Feb. 22, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Preview
San Diego State (0-2, 0-1 MPSF) at Michigan (0-3, 0-0 Big Ten)
Friday, Feb. 24 | 5 p.m. ET | Oosterbaan Field House | Ann Arbor, Mich.
San Diego State (0-2, 0-1 MPSF) at Detroit Mercy (1-1, 0-0 Atlantic Sun)
Sunday, Feb. 26 | Noon ET | Ultimate Soccer Arenas | Pontiac, Mich.
Live Stats
Aztec Storylines
* The San Diego State lacrosse team resumes its regular-season schedule this weekend when it travels to the Midwest for a pair of non-conference games at Michigan (Feb. 24) and Detroit Mercy (Feb. 26). The Aztecs will battle the Wolverines on Friday, beginning at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT), before engaging the Titans on Sunday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT). Both contests will be played at indoor facilities with live stats available on GoAztecs.com.
* SDSU is coming off a 16-4 triumph over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in its lone exhibition game of the season at home on Feb. 18. Against the Athenas, the Scarlet and Black displayed a balanced offensive attack with 10 different players scoring goals, including three by senior Alex Watson, while fellow classmate Kristen Hickey and sophomore Kirstie Greenlaw netted two tallies apiece, along with freshmen Taylor Sullivan and Morgan Taylor.
* As a team, the Aztecs outshot CMS 33-8 for the game, including a sizable 27-6 margin in attempts on goals. SDSU also maintained a 24-15 advantage in ground balls and a 15-7 spread in draw controls.
* The Aztecs came up on the short end of a 10-6 decision against Michigan at home last year in the only previous meeting between the two programs. Despite receiving a hat trick from Kristen Hickey and a pair of additional goals by Natalie Peel, SDSU was unable to overcome an 8-2 deficit early in the second half of that contest. The Aztecs and Wolverines have faced one common opponent this season, with both squads falling to Oregon on the road. UM was toppled by the Ducks, 11-8, in its season opener Feb. 4, while SDSU experienced a similar fate in an 11-9 defeat the following week on Feb. 11.
* The Aztecs have split two encounters against Detroit Mercy, posting a 14-6 neutral-site victory in 2013 at Columbus, Ohio, following a narrow 18-16 home loss in 2012 during SDSU's inaugural season.
* Senior Vickie Porter has been the Aztecs' leading scorer thus far during the 2017 campaign, posting five goals on 10 shots, highlighted by a hat trick at Oregon. Hickey, meanwhile, recorded all four of her goals in the Aztecs' 15-10 setback against Denver in the season opener on Feb. 4. The Dedham, Mass., native has attempted a team-high 11 shots on the year while amassing six ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls. San Diego State has also received an important contribution from another senior Kayla Deitz, who has also tallied four goals this season, including a 3-for-3 effort on free position shots, to go with four ground balls and two caused turnovers.
* As a team, SDSU is second in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation after two games with 19.0 ground balls per game and ranks third with 12.0 caused turnovers per contest. The Aztecs are aslo 8-for-16 on the year in free position shots and are 19-21 in clears.
* In addition, Deitz was selected as a tri-captain for 2017, joining Hickey and senior goalkeeper Katrina Reeves, who will once again protect the net for the Scarlet and Black this season, along with fellow classmate Katie Merritt. The Aztec duo allowed the second-fewest goals in program history last year (190), combining for a 12.55 goals against average and a .397 save percentage.
* Despite the aforementioned defeat to Denver, Hickey was selected MPSF Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 6, while Sullivan was named Rookie of the Week after scoring her first collegiate goal against the Pioneers. With the awards, SDSU garnered two conference accolades in the same week for the first time since Reeves (defensive) and Meris Walsh (offensive) accomplished the feat on March 17, 2014.
