Aug. 25, 2015
Women's soccer remains on the road this week with matchups at UC Santa Barbara (0-2-0) on Friday, August 28, and at Sacramento State (0-1-0), Sunday, August 30. Friday evening's match at UCSB will have live video streaming, which can be accessed through the button below. Check the women's soccer schedule page for links to stats and streaming for Sunday's match at Sacramento State. Fans can also get live updates during the matches via Twitter by following @sjsusoccer.
Matches #3-4
San José State (1-1-0) at UC Santa Barbara (0-2-0)
Friday, August 28, 2015, 5:00 p.m. PT
Harder Stadium (17,000)
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Live Video
San José State (1-1-0) at Sacramento State (0-1-0)
Sunday, August 30, 2015, 1:00 p.m. PT
Hornet Field (1,500)
Sacramento, Calif.
Live Stats
SPARTANS SPLIT TEXAS ROAD TRIP
San José State began the regular season with a boost of confidence from a 3-0 victory over the Lamar Cardinals last Friday night. The momentum carried into Sunday's match at Rice when SJSU took a 1-0 lead into the 80th minute against the reigning Conference-USA champions. However, the Owls scored an equalizer before the end of regulation and then put in the golden goal in the 107th minute to defeat the Spartans 2-1.
2015 BEGINS WITH THREE GOALS AND A SHUTOUT
The Spartans couldn't have asked for a better start to the 2015 season, after a dominating effort where they blanked Lamar 3-0 last Friday night on the road. Samantha Orodpour (Jr., MF, Chino Hills, Calif.) got the offense going with the first goal of the year in the 14th minute. Darlene Rodriguez (Sr., MF, San Jose, Calif.), and Claire Berkley (So., D, Pleasanton, Calif.) both followed with a goal in the second half. It went down as a team shutout as goalkeeper Zoe Makrigiannis (Sr., GK, Surrey, B.C., Canada) was replaced in the 81st minute by Paige Simoneau (Fr., GK, Corona, Calif.).
LATE GOALS AT RICE PREVENT 2-0 START
Maricruz Chapa (Jr., MF, Orange Cove, Calif.) gave the Spartans a 1-0 lead against the defending Conference-USA Tournament champion Rice Owls on Sunday. But in the 81st minute of regulation, Rice put in an equalizer that sent the match into overtime. The two teams went back-and-forth until the Owls put in the golden goal to win the match in the 107th minute.
TWO JC TRANSFERS MAKING IMMEDIATE IMPACT ON OFFENSE
Junior college transfers Samantha Orodpour and Maricruz Chapa both scored the first goals of their Spartan careers during opening weekend in Texas. Orodpour, an All-South Coast Conference honoree last year at Mount San Antonio College, put in SJSU's first goal of the 2015 season helping the team to a 3-0 win over Lamar. Chapa, a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) second-team All-American at Fresno City College, put the Spartans up 1-0 in the 21st minute against Rice.
STARTING FAST IS HALF THE BATTLE
Yes, it is early. But, the team's goal differential of +3 is the best mark through the first two matches since the program's inception in 1995 when the Spartans outscored UC Santa Cruz and Azusa Pacific by a combined 11 goals. Starting fast is only half the battle, and the team will be looking to close the year the way it did last season winning five of the last six matches.
ZOE EYEING 11TH SHUTOUT
With 10 career shutouts, Makrigiannis is one shy of tying Amee Brown (1996-99) for most in SJSU history. She was nine minutes away from doing so in the 3-0 victory over Lamar last week, but was subbed out in the 81st minute giving way to freshman goalkeeper Paige Simoneau. Makrigiannis is also second in career goals against average at 1.35 and sixth with 187 saves.
MORE ON UC SANTA BARBARA
UC Santa Barbara (0-2) will host the Spartans in their first home match of 2015 Friday night. The Gauchos are in search of their first goal of the season after being shutout at Saint Mary's College, 2-0, and at San Francisco, 1-0, last week. UCSB finished 2014 with an overall record of 8-9-2 and went 2-6-0 in Big West play. The team welcomes back their top-three scorers from a year ago in Angelisa Cortez, Sara Defer and Dakota Griggs. UCSB is coached by Paul Stumpf (San Diego State, 1989) in his 16th season.
MORE ON SACRAMENTO STATE
It will also be the home opener for Sacramento State on Sunday when the Spartans travel to Hornet Field. Sacramento State fell in their regular-season opener Monday night to UC Davis, 2-1. Last year, the team finished 9-10-0 overall and 4-6-0 in the Big Sky Conference. A majority of last year's squad has returned to the Hornets in 2015 including eight starters. Sacramento State is coached by Randy Dedini (Sonoma State, 1993) in his ninth season.
