March 28, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Preview
Hawai'i Invitational
No. 12 San Diego State (13-9) vs. No. 3 UCLA (14-1)
Thursday, March 30 | Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu, Hawaii | 7:15 p.m. HT
No. 12 San Diego State (13-9) vs. No. 13 UC Santa Barbara (14-7)
Friday, March 31 | Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu, Hawaii | 7:15 p.m. HT
No. 12 San Diego State (13-9) at No. 8 Hawai'i (10-9)
Saturday, April 1 | Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex | Honolulu, Hawaii | 1:15 p.m. HT
Storylines
- No. 12 San Diego State will travel to the nation's 50th state this week to compete in the Hawai'i Invitational where it will play three games in three days beginning Thursday. The Aztecs open Invitational action vs. third-ranked UCLA and will face 13th-ranked UC Santa Barbara on Friday before finishing up vs. the No. 8 Rainbow Wahine on Saturday.
- SDSU, which has won eight of its last 10 games, is fresh off a Golden Coast Conference road sweep of T-No. 25 California Baptist and 21st-ranked Loyola Marymount. The Aztecs trailed by three goals in the first half in both games before rallying and getting the game-winning goal in the fourth quarter.
- In the 9-8 win over the Lancers, who led, 6-3, in the first half, the Aztecs mounted their comeback in third period, outscoring the hosts, 3-1, to tie the game at 7-7. CBU regained the lead after it scored first in the final quarter, but San Diego State received the tying goal from Caroline Israels with 2:35 left and the winner from Ioli Benekou with 1:38 remaining to seal the decision.
- SDSU's game at LMU had a familiar tone as it trailed, 6-3, in the first half. The Aztecs' defense was even more dominant than the California Baptist game when it allowed two goals, bleeding none to the Lions after halftime. Offensively, San Diego State scored twice in the third period to knot the score at 6-6, and then Benekou, once again, provided the winner, this time with 2:23 left in regulation to send the visitors home with the 7-6 victory.
- The Aztecs' defense, late in both road games last week, gave SDSU a chance to win. Rocky first halves put them in a precarious position, but the defense righted the ship in time for the offense to find a way. San Diego State outscored CBU and LMU by a combined score of 8-2 in the second half and held both to a combined 4-for-11 on power plays. In the game vs. the Lions, SDSU allowed LMU to convert a 6-on-5 just once in six tries.
- The defense, in general, has been solid since the calendar turned to March. Since then, San Diego State has not allowed a double-figure goal total, which is one of the reasons it is 8-2 in the month. The two losses, it should be noted, have been by a total of three goals. Prior to March, SDSU allowed 10 or more goals on six different occasions and posted a 5-7 record.
- Individually, San Diego State received contributions from a host of Aztecs in each game last week. At CBU, five players scored with Benekou, Lizzy Bilz, Hannah Carrillo and Israels each scoring twice. Israels added five steals, while Bilz had two. At LMU, six Aztecs scored at least once with Benkeou leading the way with two goals and four steals. Carrillo also added a game-high four steals vs. the Lions. Kate McDonnell, meanwhile, had eight stops vs. the Lancers and five at Loyola Marymount.
- With its two league road victories last week, San Diego State strengthened its hold on first place in the Golden Coast standings. The Aztecs are 4-0 with three GCC games left. Pacific, the preseason favorites are in second place with a 1-0 record. The Tigers visit Aztec Aquaplex on April 7, which will represent SDSU's first game back from the Hawai'i Invitational.
- San Diego State will face a UCLA program that it has struggled against over the years. The Aztecs have defeated the Bruins only four times and will enter Thursday's game having lost 10 straight in the series. San Diego State last defeated UCLA in 2010 at the Michigan Kick-Off (ot-W, 7-6). In its last meeting with UCLA, however, SDSU nearly pulled the upset, falling at the 2016 UCI Invitational, 6-5.
- The Aztecs will share the pool with UC Santa Barbara for a second time this season. Earlier this year, San Diego State was on the short end of a 9-6 score at the Triton Invitational in La Jolla. At the time, the Gauchos were tied for ninth nationally, but have slipped to 13th. On the flip side, SDSU was 17th at the time of the first meeting and have risen to 12th.
- SDSU leads the all-time series with UC Santa Barbara, 44-16, but has lost four straight to the Gauchos. Of the four losses, two were decided by one goal, including an overtime thriller on the road last year. The Aztecs will be in search of their first win vs. UCSB since a 7-4 triumph in Irvine back in 2015.
- San Diego State will reunite with Hawai'i for the first time since a trip to Honolulu back in 2015. The Aztecs have split the last four with the Rainbow Wahine, but trail the all-time series, 23-10. Two of the last three meetings with UH have occurred at Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Center. SDSU took the 2013 game, 10-7, before falling in 2015, 8-2.