SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose State women's soccer will hit the road for a two-game swing against nonconference opponents, first against LMU in Los Angeles on Thursday before returning to the Bay Area to take on No. 3 Stanford on Sunday. Sunday's match will be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Network. Kate Scott will have the call.
Weekly Game Notes
LAST WEEK OUT
» The Spartans opened the 2019 season much like it played the bulk of 2019 season...with solid defense and pitching shutouts. SJSU played to double overtime scoreless draws at home vs. Cal Poly and on the road at UC Santa Barbara.
STEPPING UP
» One of the toughest tasks for the Spartan coaching staff in the offseason was finding a replacement for all-conference goalkeeper Paige Simoneau. In the first two matches, the starting nod went to sophomore Ariana Romero, a transfer from Seattle University. Romero was solid in her first two outings, pitching a pair of shutouts while making a total of eight combined saves. She made five saves in the UC Santa Barbara match alone.
SHUTTING OUT THE OPPOSITION
» SJSU's vaunted defense prided themselves in pitching shutouts in 2018. They compiled a school-record 11 of them, which ranked fourth in the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament. So far in 2019 the trend has continued as the young season has already seen a pair of shutouts.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - LMU
» The Spartans face two more nonconference teams on the road this week. First up will be a trip to Los Angeles to take on Loyola Marymount. The Lions are currently 0-1-1 on the season. They opened the season with an offensive slugfest at Pittsburgh that ended in a 5-4 loss before tying Duquesne, 1-1.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - STANFORD
» After Thursday's match with LMU, the Spartans will return to the bay area to face off with the No. 3-ranked Stanford Cardinal. This will be the sixth overall meeting between the programs and the first since the opening round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament in a match that the Cardinal claimed, 2-0. Stanford is 2-0 on the season after taking down a pair of ranked opponents in Pennsylvania - No. 6 Penn State, 2-1, and No. 11 West Virginia, 3-1.
HANSON LOOKING FOR WIN NO. 50
» Entering this weekend's matches, head coach Lauren Hanson has compiled an all-time record of 49-35-21, which means she is just one win away from 50 for her Spartan career. If she picks up the win, Hanson will be just the second SJSU head coach to accumulate 50 wins and will need just four more wins to become the school's all-time winningest head coach.
» Additionally, Hanson is currently on pace to become the third-fastest among active Mountain West Women's Soccer Coaches to reach the 50-win mark.
CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE
» The SJSU women's soccer coaching staff has a lot of experience when it comes to playing for and winning championships. The trio of Hanson, Tina Estrada and Adrianne Fass have combined for 16 combined trips to the NCAA Tournament as players and coaches as well as three College Cup Championships.
CALIFORNIA CONNECTIONS
» With the ever-expanding world of recruiting, it is not uncommon to see coaches go after players from other stats, even other countries, but the Spartans are unique in the distinction that they have a roster entirely made up of California natives.
