April 28, 2013
IRVINE, Calif. - Third-seeded San Diego State fell in the Big West Tournament third-place game to fourth-seeded Long Beach State, 8-6, Sunday afternoon at Anteater Aquatics Complex. With the loss, the Aztecs fall to 23-11 on the season.
This game turned out to be just like the previous two meetings in 2013, when each were closely decided games. LBSU got on the scoreboard first when Coriann Snyder broke the scoreless stalemate with 3:13 left in the first. The Aztecs, however, answered with a pair of counter-attack goal from Anique Hermann. The first, which occurred with 2:09 left, came off a long pass from goalkeeper Rachel Mitchell and the other came a minute later when Hermann was on the receiving end of a strike from Alex Ford.
The second quarter started like the first when Snyder found the back of the net to tie the score at two apiece. Kelli Boling propelled the Aztecs back into the lead after she whipped in a power-play attempt from the right side. SDSU carried the lead into the final minute until Claire Martin scored on a lob shot with 50 seconds remaining. But with the score all square, Hermann found Emily Whalen on the right side and the senior utilized the skip shot with 36 seconds on the clock to give San Diego State a 4-3 lead at halftime.
When the teams returned to the pool, Snyder scored again, this time on a power-play opportunity. The 6-on-5 disadvantages continued to be just that for SDSU as it gave up another Long Beach State power-play goal (Chelsea Parks), which gave the 49ers a 5-4 lead. On the next trip down, however, Taelor Moreno evened the score with her first of the game 11 seconds later. Unfortunately for San Diego State, it was whistled for another exclusion and LBSU's Christina Kotsia took advantage and gave the 49ers a 6-5 lead.
Long Beach State moved ahead by two when Parks scored just as the Aztecs were becoming even after being called for an exclusion. The 49ers looked poised to add onto their lead when SDSU was called for a penalty, but on the ensuing penalty shot, Mitchell, as she had all tournament, came up big and denied Kotsia. San Diego State trimmed its deficit to one with 3:44 left in regulation when Whalen rattled the cage after the Aztecs forced a turnover. SDSU had its chances down the stretch, but could not find the goal it needed to level the score. Then in the final moments of the game, LBSU's Martin came out of a scrum in front of the cage and scored with 13 seconds left to provide the final margin.
(4) Long Beach State 8, (3) San Diego State 6
Anteater Aquatic Complex; Irvine, Calif.
LBSU 1-2-3-2--8
SDSU 2-2-1-1--6
LBSU goals: Snyder 3, Martin 2, Parks 2, Kotsia
SDSU goals: Hermann 2, Whalen 2, Boling, Moreno