Oct. 23, 2015
USAFA, Colo. -
San Diego State-Air Force Final Box
San Diego State picked up its eighth straight victory with a 1-0 decision at Air Force Friday night. The Aztecs improved to 12-4 on the season and 8-1 in Mountain West action to stay atop the league standings. The Falcons, meanwhile, dropped to 4-12-1 and 2-6-1 in conference.
For the third straight outing, freshman Leah Pruitt scored the game-winning goal, this time in the 70th minute. The MW Offensive Player of the Week received a pass from classmate Milan Moses, took two dribbles toward the right with a defender on her hip and put her shot into the lower left corner. The goal was her team-best ninth of the year and fourth game-winner, which ties her for No. 1 on the squad with Angela Mitchell. The assist was Moses' second in as many games after assisting on Pruitt's winner against San José State last Sunday.
Prior to and following the goal, the game had a level of physicality (18 fouls, three yellow cards) that led to offensive opportunities for both teams. For the game, a total of 37 shots were taken with 22 coming on net. The Aztecs led in both categories, outshooting Air Force, 20-17, and enjoying an 11-10 edge in shots on goal.
Moses and Mitchell led San Diego State with four shots apiece, while Victoria Barba and Morgan Darling each had three. Barba, Darling and Mitchell all put two on target.
Defensively, the Aztecs were solid once again. The starting backline of Hailey Balma, Ashley Hauke, Stacie Moran and Jen Rupey, along with the anchor in goalkeeper Melanie Vaughn kept the Falcons off the scoreboard to post SDSU's eighth shutout of the year. Vaughn earned her 12th victory of the year, recorded her seventh clean sheet and made a career-high 10 saves.
For the senior trio of Vaughn, Hauke and Tiffany Geer, the win was the 61st of their career at San Diego State, which is the most over a four-year period in school history. The previous program record was 60 victories from 1996-99.
SDSU continues its stay in The Centennial State when it faces Colorado College on Sunday at noon MT/11 a.m. PT. The game will stream live at GoAztecs.com thanks to the Mountain West Network.