March 10, 2005
SAN DIEGO - No. 11 San Diego State rallied to defeat 13th-ranked UC Irvine, 10-9, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center Thursday afternoon. The Aztecs improve to 13-0 all-time versus the Anteaters and improve to 7-7 overall and 2-3 in the MPSF. With the loss, UC Irvine drops to 6-8 and 1-4 in conference play.
UC Irvine controlled the game from the outset thanks to consecutive goals by Aleah Amr and a goal from Christine McDonald to go up 3-0 after one period.
In the second, SDSU responded with three goals of its own. Elana Cervantes found the back of the net for the Aztecs' first goal of the game and Rachel Serna followed just moments later. But UC Irvine tallied two more before Ashley McCullum scored her fourth of the season to cut the Anteaters' lead to 5-3. UCI was not done, as Amr recorded her third of the game to give the Anteaters a 6-3 advantage.
The third period is where the momentum switched hands. Cervantes scored 1:34 into the period only to have UCI's Robyn Kaake return the favor, but that was the last time the Anteaters would find the back of the net in the period. The Aztecs scored three goals (Serna, Ur, Cervantes) in the final 2:56 of the period to tie the game at 7-7 heading into the fourth quarter.
In the final period, UCI struck first on Amr's fourth goal of the game to pull ahead 8-7. Just 18 seconds later, San Diego State took control of the game on a goal by co-captain Savanah Kelley. Her goal led to Ur's second score of the contest and SDSU's first lead of the afternoon with 2:36 remaining. The Aztecs added an insurance goal when Stacy Werner fired one into the back of the net to go up, 10-8. UCI scored once more with 22 seconds left, but SDSU ran out the clock to win the game.
Goalkeeper Sarah Kilgore added four saves in net for the Aztecs.
The Aztecs will continue their longest homestand of the season when they host No. 1 UCLA at 10 a.m. and Bucknell at 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Ray and Joan Kroc Community Center.
#11 San Diego State 10, #13 UC Irvine 9
#13 UCI 3-3-1-2-- 9#11 SDSU 0-3-4-3--10
UCI Goals: Aleah Amr - 4, Christine McDonald - 2, Robyn Kaake - 2, Jessica Lewis
SDSU Goals: Elana Cervantes - 3, Rachel Serna - 2, Becca Ur - 2, Savanah Kelley, Ashley McCullum, Stacy Werner
UCI Goalie Saves: Lauren Machanis - 6
SDSU Goalie Saves: Sarah Kilgore - 4