SAN JOSE, Calif. - A tall order awaits the 1-1-0 Spartans this week as they host they welcome Boise State and Utah State to the South Bay for their home conference openers on Thursday and Sunday, respectively. Thursday's match with the Broncos will begin at 7:00 p.m. PT while Sunday's match against Utah State is slated for an 11:00 a.m. start.
Full game notes for all three teams are attached.
SOCIAL MEDIA NIGHT
Thursday's match is Social Media Night. Any fans that show they follow SJSU Athletics on social media will receive discounted admission. SJSU Students who check-in at the game will have a chance to receive a free laptop cover courtesy of San Jose State Athletics.
THINK PINK
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month all across the nation, and the Spartans will begin playing their part by hosting their first Think Pink promotion for Sunday's match. Fans who show up to the match wearing pink will receive discounted tickets. Students can also check-in at the game for a chance to win a Spartan Backpack courtesy of San Jose State Athletics.
LAST TIME OUT
» The Spartans opened conference play with a two-game road swing in Colorado Springs, first falling to Colorado College, 1-0, before taking down Air Force 2-1 in a thrilling come from behind victory.
AIR FORCE RECAP
» SJSU started off slow with just one shot attempt through the first 45 minutes and trailed 1-0 at the half. Something sparked in the second half and the Spartans put up two goals to make the comeback. First, Sabrina Weinman knocked in her second goal of the year in the 68th minute from off a rebound inside the box. Then, Carlie James put in the game-winner on a beautifully-curved shot from 30 yards out. Freshman Maddie Toomer was credited with an assist on both goals.
LAST TIME BOISE STATE AND SJSU MET...
» The last meeting between the Spartans and Broncos was on Nov. 1, 2018 in the MW Tournament semifinal match in San Jose. After tying at 1-1 through regulation, the game went into a shootout where seniors Darriell Franklin and Paige Simoneau came through in the clutch. Franklin gave the Spartans a 4-3 lead in pk's on the team's fifth and final attempt. Simoneau then stepped up to make the match-clinching save to send the Spartans to the championship match.
CHASING DOWN THE RECORD
» Lauren Hanson is currently one win away from tying Philippe Blin for the most wins in SJSU Women's Soccer history.
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 four shutouts.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION - BOISE STATE
» Boise State enters Thursday night as the lone undefeated team in the conference through one weekend of play. They defeated Nevada 2-1 and UNLV 2-0 last weekend. The Broncos are also 10-1 overall with the lone loss to Utah in a 1-0, 2OT match. Senior Raimee Sherle is tied for the MW lead with nine goals on the season while the team as a whole is the conference front runner in both points and goals.
SERIES HISTORY -BOISE STATE
» SJSU and Boise State first met in 2001 and have played in all but two years since then. The Broncos have the slim lead in the series at 8-7-5. SJSU's last outright win came two seasons ago on Sept. 24, 2017 in a 2-1 victory at home.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION - UTAH STATE
» Utah State enters the weekend as one of 10 MW teams sitting at .500 in conference play after opening the season with a road spilt in Nevada. They first defeated UNLV 1-0 in 2OT before falling in 2OT, 1-0 at Nevada. The Aggies are 6-4 overall.
SERIES HISTORY - UTAH STATE
» Utah State has the upper hand in the series history, holding a 7-3-3 lead. The Spartans' last win came the last time the teams met in San Jose on Sept. 22, 2017 in a 2-1, 2OT victory. Last year, the teams played to a scoreless draw in Logan.
AMAZING AMARIKWA
» Senior defender Kristen Amarikwa is without question one of the top leaders on the Spartans' roster. She is also considered one of the best players in the nation, checking in as No. 66 in Top Drawer Soccer's preseason top 100. She is also the lone Mountain West candidate on the 30-member list for the Senior CLASS Award.
HANSON PICKS UP WIN NO. 50
» The Spartans' win over LMU was the 50th of head coach Lauren Hanson's career with SJSU. She is just the second coach in SJSU history to accumulate 50 wins and now needs just four more to become the school's all-time winningest head coach. Hanson has compiled a record of 52-40-21 and is the third-fastest among current active women's soccer head coaches in the Mountain West 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.