MORAGA, Calif. - Saint Mary's will conclude their two-game home stand on Sunday as they play host to San Jose State. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 PM as the Gaels will look for their first result of the season and put their six-match unbeaten streak against the Spartans on the line. 

GAME INFORMATION AND COVERAGE

MSOC | Saint Mary's vs. San Jose State | Saint Mary's Stadium
Moraga, Calif. | August 24th | 5:00 PM 
Live Stats | ESPN+ | Tickets 

GAELS OUTLOOK

Three Goals in 15 Minutes, Gaels Fall 3-2 in Season Opener…

Saint Mary's nearly pulled off the comeback in their season opener Thursday night but two goals within a span of three minutes would propel Cal to the 3-2 victory. 

After going down a goal just six minutes into the game, the Gaels tied things up with a header goal from TJ Dilley three minutes into the second half. The game would flip on its head over the final half hour as SMC defender Hubert Deragon got sent off with a second yellow in the 67th minute and then three goals were scored over the final fifteen minutes. Cal took back their lead with a penalty kick goal in the 79th minute only for the Gaels to tie the game for a second time with a penalty of their own just a minute later. The Golden Bears would finally put the nail in the coffin with a goal from Cam Wilkerson in the 82nd minute to seal the wild 3-2 victory. 

Cal outshot Saint Mary's 19-7 as sophomore keeper Sam Bentley finished with a game high five saves. TJ Dilley scored his first collegiate goal to tie the game at one while captain Bastian Toelhoej converted his penalty kick later in the half for his sixth career goal. 

Dilley Nets First Collegiate Goal, 13 Players Make SMC Debut…

Redshirt freshman TJ Dilley scored his first collegiate goal in his first collegiate start for Saint Mary's after redshirting during the 2024 season. Dilley recorded 66 minutes of action in his debut and was an active piece in the teams backline, anchoring the left back position. 

13 total players went on to make their Saint Mary's debut Thursday night including midfielders Jona Starek and Jaydon Whittaker. Starek played all 90 minutes for the Gaels while Whittaker recorded two shots in 75 minutes and was a key piece to the teams attack. 

Series History…

Saint Mary's owns a six-match unbeaten streak over San Jose State dating back to 2018. Over those six games, the Gaels are 5-0-1 and have not dropped a match to the Spartans since 2017. The Spartans outplayed the Gaels in last season's matchup, outshooting them 18-4. A heroic eight-save performance from backup keeper Kolby Fish Sessions would help preserve the scoreless draw. 

In their early history, San Jose State dominated the matchup with Saint Mary's which featured a six-match winning streak throughout the late 90's and early 2000's. However, the Gaels have had their number lately with an 8-1-3 record dating back to 2007. Adam Cooper and his squads had won five straight matches before their 0-0 draw last season. 

ABOUT THE SPARTANS (WAC)

San Jose State was picked to finish third in the 2025 WAC preseason poll and Angel Iniguez was named the WAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Last season, Iniguez was named WAC Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Spartan ever to win a player of the year award. Defender Niklas Dossmann was also named to the preseason all-conference team as he anchored the backline for San Jose State, contributing to seven shutouts a season ago.  

Last week, San Jose State athletics announced that men's soccer head coach Simon Tobin would be returning for one final season before announcing his retirement. A native of London, England, Tobin has served as a collegiate men's soccer head coach since 1987, starting his career at CSU Bakersfield before taking over at San José State in 2014. Over his 38-year career, Tobin has compiled an impressive 382-277-85 record, including a 75-97-33 mark with the Spartans.

SJSU finished the 2024 season with a 6-8-7 overall record and a 3-3-3 record in conference play. The Spartans knocked off Utah Valley and then top-seed San Diego State in the WAC Championship Tournament to advance to the finals against Seattle U. Their postseason run would come to an end after a three-goal defeat to the Redhawks in the championship match. San Jose State knocked off Cal Poly Thursday night in their season opener with a two-goal shutout after the Mustangs were picked to finish second in a deep and competitive Big West conference. 

Kickoff is slated for 5:00 PM with the game being streamed live on ESPN+. Tickets can be bought at the gate or at smcgaels.com/tickets. Be sure to follow your Gaels on Facebook, Instagram, and X to get all the latest Saint Mary's athletics updates and information. 

GAMEDAY POLICIES & PROCEDURES: Please note the department's gameday policies including use of a clear bag. Additional information on the 'Clear Bag' policy and other gameday protocols can be found HERE or at smcgaels.com. 

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