March 12, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
Aztec Invitational Tournament Central | Indiana-San Diego State Final Box
Hannah Carrillo scored from the left side with 2:04 left in the first sudden-victory period to lift 17th-ranked San Diego State past No. 13 Indiana, 9-8, Sunday afternoon at Aztec Aquaplex. With their second upset in two days, SDSU improved to 8-7 on the year.
Carrillo, a sophomore from San Diego, scored 56 seconds into the winner-take-all portion of the game to send the Aztecs into a frenzy just a day after they delivered an 8-7 win over No. 12 San Jose State.
Like the Carrillo goal, SDSU received big-time plays in big-time moments throughout the day, starting with goalkeeper Kate McDonnell. The junior finished with eight saves and was the backbone of a defense that thwarted six of eight power-play situations, and none bigger than the one that occurred with 33 seconds left in regulation.
The Aztecs, who were held scoreless for the entire fourth quarter and nearly nine minutes overall, were deadlocked at 7-7. San Diego State forced the Hoosiers into a missed shot and the rebound was up for grabs. In the process of trying to gather the ball, Makena Magro was called for an exclusion, giving IU a power play, one in which SDSU killed with ease.
In overtime, the Aztecs ended their scoring drought when Alyssa Diacono scored from set with 1:52 to go before switching ends. SDSU appeared to be on its way to victory after keeping the Hoosiers off the scoreboard in the first OT period and for 2:48 of the second frame. San Diego State, however, was on the wrong end of the luck spectrum because after an Indiana shot clanked off the post, Jennifer Beadle frantically scooped up the loose ball and put her shot past McDonnell with 12 seconds left to push the game into sudden victory.
Indiana opened the day with a goal 50 seconds into first quarter, but the Aztecs led, 5-4, at halftime. SDSU took a 2-1 lead after goals from Caroline Israels and Diacono, and each school scored once more in the final 1:54, including Magro, who scored her only goal of the game with 37 seconds remaining in the first. In the second period, Indiana sandwiched goals around single strikes from Israels and Diacono, which gave the Aztecs a one-goal cushion at intermission.
Both teams scored twice in the third period, starting with Lizzy Bilz not two minutes into the action. Ioli Benekou then got into the act, finding the back of the net with 58 seconds left. The Benekou goal was between Indiana's Kelly Matthews' third and fourth goals of the game, the last of which came with five seconds left, and would be SDSU's final goal of regulation before OT goals from Diacono and Carrillo.
San Diego State will complete action at its own Aztec Invitational on Sunday night at 6 p.m. PT when it welcomes Bucknell to Aztec Aquaplex. Admission is free.