April 25, 2017
MPSF Quarterfinal Preview
[5] San Diego State (9-7, 3-5 MPSF) vs. [4] Oregon (9-7, 5-3 MPSF)
Thursday, April 27 | 4 p.m. PT | McAlister Field | Los Angeles, Calif.
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Aztec Storylines
* Fifth-seeded San Diego State begins its postseason quest Thursday when it makes the short drive up Interstate 5 to battle No. 4 seed Oregon in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament in Los Angeles, Calif. Opening draw is set for 4 p.m. PT at McAlister Field on the campus of USC. If the Aztecs emerge victorious against the Ducks, they will square off against the host and top-seeded Women of Troy in a semifinal showdown on Friday, starting at noon PT.
* Prior to the SDSU-Oregon clash, No. 3 seed Stanford will lock horns with sixth-seeded California in the other quarterfinal matchup on Thursday, beginning at noon PT, with the victor advancing to face No. 2 seed Colorado on Friday, commencing at 4 p.m. PT. The two semifinal winners will then meet in the championship final on Sunday, April 30, starting at 1 p.m. PT.
* Tickets for individual games will be sold at the gate on the day of competition only. Prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students, youth, and seniors. Children under the age of two receive free admission. The youth price is for children over the age of two through high school. Students must present valid college identification. Parking is available at USC's campus lots at the regular daily rate of $12 per vehicle. The two most accessible lots to McAlister Field are the USC Shrine Structure and Parking Structure D (Royal Street Structure).
* San Diego State secured its third MPSF tournament berth in program history with a 13-11 triumph on the road over UC Davis last Friday. The Aztecs received balanced scoring from seven different players, led by freshman Taylor Sullivan, who netted her first career hat trick and delivered an assist, while seniors Kristen Hickey, Kayla Deitz and Ijeoma Ikpe notched two goals apiece. In addition, sophomores Jill Haight, Harlowe Steele and Natalie Peel contributed single tallies each, while senior Erin Jeffery continued her solid play of late with a goal and two assists.
* Against the Aggies, SDSU built a 9-4 advantage at intermission before the host school narrowed the gap to 12-11. However, Jeffery provided a huge insurance goal with 3:44 left, helping the Scarlet and Black tie a program record with nine victories on the season. With their result, the Aztecs are now 8-1 overall this year when leading at the half. The last time San Diego State lost when leading at the break occurred in a 14-11 setback to Columbia on March 18.
* SDSU will be facing Oregon for the first time in postseason play on Thursday. In their two previous trips to the MPSF tournament, the Aztecs came up short in the quarterfinals to Colorado on both occasions, dropping a narrow 9-8 overtime decision in 2014, followed by a 15-6 setback in 2015.
* Heading into Thursday's showdown, San Diego State is 3-3 against the Ducks all-time, with four of the last five encounters decided by two goals or less. On Feb. 11, the Aztecs fell short by an 11-9 count in the 2017 conference opener for both squads in Eugene, Ore. The Aztecs trailed by four goals on two occasions in the second half, but were unable to pull closer than two the rest of the way. Senior Vickie Porter led the Scarlet and Black with a hat trick, while Deitz, Sullivan and sophomore Natalie Peel finished with two strikes apiece.
* Kristen Hickey is enjoying a career year in her final campaign on Montezuma Mesa, leading the Aztecs with 31 tallies, including a four-goal spree in the season opener against Denver. In addition, the SDSU midfielder is fourth in the MPSF this week with 14 free position goals and is tied for fifth in the conference with 36 ground balls. She also occupies the seventh spot in the league with 87 shots, while her 21 caused turnovers is tied for ninth. For her career, Hickey has moved into the top five on SDSU's all-time charts with 65 ground balls and 45 caused turnovers.
