to face No. 10/8/8 Indiana on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.

- Live stats for both games will be available at GoAztecs.com and Sunday's tilt with Indiana will be streamed live on BTN.com.

- SDSU is beginning its campaign on the road for the first time since 2010 and for the fifth time in head coach Lev Kirshner's 13 seasons. The Aztecs are 1-1-2 in season openers that take place away from Montezuma Road.

- San Diego State is looking to replicate last year's season-opening result when it defeated Canisius, 2-1. Under Kirshner, the Aztecs are 5-5-2 in the first contest of the season.

- In the previous 44 years of Aztec men's soccer, San Diego State, which has won its last two games vs. top-25 non-conference foes, is 30-11-3 in season openers and 13-6-3 in such games at road/neutral settings.

- SDSU is meeting Notre Dame for the second time in the history of the series and first time since the 1987 campaign. That season, the Aztecs knocked off the Fighting Irish, 1-0, at the MetLife Classic at UCLA.

- The tilt vs. Indiana will represent the third all-time meeting between the schools and the first since 1987 when the Hoosiers downed SDSU, 1-0, in Los Angeles. Indiana claimed the first get-together, 2-1, in the 1984 season opener.

- The 1987 season was the last time the Aztecs played both Notre Dame and Indiana in the same year. Ironically, it was in back-to-back games. Later that season, San Diego State went on to post a 20-6 record and advance to the NCAA Tournament where it made a run at the national title before ultimately losing to Clemson, 2-0, in the finals.

- SDSU is two weeks removed from a 2-1 friendly loss to No. 6/7/6 New Mexico at Montezuma Road. San Diego State faced the stiff challenge of facing a highly regarded UNM side after having just three practice sessions under its belt. The Aztecs received a goal in the 14th minute from Morgan Sacco, but allowed two unanswered goals after holding the Lobos to just one shot in the first 64 minutes, 51 seconds. The match was even as both teams had seven shots and four shots on goal.

- The Aztecs were picked to finish in fifth place in the Pac-12 Conference when the preseason coaches poll was released on Aug. 14. SDSU received 11 points, three points behind fourth-place Stanford and five ahead of sixth-place Oregon State. UCLA was the coaches choice to win the league after earning 24 points and four of the six first-place votes.

- San Diego State returns 16 letterwinners, including seven starters, off a team that finished 10-6-3 in 2011. The 10-win campaign was the Aztecs' second straight, which marked the first time SDSU posted consecutive double-digit-win efforts since 1991-92.

- SDSU returns three all-Pac-12 Conference performers in seniors Jose Altamirano, Abraham Villon and Blake Hylen. Altamirano, a senior midfielder who garnered second-team honors, is the second-leading point returner after recording nine points (3 g, 3 a) in 2011. Villon, another senior midfielder, picked up all-league second-team accolades and finished his first season at San Diego State with four assists. Hylen, a junior, meanwhile, was an honorable mention selection at goalkeeper after earning 17 starts in 18 games.

- The Aztecs also return Jordan Ongaro, Ata Ozbay and Tyler Smith. Ongaro, a junior forward, is the top returning point earner (13) after posting a team-high five goals in 2011. Ozbay, a senior, joins Ongaro up front and returns for his final season as the team's second-leading goal scorer following his four-goal 2011. Smith, a sophomore midfielder, meanwhile, also scored four goals a year ago and is the squad's second-leading point returner (9; 4 g, 1 a).

- For Aztecs Kevin Bick and Blake Wise, they will be returning to Indiana, the site where they started their Division I careers. Bick played at IU in 2009 and 2010, and Wise was in Bloomington in 2011.

GoAztecs.com Men's Soccer

Printer-friendly format	Email this article