SPARTANS PICKED SEVENTH IN PRESEASON COACHES' POLL
The voting panel of the 12 Mountain West women's soccer head coaches picked San José State to finish in seventh place this season in the preseason poll. The results have three-time defending regular-season and tournament champion San Diego State winning it all again in 2015. The Spartans received 53 points, putting them even with UNLV in seventh place ahead of Air Force, Fresno State, Colorado State and Nevada.
2015 ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The Spartans are returning five starters from a season ago, while losing six. A total of 15 letterwinners are returning for 2015. SJSU scored 22 goals last season, 10 of which are back for more in 2015. Zoe Makrigiannis is coming off of one of the best seasons for a goalkeeper in Spartan women's soccer history, and she will be back in the goal for her senior campaign this year.
GET TO KNOW YOUR 2015 SPARTANS!
Spartan women's soccer has an active social media agenda this year and they want you to be a part of it. Get familiar with the faces by following the official Instagram account @sjsuwomenssoccer. Also, interact with the team during social media player takeovers on the official Twitter (@sjsusoccer) and Facebook (/sjsuwsoc) pages.
EXPERIENCE WAS THEY KEY DESPITE THE 2-0 EXHIBITION LOSS
San José State fell behind 2-0 within the first seven minutes of the exhibition loss to UC Davis last week. However, head coach Lauren Hanson was happy to give eight players their first taste of competition in a Spartan uniform during the tune-up. Darriell Franklin (Fr., F, La Habra, Calif.), Hayden Kelley (Jr., D, Murrieta, Calif.) and Samantha Orodpour (Jr., MF, Chino Hills, Calif.) each appeared for the first time and were a part of the starting lineup. Alyssa Bertuleit (Jr., MF, Sparks, Nev.), Daria Manzano (Fr., MF, Lakewood, Calif.) Veronica Chung (Fr., D, Woodenville, Wash.), Courtney Elterman (Fr., MF, Templeton, Calif.) and Paige Simoneau (Fr., GK, Corona, Calif.) all made their first appearances in a reserve role. There are a total of 11 new players on the 2015 roster.
MOUNTAIN WEST GIVES MAKRIGIANNIS 2014 FIRST-TEAM NOD
Goalkeeper Zoe Makrigiannis was a First-Team All-Mountain West honoree in 2014, making her San José State's first all-conference honoree since Megan Molina in 2012. Makrigiannis' first-team nod makes her the just second goalkeeper to receive the honor in program history alongside Amee Brown who was first-team All-Western Athletic Conference twice in 1997 and 1999.
HANSON FUELS TURNAROUND IN YEAR ONE
In her first season as a head coach, Lauren Hanson led the Spartans to an 8-8-3 overall record and 5-5-1 in Mountain West play. The .500 record comes one year after the team finished 3-14-1 and 2-7-1 in conference play. The team doubled its offensive output in 2014, scoring 22 goals after just 10 went into the net in 2013. The defense also saw a huge lift, allowing 18 goals when the year before it gave up 33.
MEET THE CAPTAINS
Head coach Lauren Hanson has named three captains for the 2015 season: Darlene Rodriguez (Sr., MF, San Jose, Calif.), Rachel Docherty (Sr., D, Calgary, Alberta, Canada) and Zoe Makrigiannis (Sr., GK, Surrey, B.C., Canada). Rodriguez, an attacking midfielder in 2014, was a significant part of the Spartans' offense down the stretch when the team won five of its last six matches. Docherty is a three-year letterwinner heading into 2015. She has held down the line of defense now in 45 career matches for San José State. Makrigiannis is coming off of one of the best performances by a goalkeeper in SJSU history in 2014. She had seven shutouts and begins the year one shy of tying the all-time career record in that category.
STRONG FINISH IN 2014 HAS SPARTANS CONFIDENT
San José State finished the 2014 season winning five of its last six matches down the stretch of Mountain West play. Two of those wins came on the road against rival opponents in Boise State and Fresno State. While the defense was strong all year long, the Spartan offense helped fuel the solid finish, outscoring the opponents 12-5 during the final six matches.
BACK LINE SET TO HOLD IT DOWN IN 2015
On top of Zoe Makrigiannis' great year in the goal, a solid back line of defense helped the Spartans to the best goals-against average in the Mountain West last season (.905). Two young defenders in Claire Berkely (So., D, Pleasanton, Calif.) and Myia Wilkes (So., D, Calgary, Alberta) each logged over 1,000 minutes as freshman defenders. They are returning to hold it down in 2015, as is Rachel Docherty (Sr., D, Calgary, Alberta), the team's most experienced player on either side of the ball.
GAMEDAY AT SPARTAN SOCCER FIELD
Join us for our second full season at Spartan Soccer Field located on the corner of 10th and Alma Streets. General admission for adults is $5 and youth 12 and under are $3. All youth 12 and under wearing any soccer jersey will be admitted for just $1 and on Sundays, kids get in free!