* Not to be outdone, fellow classmates Kayla Deitz and Alex Watson have also enjoyed breakout seasons in 2017. Deitz is currently second on the squad with 27 goals, including 10 from the free position, which is tied for eighth in the MPSF. Watson, meanwhile, has racked up 24 goals of her own, including the game-winner in an overtime thriller vs. California on March 26. In addition, Vickie Porter (17), Taylor Sullivan (17), Natalie Peel (15) and Ijeoma Ikpe (14) have surpassed double digits in goal scoring.
* In front of the net, senior Katrina Reeves is fourth among the conference's starting goalkeepers with a .433 save percentage and ranks fifth with a 12.30 goals against average, while fellow classmate Katie Merritt owns a .545 save percentage and a 9.95 goals against average in six appearances this year, including starts against Columbia and Fresno State. Last season, the Aztec duo split keeper duties as well, allowing the second-fewest goals in program history (190).
* Reeves also occupies the third spot in the MPSF this week with 46 ground balls, while her 22 caused turnovers is tied for sixth. Additionally, Ikpe and junior Mackenzie Lech find themselves among the league leaders. Ikpe is tied for fourth with 23 caused turnovers, while Lech ranks fourth as well with 37 ground balls and is tied for 12th with 20 caused turnovers.
* Taylor Sullivan leads the Aztecs' talented freshman class this year with 17 goals, which is tied for fourth on the team. The Annapolis, Md., product is also 6-for-10 on the season in free position attempts and has collected 13 ground balls to go with seven caused turnovers. Meanwhile, fellow classmate Morgan Taylor has found the back of the net five times this season and leads all SDSU rookies with 15 ground balls, including a season-high four at Oregon. Additionally, Ryli Quinn has cracked the starting lineup in seven games, tying for the team lead with 26 draw controls.
* Elsewhere, 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 tied her personal best with six ground balls against Saint Joseph's on March 10, 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 11.44 caused turnovers per game, which ranks 10th in the nation. Entering the weekend, the Aztecs also occupy the second spot in the conference with 20.06 ground balls and 9.44 saves per contest while ranking fourth with 21.50 shots on goal per outing, as well as a .443 save percentage. In addition, the Scarlet and Black is 56-for-123 (.455) on the year in free position attempts and is 215-259 in clears (.830).
* SDSU has collected seven MPSF Player of the Week awards this season, which marks the highest single-season total in program history. Harlowe Steele is latest Aztec honoree, winning the defensive category after combining for six draw controls, four ground balls and two caused tunovers last weekend at UC Davis and Stanford. Earlier this year, Hickey (offense/defense) and Sullivan (rookie) were recognized in the same week on two occasions, earning their honors on Feb. 6 and March 27, respectively. In addition, Reeves (defense) garnered her accolade on Feb. 27, while Taggart (defense) was selected on March 6.
* 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
Oregon
The Ducks (9-7, 5-3 MPSF) won their final two games of the regular season to finish fourth in the MPSF race, capturing a narrow 10-9 decision at UC Davis on April 16, followed by a 19-11 triumph over Saint Mary's in their home finale on April 23. Oregon boasts three 40-goal scorers this season in sophomore Shannon Williams (47), senior Bella Pyne (41) and junior Mariah Gatti (41). Williams' output ranks fourth in the MPSF, while Pyne and Gatti are tied for ninth in that statistic. In addition, junior Cambi Cukar, a first-team all-MPSF selection last year, tops the league with 39 assists, which ranks sixth in the nation, while Pyne is tied for second in the conference with 25 caused turnovers. Elsewhere, senior goalkeeper Becca Katzen occupies the fourth spot in the MPSF this week with a 12.17 goals against average and ranks seventh with 35 ground balls, while junior Jill Zubillaga is sixth with 50 draw controls. As a team, the Ducks rank 16th in the country with a league-best 7.00 assists per game and find themselves among the MPSF leaders in goals (4th, 12.56/gm), draw controls (4th, 13.88/gm), caused turnovers (4th, 10.12/gm) and shots on goal (5th, 20.81/gm). Head coach Katrina Dowd is in her first season at Oregon after spending four years as an assistant at North Carolina, helping the Tar Heels capture national championships in 2013 and 2016.