Oct. 22, 1999
SAN DIEGO - The 23rd-ranked San Diego State women's soccer team claimed its fourth win in five games when it defeated the University of New Mexico, 3-1, on Friday in Albuquerque.
Senior midfielder Megan Mattes powered SDSU (11-5 overall, 4-1 Mountain West Conference) to victory, posting her first hat trick as an Aztec. However, the hat trick was not the first of her collegiate career. Mattes, who transferred to SDSU after spending three seasons at the University of Vermont, where she left with the school record for most goals scored in a career, accomplished the feat in her freshman season when she scored three times against Towson State.
The Aztecs, who have posted a perfect 3-0 record on the road aginst conference opponents this fall, fell behind early. The Lobos (6-11-1 overall, 1-5 MWC) got on the scoreboard at the 6:59 mark when freshman forward Tara Alarid hammered home a loose ball in the area off a long flip throw-in taken by junior forward Jennifer Fitzpatrick.
UNM's lead would be short-lived, however, as Mattes evened the score when she was in perfect position to collect a rebound off a shot taken by freshman Michele Wagner and put it in the back of the net at 16:25.
Although the score was deadlocked at 1-1 at the half, the Aztecs were clearly the aggressors, outshooting the Lobos 8-1 in the first half and keeping most of the action on the UNM side of the field.
The second half opened with SDSU in total control. The Aztecs kept the ball deep in Lobo territory, and eventually took the lead at the 63:26 mark when Mattes headed a cross from junior midfielder Elicia Petre into the upper right corner of the goal for the game-winner. Mattes ranks second on the squad with three-game-winning goals.
Just over 13 minutes later, Mattes got loose in the box and was taken down by a UNM defender, leading referee Tony Kelly to award SDSU with a penalty kick at the 76:40 mark. Mattes took advantage of the situation, rounding out her hat trick by placing her penalty shot into the lower right corner of the goal as Lobo goalkeeper Shelly Hammock dove to the left. With her three goals on Friday, Mattes moved into a tie with senior forward Lori LaCoursiere for the team lead with eight goals on the year. Mattes has scored five goals in five games against Mountain West opposition.
The hat trick was the second of the season for the Aztecs, as sophomore Kate Qually tallied three goals and an assist in SDSU's 5-0 win over Cincinnati. By accomplishing the feat, Mattes joins Qually, LaCoursiere, Suzie O'Grady and Lynn Murray as the only Aztecs ever to record hat tricks.
SDSU will finish its regular season schedule when it travels to Las Vegas to square off with UNLV (6-8-1 overall, 1-4 MWC) at noon on Sunday. An Aztec win paired with a BYU victory on Saturday against Air Force would send SDSU into the Mountain West Conference Tournament as the number-one seed, thus giving the Aztecs an opening-round bye.
San Diego State 3, New Mexico 1 1 2 TSDSU 1 2 3UNM 1 0 1Goals 6:59 UNM Tara Alarid (Jennifer Fitzpatrick) 16:25 SDS Megan Mattes (Michele Wagner, Lori LaCoursiere) 63:26 SDS Megan Mattes (Elicia Petre) 76:40 SDS Megan Mattes (Penalty Kick)Shots: SDS19, UNM 2Saves: SDS 1 (Katherine Judkins 1), UNM 11 (Shelly Hammock 11)Corner Kicks: SDS 6, UNM 3Fouls: SDS 8, UNM 4Cautions: SDS - Lori LaCoursiere (Delay of game) 50:35Att: 462