Feb. 17, 2018
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State once again demonstrated its flair for the dramatic on Saturday after posting a 14-13 victory over Arizona State in the team's 2018 home opener at Aztec Lacrosse Field.
SDSU received goals from Harlowe Steele and Natalie Peel in the final 3:26 to overcome a 13-12 deficit and improve to 2-0 for the first time since the 2014 campaign. Meanwhile, the Sun Devils (2-1) suffered their first loss of the season.
Steele, the reigning Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Offensive Player of the Week, picked up right where she left off with a game-high five goals on just six shots, while Peel, Jill Haight and Ryli Quinn tallied two strikes apiece.
In addition, Haight established a school-record with 12 draw controls on the afternoon and collected a pair of ground balls, while Elizabeth Rourke dished out a personal-best three assists.
The contest was a back-and-forth affair that featured 11 ties and three lead changes, with the Aztecs building their biggest advantage at 12-9 following three straight goals by Quinn, Steele and Peel during a span of three minutes and 35 seconds in the second half.
However, the Sun Devils countered with four straight tallies, including the final two by Graci Fulkerson during a five-and-a-half-minute blitz that put the visitors up 13-12 with four minutes to go in the game.
Unfazed, SDSU fought back with an unassisted goal by Steele at the 3:26 mark, while Peel followed with a successful free-position attempt just over a minute later for the game-winner. ASU had one last chance after goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau made a save on another free-position shot by Peel with just over a minute left. However, the Sun Devil net-minder hoisted the ball out of bounds on a pass, giving possession to the Aztecs, who ran out the remaining time.
As a team, SDSU maintained a sizable 21-8 advantage on draw controls and outshot ASU by a 36-30 margin.The Aztecs also converted 6 of 11 free-position shots, compared to the Sun Devils' 5-for-9 clip.
SDSU goalkeeper Katy Sharretts played full time and recorded nine saves, while her counterpart Bonneau finished with seven stops in the loss. ASU was led by Kerry Clayton four goals, while Fulkerson finished with three markers of her own.
Quotable
"This was a tremendous win for us against a very good ASU team," said Aztec head coach Kylee White. "They came out and played us really tough and physical, and I was proud how we kept our composure and battled to the last whistle. Harlowe (Steele) had another great game for us on the offensive end, while Jill (Haight) was unbelievable on the draw. I still think this team has a lot of growing to do; I want them to be more aggressive with the ball and take some risks. But I like how we are progressing and staying composed in tight-game situations."
Up Next
San Diego State hits the road for a pair of non-conference games next weekend when it faces Denver (Feb. 23) and Colorado (Feb. 25) on the front range of the Rocky Mountains.