April 16, 2014
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Reset
No. 13 Stanford (11-2, 5-1 MPSF) at San Diego State (6-7, 3-3 MPSF)
Friday, April 18 | 2 p.m. PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field | San Diego, Calif.
Oregon (8-5, 4-1 MPSF) at San Diego State (6-7, 3-3 MPSF)
Sunday, April 20 | 1 p.m. PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field | San Diego, Calif.
Aztec Story Lines
- The San Diego State women's lacrosse team returns home to Aztec Lacrosse Field for the first time since March 16, as it plays host to No. 13/9 Stanford on Friday, April 18 at 2 p.m. PT, before taking on Oregon on Sunday, April 20 beginning at 1 p.m. PT. Admission to both games is free.
- SDSU (6-7, 3-3 MPSF) is currently sixth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) standings, a game and a half behind both USC and Colorado for fourth place, one game ahead of seventh-place California and two and a half games in front of both UC Davis and Fresno State with three games remaining. Each of the top six teams qualify for the MPSF Championships beginning May 1 in Denver, Colo.
- The Aztecs are coming off two narrow road losses over the weekend, falling at No. 20/rv Denver, 12-11, on a last-second goal on Friday, before suffering a sudden-death overtime defeat at Colorado, 7-6, on Sunday. San Diego State led with less than a minute remaining against Denver before the Pioneers scored two goals in the final 21 seconds, including the winning score with just two seconds left. At Colorado, junior Christina Ricciardulli (Poway, Calif.) sent the game into overtime with her goal with 55 seconds remaining before the Buffaloes eventually pulled out the win.
- Ricciardulli was named MPSF Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after two stellar performances over the weekend. The junior midfielder set a new program record and a 2014 MPSF-high six caused turnovers against Denver, as well as five draw controls, four groundballs, two goals and two assists. In addition to her game-tying goal against Colorado, the Poway, Calif., native tallied four groundballs, two draw controls a caused turnover and another score. It was Ricciardulli's second MPSF honor this season and sixth overall for the Aztecs.
- Junior attack Michaela Jarvis (Annapolis, Md.) had three goals and two assists total in last weekend's two games, including a two-goal, one-assist performance at Colorado on Sunday. Jarvis leads the Aztecs with 34 points this season on 18 goals and a team-high 16 assists. Senior Meris Walsh (Easton, Md.) is second on the squad with 28 points on a team-best 27 goals and one assist, while Ricciardulli is second in goals (22) and third in points (25).
- Defensively, Ricciardulli leads the team with 17 caused turnovers and 43 draw controls, while she's third with 23 groundballs. Junior defender Lauren Paul (Grasonville, Md.) is second with 14 caused turnovers and 25 groundballs, while junior Grace Korandovich (Columbus, Ohio) is second behind Ricciardulli with 25 draw controls. In addition, freshman goalkeeper Katrina Reeves (Granite Bay, Calif.) has racked up 85 saves this season with a goals-against average of 11.74.
- Through 13 games this season, San Diego State is fourth in the MPSF and 28st in the nation in scoring offense, averaging12.38 goals per game, while its also fifth in the conference and 38th in the country with 12.6 draw controls per game. In addition, the Aztecs are 39th in the country with 204 total points and 46th in scoring margin, outscoring opponents by 0.46 goals per contest.
- San Diego State is 5-1 this season when leading at halftime, and are 5-1 this season when outshooting its opponent. The Aztecs are also 3-0 and winners of three-straight when they have the edge in draw controls and 6-2 when scoring at least 10 goals.
- San Diego State is 0-2 all-time against Stanford and 1-1 against Oregon after earning a road victory over the Ducks, 12-10, last season. SDSU is still searching for its first-ever win over a ranked opponent, as the Aztecs are 0-5 all-time against teams ranked in either poll.
Opponent Notebook
No. 13/9 Stanford
The Cardinal enter Friday's game with a 11-2 overall record and 5-1 mark in MPSF play after topping UC Davis, 18-6, at home on Tuesday. Rachel Ozer leads Stanford with 32 points on 21 goals and 11 assists, while Hannah Farr has a team-high 23 goals. In addition, Megan Lerner is 49th in the nation with 2.33 groundballs per game. The Cardinal also earned their first NCAA Tournament victory in program history last season, including its eighth MPSF Tournament title in nine the last nine seasons. Stanford is coached by Amy Bokker, who is in her sixth season at the helm. Following the 2013 season, Bokker ranked first all-time among Stanford coaches with a .698 winning percentage, as she's won four MPSF Tournament titles and reached the championship game in all five years. Prior to Stanford, Bokker spent 11 seasons as head coach at George Mason, where she left as the winningest coach in program history.
Oregon
The Ducks enter Friday's game at USC with an 8-5 overall record and 4-1 mark in MPSF play. Oregon has won four of its last five games, including a home victory over UC Davis, 8-4, on April 13. Shannon Propst leads the team and is tied for 18th in the nation with 60 points on 24 goals and a team-high 36 assists, while Nikki Puszcz has a team-best 31 goals and Carly O'Connell is 18th in the country with 60 draw controls, as well as second on the team with 54 points on 24 goals and 30 assists. Both Propst and O'Connell were second-team all-MPSF selections last season, as Oregon went 8-9 overall and 3-5 in MPSF play. The Ducks are coached by Jen Beck,who is the only coach in the program's 10-year history. She led Oregon to the MPSF regular season and tournament titles in 2012, and an appearance in the championship game in 2011. Beck was previously an assistant coach at North Carolina after being a two-sport athlete (lacrosse and field hockey) at Virginia, where she graduated in 1996.