Feb. 21, 2018
Game Week Preview
San Diego State (2-0, 0-0 MPSF) at No. 21 Denver (2-0, 0-0 Big East)
Friday, Feb. 23 | Noon MT/11 a.m. PT | Denver, Colo.
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San Diego State (2-0, 0-0 MPSF) at No. 20 Colorado (1-2, 0-0 Pac-12)
Sunday, Feb. 25 | Noon MT/11 a.m. PT | Boulder, Colo.
Live Stats | Watch
Aztec Storylines
- The San Diego State lacrosse team looks keep its unblemished record in tact this weekend when it travels to the front range of the Rocky Mountains to battle two nationally ranked opponents at No. 21 Denver and No. 20 Colorado.
- The Aztecs will square off against the Pioneers on Friday, Feb. 23, beginning at noon MT/11 a.m. PT, before engaging the Buffaloes with an identical starting time on Sunday, Feb. 25 . The two teams are former rivals of SDSU in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). Denver left the league to join the Big East in 2017, while Colorado bolted for the Pac-12 prior to this season.
- In addition to live stats, a link to streaming video for both contests will be available on GoAztecs.com, with the Aztecs-Pioneers game offered on a subscription basis.
- SDSU is coming off a thrilling 14-13 come-from-behind win over Arizona State in its 2018 home opener on Feb. 17. Juniors Harlowe Steele and Natalie Peel scored goals just over a minute apart late in the second half to lift the Aztecs to their first 2-0 start since 2014. Steele led all players with a career-high five goals, while fellow classmate Jill Haight established a program record with 12 draw controls, which is tied for fourth in MPSF history. Haight also added two goals of her own, along with Peel and sophomore Ryli Quinn, while senior Elizabeth Rourke got into the act with a personal-best three assists.
- For her efforts, Steele collected her second straight MPSF Offensive Player of the Week award, while freshman Bailey Brown was named the league's Rookie of the Week. Brown finished with four draw controls and two ground balls against the Sun Devils in her second collegiate appearance.
- With its victory, SDSU has won five straight games decided by one goal dating back to last season and has improved to 12-10 in one-goal encounters since the team's inception in 2012. It also marked just the second time in program history that the Aztecs have recorded consecutive one-goal wins after downing Saint Joseph's (13-12) and New Hampshire (12-11) last year. Two weeks ago, the Scarlet and Black emerged triumphant with another 12-11 nail-biter in its season opener at California on Feb. 11.
- In addition, San Diego State moves to 23-24 on The Mesa in school history, snapping a two-game home losing skid dating back to last season.
- Steele tops the Aztecs with nine goals on the year which ranks second in the MPSF and 14th nationally. The SDSU midfielder also leads the conference with an .818 shot percentage, good for 11th in the country.
- Not to be outdone, Haight and junior goalkeeper Katy Sharretts find themselves atop the MPSF statistical rankings as well. Haight leads the league in draw controls per game (7.50), which ranks 16th in the nation, while Sharretts owns the No. 1 spot in saves per game (11.00) and save percentage (.478), which rank 17th and 34th in the country, respectively. In her first two career starts, Sharretts has played full time, posting a career-high 13 saves in the opener vs. Cal, before recording nine stops vs. ASU.
- Despite losing its top five scorers from a year ago, including Kristen Hickey (34 goals), Kayla Deitz (30 goals) and Alex Watson (27 goals) SDSU returns an experienced core of 20 veterans, led by tri-captains Mackenzie Lech, Harlowe Steele and Natalie Peel. Lech and Elizabeth Rourke are the two lone seniors this season on a roster that features nine juniors, 12 sophomores, 12 true freshmen and one transfer.
- SDSU will play seven home games this year, highlighted by a matchup with 2017 national runner-up Boston College at Aztec Lacrosse Field on Saturday, March 10. The action-packed schedule also features dates with three additional NCAA Tournament participants on the road at Colorado (Feb. 25), USC (April 8) and Notre Dame (April 21).
- For the first time in program history, SDSU will play host to the MPSF Championships, slated for April 27 and 29. With the Pac-12 Conference sponsoring the sport of lacrosse this season, five teams (Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, USC) have withdrawn from the MPSF, leaving behind the Aztecs, Fresno State and UC Davis. As a result, the MPSF tournament format will pit the second and third seeds in the semifinal game, with the winner advancing to the championship final against the No. 1 seed.
- The program's only coach after lacrosse became the 19th intercollegiate sport at San Diego State in 2012, Kylee White begins her seventh season at the helm of the Aztecs. She has transformed SDSU's fledgling program to a strong competitor on the West Coast, highlighted by a school-record 10 victories last year. 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 pick and an Academic All-Big Ten 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 also added assistant coach Nikki Boltja to her staff in the offseason. A former star player at Louisville, Boltja spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Stetson University (2017) and Baldwin Wallace University (2016). While at Louisville, Boltja merited IWLCA All-America distinction on two occasions for the Cardinals, earning third-team honors in 2013, before receiving first-team recognition in 2014. A three-time all-region and all-conference selection, Boltja was the unanimous Big East Offensive Player of the Year during her senior campaign in 2014 after leading Louisville to its first NCAA Tournament berth and top 10 national ranking.
Up Next
- Following Sunday's clash, San Diego State returns to the friendly environs of Montezuma Mesa to open a four-game homestand over a span of eight days, starting Friday, March 2, when St. Bonaventure invades Aztec Lacrosse Field. Opening draw is set for 7 p.m. PT.
Opponent Notebook
Denver
The 21st-ranked Pioneers are off to a 2-0 start this season after knocking off then-No. 23 Stanford by a 12-9 count at home, followed by a 12-5 victory on the road at Louisville. Senior Riley Eggeman leads Denver with five goals on the year, while junior Elizabeth Behrins, fellow classmate Julia Feiss and freshman Eliza Radochonski have tallied four each. Sophomore goalkeeper Carson Gregg has garnered back-to-back Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors after leading the conference with a .650 save percentage and a 7.00 goals-against-average in her first two games. The Pioneers have won all six previous meetings against SDSU, including a 15-10 triumph in the season opener at Aztec Lacrosse Field in 2017. Head coach Liza Kelly is in her 12th season at Denver after leading the Pioneers to a 14-4 record last year, including a spot in the Big East tourmament finals.
Colorado
Despite a 1-2 record so far this season, including consecutive road losses at No. 5 Florida (16-9) and No. 11 Northwestern (15-8), the Buffaloes are still ranked 20th in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Colorado is led by senior Darby Kiernan junior Miranda Stinson, who have racked up 11 points each so far this season. Stinson has scored a team-leading 10 goals, while Kiernan has found the back of the net on eight occasions. In addition, senior Kelsie Garrison and fellow classmate Sophia Gambitsky top the squad with 10 ground balls apiece. Gambitsky, a goalkeeper, has manned the cage in 83 percent of the team's minutes this year, recording a .346 save percentage and a 13.60 goals-against-average. The Buffaloes have captured all six previous encounters with the Aztecs, including a 17-5 victory in San Diego last season. Head coach Ann Elliott is in her fifth year on the Boulder campus after directing Colorado to a 16-4 record during the 2017campaign, along with an NCAA Tournament berth. For her efforts, Elliott was named IWLCA Midwest/West Region Coach of the Year as well as MPSF Coach of the Year in the team's last season as a member of that conference.