MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - San Diego State women's soccer senior Megan Jurado scored her second game-winner in as many games to help propel the No. 20/21/T-24 Aztecs to a 1-0 victory over Minnesota at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Friday evening. With the win, SDSU matches its best start to a season in program history at 6-0. The Gophers, meanwhile, drop to 4-3 on the year.
Jurado, who scored the game-winning goal vs. Pepperdine in the 58th minute a week ago, was at it again on Friday with her goal just 58 seconds into the overtime period. Sophomore Haley Locker set up the game-deciding sequence after a ball went over the top to the right hand corner and the forward managed to chase it down and launch it toward goal. It just missed, but Jurado cleaned it up to give the Aztecs the win.
While SDSU ultimately was victorious, it was a tough battle against a number of elements including the field and the crowd. Minnesota took advantage of this, as it was able to control most of the opening half. The Gophers outshot SDSU, 11-3, with five coming on goal and controlled the corner kick battle by a 3-1 margin. Goalkeeper Rachel Boaz, however, kept Minnesota from connecting on any of its attempts as she notched five saves.
In the second half, San Diego State stepped up the offensive intensity as it continued to battle with the Gophers down the stretch. The Aztecs would outshoot Minnesota by an 8-7 margin for the period and used stellar defensive play to take pressure off of Boaz, as she only had to tally one save en route to earning the shutout victory.
The blanking was Boaz's sixth consecutive in 2012 as she continued her strong play in goal for the Aztecs. Boaz finished with a season-high six saves while playing all 90:58 in net.
SDSU (6-0) returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 9, when it continues play in the Minnesota Gold Classic with a matchup against Iowa State at 10:30 a.m. CT.