Sept. 28, 2005
SAN DIEGO - Freshman Mariko Strickland and senior Ashley Cooper each scored a goal in the second half to lead the San Diego State women's soccer team to a 2-0 victory over crosstown rival San Diego Wednesday at the SDSU Sports Deck. The Aztecs' (7-5) win was the first over the Toreros (3-7) since Oct. 7, 1998, when SDSU took a 4-2 triumph on the campus of San Diego.
"Emotionally, this (win) was so big for us," second-year head coach Mike Giuliano said. "We played hard for 90 minutes and actually got better as the game went on. (San Diego) is much better than their record indicates. This (win) was a major step forward for us."
The Aztecs controlled the play for the majority of the first half as five of their six shots were on goal. However, none of the attempts really threatened Torero goalkeeper Karen Cook and the sophomore made five routine saves. San Diego managed only two shots (one on goal) in the first session, but had a 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
SDSU continued its strong play in the second half and freshman Erika Sutton almost gave the team a 1-0 lead five minutes after intermission, but her one-touch shot missed the right side of the net by inches, keeping the game scoreless.
The Aztecs' persistence paid off at the 55:03 mark when Strickland received a pass from sophomore Lisa Nielsen, beat a Torero defender and blasted the ball into the lower-left corner from 10 yards out for her second goal of the season.
Cooper added an insurance goal in the 87th minute when her 20-yard floating shot from the left side of the field bounced off the inside-right post and into the net. The goal was Cooper's second career tally and first since Sept. 23, 2003.
SDSU, who started five freshmen in the match, finished the game with 16 shots and tied a season-high with nine attempts on goal (UC Irvine, Sept. 11) while limiting San Diego to just eight shots. The Aztecs also won the corner kick battle, 6-5.
SDSU has now outscored its opponents, 13-5, in the second half and has outshot the opposition by 23 attempts (82-59).
Sutton finished with a game-high five shots (three on goal) for the Aztecs, while Strickland, Cooper and senior Amanda Swiader contributed two attempts apiece.
Aztec sophomore goalkeeper Cat Burson played all 90 minutes and made four stops for her second shutout of the season. In three games, Burson is 2-1 with a 0.32 goals against average and 92.9 save percentage.
Jackie Garcia had two shots for the Toreros and Cook recorded seven saves in 90 minutes.
SDSU wraps up its non-conference play with a home match against Hawai'i at noon Saturday at the SDSU Sports Deck.