March 15, 2018
Game Week Preview
San Diego State (5-3 0-0 MPSF) at Furman (1-5, 0-0 SoCon)
Friday, March 16 | 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT | Greenville, S.C.
Live Stats | ESPN3
San Diego State (5-3 0-0 MPSF) at Wofford (0-4, 0-0 SoCon)
Sunday, March 18 | Noon ET/9 a.m. PT | Spartanburg, S.C.
Live Stats | Watch
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego State lacrosse team hits the road this weekend when it travels to South Carolina for a pair of games at Furman and Wofford. The Aztecs will battle the Paladins on Friday, March 16, starting at 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT, before engaging the Terriers on Sunday, March 18, beginning at noon ET/ 9 a.m. PT.
Both contests will feature links to live stats and live video on GoAztecs.com, with the SDSU-Furman clash available on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.
The Scarlet and Black coming off a 19-8 setback to then-No. 4 Boston College last Saturday at a rainy Aztec Lacrosse Field on March 10. SDSU received a boost from Kirstie Greenlaw, who recorded her third career hat trick, while Morgan Taylor added two goals of her own. It wasn't enough, however, as the Eagles raced to a 7-1 lead they would not relinquish.
Despite the loss, the Aztecs completed a 2-1 week after defeating Presbyterian (22-2) and Niagara (18-16) on back-to-back days, helping the Scarlet and Black sweep the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference awards. Junior Jill Haight was named Offensive Player of the Week, freshman Bailey Brown claimed the same honor on defense, while redshirt freshman Lexi Tan garnered Rookie of the Week accolades. As a result, SDSU has collected nine MPSF weekly certificates already this year.
Entering the weekend, Haight leads the Aztecs with 20 goals, including a 6-for-8 clip on free-position attempts, while her team-best 5.25 draw controls per game (42 overall) is good for 34th in the country. In addition, the Milton, Ga., product tops the squad with 22 points, 14 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
SDSU boasts four additional double-digit goal scorers in juniors Greenlaw (14), Harlowe Steele (14), Grace McGinty (12) and Natalie Peel (11), while senior Elizabeth Rourke has amassed 18 points on eight goals and a career-high 10 assists, which ranks 55th in the country.
In front of the cage, redshirt sophomore Katy Sharretts Sharretts leads the conference with 72 saves, which ranks 17th in the nation, while maintaining a .431 save percentage and a 13.50 goals against average in over 422 minutes of playing time.
Friday's matchup marks the Aztecs' second-ever meeting against Furman after dropping a narrow 13-12 decision in San Diego on March 10, 2016. Haight and McGinty are the lone SDSU returners with goals from that contest, as each found the back of the net in the second half, only to see an Aztec rally fall short.
The Paladins will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak after falling to Iona by an 11-6 count on March 11. Individually, Furman is led by junior Abby Shields, who has racked up 14 points on six goals and eight assists, while fellow classmate Sophie Brennan and senior Meg Lingo have tallied seven goals each. In addition, Brennan tops the squad with 27 draw controls, while junior Savannah Plemmons owns a team-high 12 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Senior Maggie Friel has received the majority of the goalkeeping minutes for the Paladins, posting a .368 save percentage and a 17.41 goals against average.
Conversely, SDSU will face a first-year program in Wofford on Sunday. The Terriers have dropped their first four games, including a 12-3 setback at Manhattan on March 10. Wofford has been paced thus far by junior Sophie Smith and freshman Hannah Mutch, who have registered 11 points apiece on six goals and five assists. In addition, fellow classmate Delaney Irwin has a team-high 18 draw controls to her credit, while another freshman, goalkeeper Kelsey Thompson, has collected 10 ground balls.
Thompson has played full time in front of the cage, logging a .431 save percentage and a 16.52 goals against average.
Following this weekend's action, San Diego State will return to Montezuma Mesa on Friday, March 23, when it plays host to Liberty at Aztec Lacrosse Field. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PT.