For Immediate Release                                                                       Contact: Eric Harding

Oct. 12, 2014

 

Aztec M. Soccer Falls in High-Scoring Match at No. 22 Cal

SDSU scores three goals in narrow road loss

 

BERKELEY, Calif. – Despite one of its best offensive performance of the season, the San Diego State men’s soccer team fell short in an exciting, high-scoring match at No. 22 California, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at Edwards Stadium.

California’s Paul Salcedo knocked through the game-winning goal in the 81^st minute, after consecutive San Diego State goals freshman Kevin Baboyian and sophomore Casey Macias knotted the score with one goal apiece in the second half. Baboyian’s goal in the 49^th minute pulled the Aztecs within one, before Macias tied it up, 3-3, with his unassisted score in the 76^th minute.

It was SDSU’s second-highest scoring output of the season, as the Aztecs recorded four goals in a victory over No. 19 Denver on Sept. 14. Freshman midfielder Jeff Rhodes broke a scoreless tie in the first half with his unassisted goal in the 11^th minute, before California knocked through three scores in the remainder of the first half to take a 3-1 lead into intermission.

San Diego State freshmen David Olsen and Jeff Rhodes, junior Luis Alvarado and junior Rene Reyes, who made his first appearance in an Aztec uniform on Sunday, each recorded one shot apiece in the narrow loss. It was the first career-goal for both Macias and Baboyian.

Senior captain Evyn Hewett and redshirt sophomore Travis Nicklaw each played all 90 minutes on the backline for the Aztecs on Sunday. Hewett has still played every minute of every match for San Diego State this season.

Sunday was SDSU’s third-consecutive contest against a ranked opponent to begin conference play, and fifth overall, as five Pac-12 teams are currently ranked in the NSCAA Coaches Poll. The Pac-12 is the No. 1 RPI conference in the nation, as it has the top winning percentage in the country (.716), as well as the third-ranked strength of schedule based on opponents’ records (.531).

The Aztecs return to the pitch at SDSU Sports Deck this week, when they play host to No. 23 Oregon on Thursday, Oct. 16, before taking on No. 1 Washington on Sunday, Oct. 19.

Man of the Match: San Diego State sophomore Casey Macias (Chicago, Ill.) was named Man of the Match on Sunday, as the midfielder scored his first-career goal to tie the match in the 76^th minute. Macias is a former member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) national championship team, as well as a former member of the U-20 National Team that competed in the Mercedes Benz Junior Cup in Germany.

 

-SDSU-