SNN Staff
Posted: Thursday, August 16, 2012 7:29 pm

Assistant coach Chris Lemay will help head coach Mike Friesen direct SDSU's women's soccer team

College Soccer News: SDSU Women’s Soccer Opens against SMU and ASU

Chris Lemay's the new Assistant Coach at SDSU Aztec women's soccer and the season will open on Friday, August 17, against SMU. The game kicks off at 5:00 p.m. at the SDSU Sports Deck. Lemay is a well known coach @ San Diego Surf Soccer Club and the founder of Soccer in the Sand Tournaments. Be There!

The San Diego State University (SDSU) women’s soccer team will open the 2012 regular season with a match on Friday, August 17, against Southern Methodist University (SMU) with kickoff time for scheduled for 5:00 p.m. The team will then host Arizona State University (ASU) on Sunday, August 19, at 1:00 p.m. as part of a five-game season opening home stand. The games will be played at the SDSU Sports Deck and admission is free.

After finishing the 2011 season with a record of 10-7-3 (4-1-1 in the Mountain West Conference), the Aztecs have been tabbed to finish in second place in the Mountain West by a preseason coaches’ poll with two first-place votes and 44 points. New Mexico received five first-place votes and 46 points to put them on top.

SDSU will open the season as part of TopDrawerSoccer.com’s preseason field of 64 and will return 20 letter winners and 10 starters. Seven of these returning players, including six starters, have been named to the CollegeSportsMaddness.com preseason all-Mountain West team. Among those named to the first team were redshirt senior Tiffany Hurst, senior Megan Jurado, redshirt junior Sophie Metz and junior Haley Palmer.

The Aztecs, who are unbeaten in their last three home season openers, come off a 1-1 exhibition draw against Long Beach State (LBSU) on Friday, August 10. SDSU outshot Long Beach 11-7 overall and 6-4 in shots on goal. Marisa Fraticelli scored the Aztecs’ goal in the 86th minute to tie the match after Chyann Saban connected on a header at the start of the second half for LBSU.

The Aztec look to repeat their home opening-game successes of the past seasons. In 2011 SDSU opened the season with a 1-0 win over Arizona, following their 1-0 defeat of Fresno State n 2009 and a double-overtime 1-1 draw with Toledo in 2007. In 2010 and 2008 the Aztecs opened their seasons on the road. SDSU will play their first five games at home, similar to 2011 when they played seven of their first eight at the Sports Deck on the way to a 3-1-2 record.

The Friday match will mark the second meeting ever between SDSU and SMU. In November, 1996, the two teams met in Provo, Utah, with the Aztecs coming away with a 3-1 win. SMU, who are coming off a 4-0 exhibition win over Missouri, closed out 2011 with an 11-8-1 record and a 7-3-1 C-USA record. The Mustangs, who will have their top five scorers back on the field for 2011, have been picked to finish fourth in a C-USA preseason poll.

SDSU’s match against Arizona State will mark the eighth time the two have faced off but their first meeting since 2009. The Aztecs hold a 3-3-1 all-time record, including a 2-0-1 mark at home. ASU has been picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12, following an 8-11 season (4-7 Pac-12) in 2011.

Fans of women’s soccer are encouraged to attend both matches as the Aztecs begin their quest for the 2012 Mountain West title.

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