SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose State women's soccer will look to carry the momentum built on last Sunday's win over Utah State as they hit the road for a two-game swing at Wyoming and Colorado State beginning on Friday. All three teams check into the weekend at 2-2 in league play and will be looking to climb up into the front half of the standings with a win or two. Friday's game at Wyoming is set for a 2:00 p.m. PT afternoon kick while Sunday's match with the Rams will be an 11:00 a.m. kickoff.
Full game notes are attached.
LAST TIME OUT
» The Spartans split their weekend home stand against Boise State and Utah State, first dropping a 1-0 final to the Broncos before taking down the Aggies 1-0 to regain momentum heading into the heart of the conference schedule.
UTAH STATE RECAP
» It was a defensive struggle from start to finish and the teams played nearly identical to each other as they finished with 13 shots and four saves apiece, but the difference was a Utah State penalty inside the box that gave SJSU a penalty kick opportunity. Freshman Sabrina Weinman took the kick and buried it for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning score. The Spartan defense flexed their muscles as they limited the Aggies to just four shots on frame out of 13 attempts. Senior defender Kristen Amarikwa led the charge and put her body on the line to make six blocks in the shutout.
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED
» With Sunday's win over Utah State, Lauren Hanson tied Philippe Blin for the most wins in program history with 53. She now needs just one more to own the record outright.
» Hanson picked up the 50th win of her career against LMU. In doing so, she became just the second head coach in SJSU history to reach the 50-win plateau and is the third-fastest among current MW women's soccer coaches to reach the mark.
SHUTTING OUT THE OPPOSITION
» SJSU's stellar 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 they have tallied five shutouts.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - WYOMING
» Wyoming is tied with the Spartans with a 2-2 record in conference play and sits at 5-4-3 overall. The Cowgirls, led by Pete Cuadrando, have a strong offensive attack with four players that have tallied four goals on the season and seven with multiple goals. Jamie Tatum is among the best of the bunch and ranks in the top-five in the MW with 1.75 shots on goal per game.
SERIES HISTORY -WYOMING
» The Spartans lead the overall series 5-3, but fell 3-2 in last season's meeting in San Jose. SJSU's last win came two years ago in Laramie.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT - COLORADO STATE
» Much like Wyoming, Colorado State features a strong offense as well with a trio of players that rank in the top-10 in the MW in several categories. Caeley Lordemann and Kristen Noonan are tied for fourth in the league with five goals while Jenna Wilt is the conference leader in assists with eight. The Rams, led by Bill Hempen, are also 2-2 in MW play and check in at 7-4-1 overall. They will host Fresno State on Friday evening.
SERIES HISTORY - COLORADO STATE
» History has certainly been on SJSU's side in the series, with the Spartans holding a perfect 5-0 mark against the Rams. Last season in San Jose, the Spartans held on for a 1-0 win.
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.
NICE DEBUT FOR WEINMAN
» Freshman midfielder Sabrina Weinman has wasted no time making a name for herself at the collegiate level. Through the team's first 12 games, the Bakersfield product is the team leader with three goals, including the game-winner last week against Utah State, while making four starts.
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.
