Feb. 16, 2017
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State lacrosse team returns to action on Saturday when it plays host to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in an exhibition contest at Aztec Lacrosse Field. Game time is set for 2 p.m. PT, with free team posters and schedule magnets the planned giveaways. Live stats and a live video feed will also be available on GoAztecs.com.
SDSU (0-2) is coming off a tough 11-9 setback at Oregon in its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference opener on Feb. 11. Senior Vickie Porter (Poway, Calif.) led the Aztecs with three goals against the Ducks, while fellow classmate Kayla Deitz (Simsbury, Conn.), sophomore Natalie Peel (Mount Laurel, N.J.) and freshman Taylor Sullivan (Annapolis, Md.) tallied two scores each. The Aztecs trailed by four goals on two occasions in the second half, but were unable to pull within two before time ran out.
Porter tops the squad with five goals on the year, which is tied for third in the MPSF, while Deitz and fellow senior Kristen Hickey (Dedham, Mass.) have amassed four each. Hickey, one of the team's tri-captains along with Deitz and senior goalkeeper Katrina Reeves (Granite Bay, Calif.), scored all of her goals in the team's season-opening 15-10 loss to Denver on Feb. 4. She also has amassed six ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls.
Reeves, who shares the conference lead with eight ground balls on the year, has played all 120 minutes in front of the net for the Aztecs so far this season, recording 19 saves and a .422 save percentage.
As a team, SDSU is fourth in the MPSF after two games with 19.0 ground balls per game and rank fifth with 12.0 caused turnovers per contest. The Aztecs are 8-for-16 on the year in free position shots and are 19-21 in clears.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, meanwhile, competes at the NCAA Division III level as a member of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Last season, the Athenas posted a 13-4 overall record and an 8-3 mark in conference play, eventually falling to Chapman in the SCIAC semifinals.
Individually, CMS is led by junior Mikaela Connell, an all-region selection who notched a team-high 45 points on 28 goals and 17 assists in 2016, while sophomore Corie Hack (40 pts.) topped the squad with 35 goals and 27 caused turnovers during her rookie campaign en route to earning SCIAC Newcomer of the Year honors. In addition, senior Cara Cancelmo, who received all-conference recognition is back in the mix after posting a team-high 51 draw controls and 40 ground balls last season.
Following Saturday's clash, San Diego State resumes its regular-season schedule next week when it travels to the Midwest for a pair of non-conference games at Michigan (Feb. 24) and Detroit Mercy (Feb. 26).