March 23, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Preview
Saint Mary's (1-7, 0-3 MPSF) at San Diego State (5-3, 0-1 MPSF)
Friday, March 24 | 7 p.m. PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field
Live Stats | Watch
California (2-7, 0-1 MPSF) at San Diego State (5-3, 0-1 MPSF)
Sunday, March 26 | Noon PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field
Live Stats | Watch
Aztec Storylines
- San Diego State jumps back into Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play this weekend when it plays host to Saint Mary's and California at Aztec Lacrosse Field. SDSU's clash with the Gaels is set for a 7 p.m. PT start on Friday evening, before the Golden Bears invade Montezuma Mesa for a Sunday matinee, beginning at noon PT. In addition to live stats, a link to streaming video will be available on GoAztecs.com.
* In the midst of a month-long homestand, SDSU is coming off a tough 14-11 loss to Columbia on March 18, which snapped a five-game winning streak. The Aztecs grabbed a 6-2 advantage just past the midway point of the first half, but the Lions rallied with four straight goals to forge a 6-6 tie with two minutes elapsed in the second period. SDSU reclaimed the lead moments later, before Columbia closed with an 8-4 run to escape with the win.
* Individually, the Aztecs received three goals from senior Kristen Hickey, who also contributed three ground balls and two draw controls, while fellow classmate Kayla Deitz and sophomore Natalie Peel added two tallies apiece. In addition, the Scarlet and Black received a solid contribution from sophomore Harlowe Steele, who scooped up three ground balls and logged three draw controls, while another sophomore, Jenny Buckland, finished with two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
* With the loss, SDSU remains winless in three Saturday games this season. However, the Aztecs are undefeated on Sunday (2-0), Wednesday (1-0) and Friday (2-0). In addition, the Columbia defeat marked SDSU's first setback when leading at halftime in a game this year.
* Through eight games, senior Vickie Porter has been the Aztecs' leading scorer with 17 goals, highlighted by hat tricks at Oregon and Detroit Mercy. In addition, Hickey has amassed 16 tallies of her own, while Deitz (14), senior Alex Watson (12) and Peel (11) have compiled double-digit goal totals. Entering the week, Hickey tops the conference with 11 free position goals and ranks fifth in the conference with 23 ground balls. She is also tied for fifth in the MPSF with 13 caused turnovers, while her 49 shots ranks sixth.
* In front of the net, senior Katie Merritt ranks second in the league with a .633 save percentage, while fellow classmate Katrina Reeves occupies the sixth spot with an 11.33 goals against average and ranks eighth with a .439 save percentage. Last season, Reeves and Merritt split keeper duties as well, allowing the second-fewest goals in program history (190).
* Taylor Sullivan leads the Aztecs' talented freshman class this season with eight goals on 20 shots, both of which rank sixth on the team. The Annapolis, Md., product is also 4-for-8 on the year in free position attempts and has collected four ground balls to go with three caused turnovers. Meanwhile, fellow classmate Morgan Taylor has skimmed the twine with a goal in each of the past three games and leads all SDSU rookies with 11 ground balls, including a season-high four at Oregon on Feb. 11. Not to be outdone, Ryli Quinn has cracked the starting lineup in five of the last six games, racking up 13 draw controls.
* Elsewhere, sophomore Jill Haight set a career-high with seven draw controls in the Aztecs' 12-11 win over New Hampshire on March 15, which is tied for fifth on the school's single-game charts. In addition, Reeves shares one of the conference's top performances so far this season with five caused turnovers against Saint Joseph's on March 10. She also tied her personal best with six ground balls in that contest, matching senior Casey Taggart, who accomplished the feat in the previous game vs. Boston University on March 5. The six ground balls by the two players is tied for second in program history.
* As a team, San Diego State tops the MPSF with an average of 21.25 ground balls and 12.62 caused turnovers per game, while ranking third with 30.50 shots per contest. The Aztecs are also 32-for-69 (.464) on the year in free position shots and are 94-109 in clears (.862).
* SDSU has collected four conference player of the week awards already this season. Hickey (offense) and Sullivan (rookie) both earned their respective honors on Feb. 6, while Reeves (defense) was selected on Feb. 27, followed by Taggart (defense) on March 6.
* The Aztecs have captured all six meetings with Saint Mary's, including a 17-4 triumph on the road last season. SDSU received goals from 12 different players in that matchup, including two apiece from returners Alex Watson and Vickie Porter. In their last four encounters with the Gaels, the Aztecs have won by an average margin of 19.0-6.25.
* SDSU is 2-3 against Cal all-time after dropping a hard-fought 10-9 overtime decision in Berkeley last year. The Aztecs knotted the game at 9-9 with just over five minutes left in regulation while holding the Bears scoreless for the remainder of the period to force the extra session. However, Cal eventually netted the game-winner with 48 seconds left in the first overtime.
* 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.
* 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
Saint Mary's
The Gaels are coming off a 20-6 loss at home to conference rival UC Davis last Sunday to fall to 1-7 on the year and 0-3 in MPSF play. Individually, Saint Mary's has been led by the trio of Jocelyn Lubert (20), Jillian Dunlap (12) and Emily Mack (10), who have combined for 42 goals this season, accounting for nearly 62 percent of the team's offensive production. Dunlap also tops the squad with 31 draw controls, while Lauren Neumann has contributed 15 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Cassidy Hoffman, Meg Sheehan and Sydney Pinello have all split time in goal, combining for an 18.54 goals against average and a .302 save percentage. As a team, Saint Mary's ranks sixth in the conference with 16.38 ground balls per game. In addition, the Gaels are averaging 19.75 shots and 11.38 draw controls per contest. Alicia Florin is in first season as head coach on the Moraga campus after spending the previous season as an assistant with the SMC program.
California
The Golden Bears (2-7) put the brakes on a five-match slide with an 18-11 home victory over Marquette on March 16, bolstered by Jena Fritts' five-goal performance. Fritts leads Cal with 26 strikes on the season, which is tied for third in the conference, while Elizabeth Pellechi and Susie Ropp have amassed 13 apiece. In addition, Meredith Haggerty tops the squad with 21 draw controls, while Jenny Wilkens has collected a team-high 18 ground balls. Wilkens has started all nine games in goal for the Bears this season, with Makayla Ward making four appearances in relief. The Cal tandem has posted a combined 14.78 goals against average and a .409 save percentage. As a team, the Bears are tied for fourth in the MPSF this week with 14.22 draw controls per game and rank sixth with 27.56 shots per contest. Like SDSU, Cal came up short in its first league contest earlier this year, falling at Oregon, 18-9. Aztec freshman goalkeeper Amanda Stapp, who is redshirting this season, is the sister of Cal defender Hannah Stapp. Head coach Brooke Eubanks is in her third season on the Berkeley campus.