* San Diego State was picked to finish sixth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2017, as the league released its annual preseason coaches' poll on Jan. 24. The Aztecs received 28 points in the balloting, which was completed by the conference's nine head coaches. SDSU landed in the sixth position, eight points behind fifth-place UC Davis (36 pts.) and five points ahead of seventh-place California (23 pts). Reigning MPSF champion and NCAA quarterfinalist USC was predicted to defend its MPSF title from a year ago, garnering 64 points and eight first-place votes, while league finalist and NCAA Tournament participant Stanford was pegged for the runner-up slot after netting 56 points and one first-place vote. Colorado, which took third in the conference race last season, was projected for the same finish in 2017 after earning 51 points, while Oregon wound up fourth in the poll with 38 points.
* SDSU has once again inked a talented recruiting class for the 2017 season. Highlighting the newcomers are two high school All-Americans and a pair of all-state performers, nine all-conference selections, three all-section/district honorees, one all-county pick and one player of the year award recipient.
* SDSU will play a program-record 10 home games this year. The action-packed schedule includes seven dates at Aztec Lacrosse Field in March alone. During that stretch, the Scarlet and Black will tangle with four consecutive eastern foes on The Mesa, including Boston University (March 5), Saint Joseph's (March 10), New Hampshire (March 15) and Columbia (March 18), followed by a pair of contests against MPSF opponents Saint Mary's (March 24) and California (March 26), while a visit by Brown (March 31) rounds out the busy month.
* The program's only coach after lacrosse became the 19th intercollegiate sport at San Diego State in 2012, Kylee White is now in her sixth season at the helm of the Aztecs. She has transformed SDSU's fledgling program to a strong competitor in the MPSF, highlighted by consecutive conference tournament appearances in 2014 and 2015. In November 2016, White was inducted into the London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame after becoming the only women's lacrosse player to represent Canada in each of the last three decades. In 1995, she played on the inaugural U-19 Canadian National Team and later served as an assistant for the squad in 2007. White also played for Team Canada at four IFWLA World Cups (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013), helping the 2013 team to a silver medal. A four-year letterwinner at Ohio State, White was a four-time Buckeye scholar-athlete honoree and a Big Ten all-academic performer on three occasions. She co-captained the 2002 squad to an 11-5 record and a runner-up finish in the American Lacrosse Conference, helping Ohio State claim its first NCAA berth. White caused 28 turnovers in 2001 and still ranks among the OSU all-time leaders in caused turnovers and ground balls.
Opponent Notebook
Michigan
The Wolverines (0-3) are coming off a 12-5 loss to then-No. 8 Notre Dame at home in their last outing on Feb. 18. Michigan began the year with an 11-8 setback at Oregon on Feb. 4, before falling to James Madison by an 18-6 count in its home opener on Feb. 11. The Wolverines are led by senior Anna Schueler, who has amassed team highs of five goals, five assists and 13 draw controls, while fellow classmate Tess Korten has four goals and two assists to her credit. The goalkeeping tandem of Alli Kothari and Mira Shane has combined for a 13.67 goals against average and a .359 save percentage. Michigan is coached by Jennifer Ulehla, who has guided the program since its first varsity season in 2014. The Wolverines are one of six teams that compete in the Big Ten Conference for women's lacrosse, joining Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers and Johns Hopkins.
Detroit Mercy
After falling at Notre Dame in their season opener, 24-9, the Titans (1-1) rebounded in big way with a 20-9 triumph over Butler at home on Feb. 18. Individually, UDM is paced by sophomore Morgan Girardi, who has tallied eight goals this year, including a 4-for-4 performance on free position shots, while fellow classmate Lexie Kinmond tops the squad with 11 points on six goals and a team-best five assists, as well as 11 shots on goal. Minding the net for the Titans is sophomore goalkeeper Allison McDonough, who has compiled a 16.50 goals against average and a .411 save percentage to go with 23 saves. Laurie Merian is in her first season as head coach of UDM after spending the last two seasons as the team's assistant coach. The Titans compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference for women's lacrosse, along with Central Michigan, Delaware State, Furman, Howard, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Mercer, Old Dominion and Stetson.