Jan. 31, 2016
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - No. 15 San Diego State concluded action at the Michigan Invitational on Sunday with a heartbreaking 9-8 defeat to No. 11 UC Santa Barbara. The loss sends the Aztecs back to America's Finest City with a 1-3 record.
SDSU started off on the right note when Nikole Ferrari struck first over a minute into the game. Unfortunately for the Aztecs, UC Santa Barbara's Samantha Murphy scored twice and Lauren Martin added another to lift UCSB to a 3-1 lead. San Diego State, however, battled back with consecutive goals from Caroline Israels and Tayla Walsh to level the score. Murphy, though, completed the hat trick with 24 seconds left to put the Gauchos on top, 4-3.
The scoring slowed significantly in the second quarter as defense took center stage. UC Santa Barbara's Sophie Trabucco found the back of the net with five minutes left in the half, but Hannah Carrillo kept San Diego State close with goal off a pass from Israels. SDSU wound up heading into halftime trailing by one, 5-4.
Like much of the game, the Gauchos always found themselves one step ahead of the Aztecs and the third quarter was no different. UCSB traded goals with SDSU and outscored them, 3-2. In between UC Santa Barbara goals were Aztec goals by Alyssa Diacono and Taylor Gums. Both goals were assisted by Israels.
Now trailing 8-6 heading into the final period, the Aztecs were still within striking distance and Ioli Benekou got them to within one with a 6-on-5 goal off a delivery from Gums. Neither team would score for nearly two minutes until Brenna Thomas punched in UCSB's ninth goal of the game. With 4:40 left in the game, the Aztecs still had plenty of life and Walsh gave them a little extra with her second goal of the afternoon. Unfortunately for San Diego State, it was unable to find the equalizer in the final four minutes sending it to its third loss of the year.
SDSU returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 6, when it plays host to the Chinese National Team at 2 p.m. PT. Admission for the exhibition at Aztec Aquaplex is free.
No. 11 UC Santa Barbara 9, No. 15 San Diego State 8
SDSU 3-1-2-2—8
UCSB 4-1-3-1—9
SDSU goals: Tayla Walsh 2, Ioli Benekou, Hannah Carrillo, Alyssa Diacono, Nikole Ferrari, Taylor Gums, Caroline Israels
UCSB goals: Samantha Murphy 3, Elizabeth Hendrix, Bryn Hudson, Lauren Martin, Jenna Solberg, Brenna Thomas, Sophie Trabucco
SDSU saves: Rachel Mitchell 11
UCSB saves: Mackenzie Brokaw 7