SDSU upsets No. 1 Akron in men’s soccer – The San Diego Union-Tribune

San Diego State sports historians couldn’t remember the last time the Aztecs beat a No. 1 team in any Division I sport, men’s or women’s.

They won’t have to reach far into the memory banks any longer.

The Aztecs shocked No. 1 Akron in men’s soccer Friday night, winning 1-0 on Travis Nicklaw’s 61st-minute penalty kick before an SRO crowd at the SDSU Sports Deck in what ranks among the program’s biggest victories since its run to the 1987 NCAA final and the biggest in Coach Lev Kirshner’s 17 seasons on Montezuma Mesa.

Fans certainly thought so, pouring onto the field at the final whistle to mob the players. (In England, they’d call it a pitch invasion.)

And this wasn’t some early-season win against a team with an inflated ranking without basis. The Zips return much of the roster that reached the NCAA semifinals last season and opened this one with wins against No. 7 Georgetown and No. 9 Seattle.

The Aztecs (2-0-1) hadn’t received votes in two of the three major polls. The NSCAA coaches’ rankings, which had them at No. 23, is looking pretty good right now.

“This isn’t a fluke,” Kirshner said. “This is a very good (SDSU) team that has bought into the Aztecs culture that we’ve fought really hard to regain. Akron is a very good team, and so are we.”

It wasn’t a fluke on the field, either. Akron had attempted 42 shots in its first two games and was held to six by the Aztecs, and only two were really threatening: one off a defensive giveaway in the first half and one on a low shot in the 79th minute. Goalkeeper Adam Allmaras saved both for his second shutout in three games; in all, SDSU has allowed one goal – a 30-yard bomb against Illinois-Chicago – all season and none in the last 277 minutes.

The Aztecs were unlucky not to lead at halftime, hitting the post twice, including one with two seconds left. They finally converted 16 minutes into the second half, when Dutch midfielder Thom Van dem Berg was taken down in the box from behind.

Nicklaw, a senior defender from University City High, calmly slotted the ensuing PK into the lower right corner.

The Zips (2-1) pushed forward for the equalizer, having scoring in the final two minutes in both wins this season. Nothing doing. The frustration boiled over in the closing seconds, when Akron’s Victor Souto was shown a straight red card for elbowing Jeroen Meefout while the Aztecs were holding the ball near the corner flag to kill the clock.

This was the fourth time in four years that Kirshner has faced a No. 1 team, losing each of the previous three by a single goal. The last time SDSU beat a Top 5 team in any sport was 2011 in women’s soccer, a 1-0 win against No. 4 Portland.

The highest ranked win in the Div. I era by men’s basketball is No. 7. By football, No. 12.

“I knew this team would be good,” said Kirshner, who is still missing two players who are expected to start or be key subs. “We’ve been getting better every day. I’m not surprised by this at all.”