Nov. 7, 2009
PROVO, Utah -
(2)San Diego State-(1)BYU MWC Championship Final Box in PDF Format
San Diego State captured its first-ever Mountain West Conference women's soccer tournament championship on Saturday afternoon with its 1-0 decision over eighth-ranked, top-seeded and tourney host BYU. With their seventh-consecutive win, the second-seeded Aztecs (14-3-5) earned the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament, their first since 1999 and just their third in school history.
"Obviously it was a huge, huge win," said San Diego State head coach Mike Friesen. "It's great to not have to wait around to see if we're getting in the NCAAs. We're super excited now, and in the future, to see where this program is headed."
In the first half, both teams traded scoring opportunities beginning with the Cougars' chance in the 22nd minute. With BYU deep in Aztec territory, the Cougars earned a corner kick and their header on the back end of the kick was on target and SDSU goalkeeper Aubree Southwick made a diving save. The rebound bounced back into the field of play and BYU's subsequent shot went high over the net. Less than 10 minutes later, Michaela DeJesus found Jessica Gordon, who narrowly missed a goal as her shot went left. Brigham Young nearly had an identical sequence a few possessions later and came away empty.
Moments later with San Diego State attacking, the Aztecs sent a ball into the box, which was headed out by a BYU player. The clearing attempt, however, went straight to MWC Offensive Player of the Year Cat Walker, who deposited a perfectly placed shot up and over a leaping McKinzie Olson from 25 yards out in the middle of the field. The goal was the junior's team-best 10th of the season and 25th point. Her 25 points this year is the 12th-highest single-season total in school history, while her 54 career points ranks eighth in program history.
With the Aztecs ahead by one goal, BYU went on the offensive and had three quality chances the rest of the first half, but were denied each time by the stellar SDSU defensive unit. In the last 15 minutes of the opening period, Andrea Willis' header went wide right, Southwick made an impressive save after an Aztec yellow card and then slid to make a save on MWC Freshman of the Year Carlee Payne's one-on-one opportunity five minutes before the half.
Coming out of the halftime break, the Cougars continued to put pressure on San Diego State, but the Aztecs would not break. In the 60th minute, BYU attempted a long-range shot, but was saved by Southwick. More than 10 minutes later, all-MWC first-teamer Niki Fernandes put a quality shot on goal from 12 yards out and forced Olson to make a save. Minutes later, Brigham Young made Southwick come out of goal box to make a punch save with numerous players surrounding her. The action did not stop there as BYU controlled the ball in the right corner and sent it into the box where it was touched to Kassidy C. Shumway, who misfired left in the 78th minute.
On the ensuing possession, San Diego State went down the field and earned a corner kick. On the kick, Hillary Harvey nearly gave SDSU a 2-0 lead on her header, but the attempt was high and to the right. Later in the 87th minute, the Aztecs, once again, almost went ahead by a pair of goals when Megan Jurado forced Olson to make a diving stop to keep the SDSU lead at 1-0. Just 28 seconds later, Gordon put an attempt on goal, but could not find the back of the net. From that point on, the Scarlet and Black successfully prevented BYU from tying the game and ran out the clock en route to its first MWC tournament championship and first conference title since 1998 (WAC). SDSU was also WAC champs in 1995 as well.
The Aztec backline made their presence felt on this afternoon as they thwarted countless BYU chances. Behind the play of Megan McQueeny, Hayley Marsh, Britney Bennett and Marisa Fraticelli, who spent most of her day on Payne, San Diego State held the Cougars (17-3-2) scoreless for just the third time this season and for the first time since Sept. 4. The loss was Brigham Young's first since Sept. 10 and it snapped the Cougars' 15-game unbeaten streak.
For San Diego State, the victory was its first in Provo in exactly 11 years. The Aztecs were 0-5-2 in their last seven contests at BYU and were last victorious against the Cougars on the road on Nov. 7, 1998 (ot-W, 2-1). The win also breaks a three-game winless streak against BYU, a team in which it tied earlier this season in San Diego, 2-2.
At the conclusion of the game, San Diego State landed four players on the all-tournament team, including tournament most valuable player Cat Walker. Joining Walker on the 11-person all-tournament squad were Fernandes, DeJesus and Southwick. By earning MVP honors, Walker becomes the second Aztec to win the award and first since Sophia Perez in 2004. The four all-tournament team honorees are also the most since 2004 when that squad had four.
SDSU, which earned trips to the NCAA Tournament in 1998 and 1999, will learn who its first-round opponent will be on Monday, Nov. 9, at approximately 5 p.m. PT on ESPNEWS.