Glenn Connelly, Assistant Photo Editor

Three years ago, the San Diego State men’s soccer program was in danger of being cut because of a complicated new NCAA rule dealing with the automatic bids for the NCAA Tournament for conferences with fewer than six teams.

The decision was reversed, and now there is no question what direction SDSU is headed in after going to the NCAA Tournament two consecutive years despite playing in the challenging Pac-10 Conference.

“There’s no doubt, I would not have expected the turnaround to take place so quickly,” said head coach Lev Kirshner, whose team finished 9-6-4. “We could never have expected, three years ago, almost being cut, to now, being the No. 2 team in the Pac-10. We had a fantastic season. We feel very good about the direction of this program.”

Despite the turnaround, some of the Aztecs weren’t satisfied after relinquishing a 1-0 lead to UC Santa Barbara in the first round of the NCAA Tourney on Nov. 11 and being eliminated by the same team in back-to-back seasons.

“The loss is still fresh in my head, and it probably will be for a while, so it’s difficult to look at some of the things we’ve accomplished this year because I still feel this team was capable of more,” senior forward Andrew DiCicco said.

It’s clear that SDSU’s goal is bringing a national championship to Montezuma Mesa.

“We have a vision, but we haven’t reached it yet,” Kirshner said. “The last thing we are going to do is sit here and say, ‘Look how good we are.'”

But if there is one thing that may have prevented the Aztecs from going further in the NCAA Tournament this season, it’s inexperience.

UCSB was playing in its fifth straight NCAA Tourney.

“The talent, the team chemistry, was there this year to make a run,” DiCicco said. “The one component that was definitely lacking was experience.”

But as the seniors leave the program, there is a possibility that SDSU won’t miss a beat after a recruiting class that ranked No. 17 in the nation by College Soccer News progressed during the season.

The star of the class was center back Nick Cardenas, who was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year on Nov. 8.

However, it’s hard to imagine that a freshman will replace senior goalie Tally Hall.

Hall was an All-American last season, and he is currently one of 15 semifinalists for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, awarded to the best college player in the nation. Hall is the only semifinalist that is a goalie and from the Pac-10.

But what shines brighter than any trophy Hall could ever receive is his personality.

“We are not missing Tally Hall’s talent next year, we are missing the human being,” Kirshner said. “And that is irreplaceable.”

But there is one thing not even Hall’s gloves can hold onto tighter.

“It’s the memories,” DiCicco said. “The memories of celebrating game-winning goals in overtime, celebrating making it to the tournament. The moments that you spend with the team on the practice field, in the locker room, on the game field.

“Those are some of the best memories I’ve ever had.”