Nov. 15, 2009
LOS ANGELES -
The San Diego State women's team had its magical season come to an end in the NCAA second round with a 5-0 loss to No. 3 and top-seeded UCLA Sunday afternoon at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles. The loss snapped the Aztecs' (15-4-5) eight-game winning streak and 16-match unbeaten streak.
The 2009 Mountain West Conference tournament champions, SDSU finished with 15 victories, its most since the 1999 season and the same number of wins it had the past two seasons combined.
The Bruins (19-2-1) scored three goals in the first half and two in the second to advance to the NCAA third round where they will host Virginia at 7 p.m. Friday.
UCLA's first score came at the 8:16 mark when Kylie Wright found herself with the ball, dribbled in a circle, and ripped a shot into the lower-right corner from 22 yards.
The Bruins struck again in the 19th minute when Lauren Cheney took a long pass from Jenna Belcher and half-volleyed it into the upper-left corner from just outside the box.
San Diego State's first shot attempt came in the 28th minute, a Jessica Gordon left-footed attempt that went wide left.
After the Aztecs failed to clear a corner kick in the 30th minute, UCLA's Sydney Leroux was there to finish into the left side to put the home team up, 3-0.
SDSU's next attempt came at the 37:01 mark when, after a corner kick, Tiffany Hurst got off a shot that was saved by Chante Sandiford.
Early in the second half, Kristina Larsen almost gave the Bruins another goal but her header hit the left post.
UCLA, however, did finish on its next two chances in the 54th and 59th minute, respectively. Dea Cook headed in a Belcher cross at 53:41 and, after a San Diego State misclear, Leroux finished into a wide-open net when Aztec goalkeeper Aubree Southwick came out to challenge Cheney on a breakaway.
SDSU kept pressing over the next few plays with a shot by Niki Fernandes and three corners in a seven-minute span, but couldn't get one across the goal line.
For the game, the Bruins owned a 17-5 shot advantage and a slight 8-6 edge in corner kicks.
Gordon's two shots led San Diego State, while Southwick played all 90 minutes in net and made five saves.