Nov. 2, 2002
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's soccer team celebrated Senior Day with a 2-1 overtime win over UNLV in today's regular-season finale. Junior Kim Castellanos (Escondido, Calif./Rancho Bernardo HS) scored both goals, including the game-winner in the fourth minute of overtime, to send six Aztec seniors out on a winning note and clinch the fourth seed in the upcoming Mountain West Conference tournament.
"We had a lot of chances in the game, but we finished things early in the overtime," SDSU head coach Chuck Clegg said. "They don't mess around, and I'm happy that they kept up the pressure. It's always nice to go into the conference tournament with a win."
SDSU (12-6 overall, 3-3 MWC) started fast with five shots in the first seven minutes of play, but could not break until their ninth and final shot of the first half. Senior Shawni Flint (San Diego, Calif./El Capitan HS) received a pass from fellow senior Bethany "Boo" Tinling (West Valley City, Utah/West HS). Flint then played a cross from the right side that Castellanos headed past UNLV goalkeeper Jenna Huff at 43 minutes, 1 second for a 1-0 Aztec lead.
The score stayed that way until late in the second half despite 21 Aztec shots in regulation, including 12 in the second half. A UNLV defender blocked senior Nicole Findlay's (Fairfield, Calif./Armijo HS) chance at an open net in the 50th minute and senior Jamie Harlor (Wahiawa, Hawaii/Leilehua HS) hit the post on a header in the 73rd minute.
The Rebels (10-7-1, 2-4 MWC) were still in the game, and they finally capitalized when Nickie Olson converted Cosette Packer's cross for the game-tying goal in the 89th minute.
However, the Aztecs finished the match off early in overtime. Freshman Lisette Martinez (Chula Vista, Calif./Hilltop HS) got off a shot that was initially saved. But the rebound came right to Castellanos, who converted a shot into the upper-left corner of the net at 93:05 to give the Aztecs a 2-1 victory.
Junior goalkeeper Stephanie Pearson (Los Gatos, Calif./Los Gatos HS) made two saves to pick up her eighth win of the season, while Huff kept UNLV in the match with 11 saves. Castellanos, Findlay and senior Arinda Alvarez (Chula Vista, Calif./Chula Vista HS) provided much of the Aztec attack with six shots each.
The victory was the final regular season match for seniors Flint, Tinling, Findlay, Harlor, Alvarez and Michele Wagner (Clovis, Calif./Clovis HS). "The time goes by so quickly and we're really going to miss them," Clegg said. "It is hard to let go and it's a little sad, but the positive thing is that now we get to see them go on and grow in their professional lives."
The seniors will have another match as SDSU returns to action to again face UNLV, this time in the quarterfinals of the MWC tournament, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in Provo, Utah.