April 6, 2016
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Preview
San Diego State (4-7, 3-2 MPSF) at Denver (4-7, 1-3 MPSF)
Friday, April 8 | 4 p.m. MT | Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium | Denver, Colo.
Coverage via live stats with a link on GoAztecs.com
San Diego State (4-7, 3-2 MPSF) at Colorado (8-3, 3-1 MPSF)
Sunday, April 10 | 12 p.m. MT | Kittredge Field | Boulder, Colo.
Coverage via live stats, live video on Pac-12.com/live with links on GoAztecs.com
Storylines
- The San Diego State lacrosse team ventures to the state of Colorado this weekend for a pair of games against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) opponents. The Aztecs face Denver on Fri., April 8 at 4 p.m. (MT) and Colorado on Sun., April 10 at noon (MT). Both games will have live stats while the game against the Buffaloes will have a live stream on http://pac-12.com/live/university-colorado-2.
- San Diego State experienced a home field advantage with a pair of MPSF wins against Oregon and Fresno State on March 25 and 27. Behind a six-point outing for senior Felice Artuso and a lights-out second half by Katrina Reeves in the cage on March 25, SDSU won a thrilling 10-9 game against Oregon. On March 27, the Aztecs advanced to overtime for the second time in three games and beat the Bulldogs, 8-7, on a converted free position attempt by Vickie Porter.
- Reeves was a game-changer in the cage for San Diego State versus Oregon and Fresno State after making 12 saves and allowing only five goals in just 62:57 of action. Against the Ducks, she entered the second half by changing the tide of the game and turning away 10 shots in just 30 minutes. Prior to her arrival in the cage, the Aztecs had allowed seven goals and upon her guardianship, SDSU let in just two goals en route to the 10-9 win. Versus the Bulldogs, Reeves allowed three goals on seven shots, making two saves in 32:57 in the cage.
- The Aztecs have managed to create chances for themselves, ranking 25th nationally with 9.45 caused turnovers per game for fourth in the MPSF. Individually, Artuso leads SDSU and sits third in the conference, causing 1.55 turnovers per game (17 on the season), five of which came against Furman (3/10).
- Artuso has been one of San Diego State's most effective midfielders this season. She leads the team with 15 draw controls and is tied for second with 17 ground balls. Meanwhile, she has scored nine goals and her nine helpers top the Aztecs for a career-best mark.
- Offensive output has been comfortable for senior midfielder Alexa Comfort in 2016. The Manahawkin, N.J. native tops the Aztecs with 20 points and 18 goals. She has five multi-goal games and earned MPSF Offensive Player of the Week honors on Feb. 29 and marking a career-high with six goals against Saint Joseph's.
- Junior Kristen Hickey has been experiencing a career year offensively this season. The midfielder leads the team with 18 ground balls, has scored in all but two games this season for 14 goals, and has dished out a trio of assists. Against Michigan, she netted a career-high three goals and has multi-goal games in five of her 11 starts this year.
- 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
Denver
The Pioneers (4-7, 1-3 MPSF) are typically one of the best teams in the MPSF, sweeping the league in 2013 and 2014 and suffering just two conference losses last year. But 2016 has been hard on Denver, which has won just one of its last four games. Three players have 10-or-more caused turnovers, with Sarah Kasun (14), Layne Voorhees (13) and Sybil Pallace (12) leading the pack. Additionally, Voorhees' 29 ground balls top the MPSF. The team's offense is spearheaded by Christa Reese, who has scored 22 goals and dished out four assists. Maddy Stevenson has played in every game for the Pioneers, posting a 8.53 goals against average alongside a .436 save percentage. Liza Kelly is in her 10th season at the helm of Denver's program.
Colorado
The Buffaloes' (8-3, 3-1 MPSF) success this season has been predicated on their ability to dominate the scoring margin, out-scoring their last six opponents, 75-37, for the 17th best scoring margin in the country. Five players have 17-or-more goals, with Darby Kiernan netting 23 and Cali Castagnola scoring 20 goals. As has been the case for the previous two seasons, the team's defense has been guided by starting goalie Paige Soenksen, who sits second in the conference with a 7.97 goals against average. Sarah Brown also has a hand in Colorado's defensive success, with her two caused turnovers per game ranking second in the MPSF and 18th nationally. The only head coach of the Buffaloes' program is Ann Elliott, in her third season.