March 14, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Preview
No. 11/10 Stony Brook (2-3, 0-0 America East) at San Diego State (1-4, 0-0 MPSF)
Wednesday, March 16 | 1 p.m. PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field | San Diego, Calif.
Coverage via live stats, live video on GoAztecs.com
Storylines
- The San Diego State lacrosse team closes out its three-game homestand with a 1 p.m. game on Wed., March 16 against No. 11/10 Stony Brook. The game on Aztec Lacrosse Field will have live stats and a free live video stream available on GoAztecs.com.
- To start the season, Kristen Hickey has been a bright spot of the Aztecs' offensive force. The junior midfielder has scored eight goals and dished out a trio of assists. Against Michigan, she netted a career-high three goals and has multi-goal games in three of her five starts this season to lead SDSU with 10 points.
- The Aztecs' freshmen have been strong contributors to open the season. Jill Haight has appeared in all of SDSU's games, making one start. Her six ground balls put her third on the team, and she has three goals and an assist. Natalie Peel, who also has four appearances and a start, sits fifth with a trio of markers, while her four draws rank second.
- Felice Artuso has been one of San Diego State's most effective midfielders this season. She leads the team with seven draw controls and has caused a team-high seven turnovers. Artuso's five helpers also rank first on the team and are a career-best mark.
- Alexa Comfort's career performance just 65 miles from her hometown of Manahawkin, N.J. earned the senior SDSU's first MPSF Player of the Week nod of the year. She was recognized as the conference's Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 29 after she scored six goals, converting on two of her three free position attempts, and took eight shots. Comfort leads the team with 10 tallies on the year.
- At Saint Joseph's in Philadelphia, the Aztecs took their first lead of the game with 24:46 to go in the first half and did not trail after that en route to the Scarlet and Black's first win of the year. The team used a career performance by Alexa Comfort and an aggressive attack to leave the Eastern Seaboard with a 15-13 victory.
- The Scarlet and Black opened their season in North Carolina, starting 2016 with a 0-2 mark after losses to Elon and No. 2/2 North Carolina. In the season opener, three Aztecs posted multi-point games as SDSU led the Phoenix 5-3 midway through the first half. But Elon went on an 8-2 run to win the game 11-7. Against the No. 2/2 Tar Heels, San Diego State held UNC to just a pair of goals in the final fourth of the game, but the Aztecs fell, 20-7.
- San Diego State was picked to finish fifth of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's (MPSF) 10 teams in 2016, the conference office announced in its annual coaches' poll. The Aztecs' fifth place selection is the highest in program history after SDSU recorded 46 points in the poll. Reigning MPSF champion No. 15 Stanford was selected to repeat in its title quest.
- The Aztecs were represented on the international stage this offseason, thanks to Katrina Reeves. The junior from Granite Bay, Calif. played every minute for Spain at the 2015 ELF Women's Lacrosse European Championship, earning a nod to the All-European Team after playing every minute of the tournament, leading all goalies at the 17-team event with 85 saves.
- Last season was arguably the finest in the program's young history. The Aztecs won a program-best nine games and produced a school record seven game winning streak, which included a 4-0 start to MPSF play. Also a school record, nine student-athletes garnered MPSF All-Academic accolades and two captured All-MPSF first team honors (Lauren Paul, Christina Ricciardulli). Additionally, Paul was SDSU's first representative at the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) North-South All-Star Game after setting the program's record with 24 caused turnovers.
- Kylee White is in her fifth season at the helm of San Diego State's lacrosse program. The program's only coach after lacrosse became the 19th collegiate sport at SDSU in 2012, she has guided the program to a spot as a top contender in the MPSF, with back-to-back MPSF Tournament appearances highlighting her most recent seasons.
Opponent Notebook
Stony Brook
A perennial women's lacrosse powerhouse, No. 11/10 Stony Brook has earned its spot among the nation's top teams, holding No. 3/3 Florida and No. 11/13 to one goal games and falling to No. 12/11 USC on March 14. Two players top the club with 15 points, as Courtney Murphy has a team-best 13 goals and two assists, while Dorrien Van Dyke has scored 10 goals and added five assists. Leading the team defensively is Brooke Gubitosi, who has caused six turnovers and picked up seven ground balls. Freshman Anna Tesoriero has started every game for the Seawolves, posting a 6.38 goals against average and a .500 save percentage. The winningest coach in program history, Joe Spallina is in his fifth season.