April 26, 2018
MPSF Championship Preview
Semifinal Game
[3] Fresno State (9-8) at [2] San Diego State (9-8)
Friday, April 27 | 5 p.m. PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field
Live Stats | Watch ($) | Game Notes
Aztec Storylines
- Second-seeded San Diego State opens conference tournament play Friday when it plays host to No. 3 seed Fresno State in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships at Aztec Lacrosse Field. Opening draw is set for 5 p.m. PT. If SDSU emerges victorious over the Bulldogs, it will square off against UC Davis in the championship final on Sunday, beginning at 1 p.m. PT.
- Tickets for individual games will be sold for $5 each (cash only) at the gate on the day of competition only, starting one hour before game time. Children under the age of two will receive free admission. In addition to live stats a link to streaming pay-per-video will be available on GoAztecs.com.
- The Aztecs closed out their regular-season slate with a 16-7 setback at No. 20 Notre Dame in a non-conference tilt on April 21. The teams were tied 2-2 with just over eight minutes elapsed in the contest before the Fighting Irish uncorked a 9-0 run to build an 11-2 advantage by the 19:07 mark of the second half.
- Individually, SDSU was led by Jill Haight, who matched her season-high with four points on a trio of free-position goals and one assist, while Elizabeth Rourke, Taylor Sullivan, Morgan Taylor and Natalie Peel contributed single markers each.
- In addition, goalkeeper Katy Sharretts logged her ninth game of the year with double-digit saves, turning away 13 shots on Saturday while equaling her season-best with three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Bailey Brown also got into the act with a team-high four draw controls, while Mackenzie Lech topped the squad with three caused turnovers of her own.
- SDSU will be facing Fresno State for the first time in MPSF tournament play on Thursday. The Aztecs recorded their first postseason victory last year with an 18-13 triumph over Oregon in the conference quarterfinals in Los Angeles. However, San Diego State fell to host USC in the semifinal round by an 18-7 count. In two prior MPSF tournament appearances, 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 Friday's showdown, SDSU boasts a 6-1 record against the Bulldogs, including a 3-0 mark in San Diego. The Aztecs posted a 15-11 conquest over Fresno State in the last meeting between the two squads on April 15 in the Central Valley. In that contest, the Scarlet and Black forged a 10-4 lead by intermission, only to see Fresno State rally to tie the score at 11-11 in the second half. However, the Aztecs flashed their mettle, outscoring the host school 4-0 over the final 11:21 to snap a four-game losing streak. Rourke set career highs with six points and four goals, while juniors Harlowe Steele and Kirstie Greenlaw netted four points each on three goals and one assist.
- Entering the weekend, Jill Haight leads the Scarlet and Black with 44 points (35g, 9a) and 65 draw controls. The Milton, Ga., native also ranks second on the team with 15 caused turnovers and has collected 19 ground balls, which is tied for fifth on the squad.
- After winning seven draws at Mount St. Mary's on March 30, Haight became SDSU's single-season leader in draw controls (60 at the time), surpassing Christina Ricciardulli's total of 55 established in 2015. Earlier in the home opener vs. Arizona State on Feb. 17, she set a single-game program record with 12 draws, which marks the highest total in the MPSF this year. For the season, Haight has compiled six or more draw controls on four occasions.
- In addition, SDSU has received an all-round contribution from Steele, who ranks second on the team in points (38), goals (34) draw controls (52), while occupying the third spot in ground balls (25). The Coquitlam, British Columbia, product has been on fire of late, compiling 19 goals over the past eight games (2.71/gm) and has won 28 draw controls during that span, including a career-high seven at Mount St. Mary's. She also tops the MPSF with a .586 shot percentage (34-58), which ranks 14th nationally.
- Overall, the Aztecs have benefited from a balanced offense during the 2018 campaign, with nine players notching 11 or more goals. In addition to Haight and Steele's production, SDSU has received 24 goals from Greenlaw, who has completed hat tricks vs. Presbyterian, No. 4 Boston College, Wofford and Fresno State. She has converted 6 of 7 free-position attempts this year, including a 2-for-2 effort at Fresno State.
- Junior Grace McGinty has also provided a spark with 23 goals of her own, including a team-high 14 on free-position shots for an average of 0.82 per game, which ranks 49th in the nation, while Taylor (18), Rourke (18), sophomore Taylor Sullivan (17) and junior Natalie Peel (14) have gotten into the act as well. One of just two seniors on the team, Rourke is enjoying a tremendous season, logging a team-high 18 assists, which ranks third in the MPSF, while topping the squad with 32 ground balls.
- Brown, meanwhile, has topped SDSU's talented freshman class with 11 goals, 14 ground balls and 47 draw controls, which rank third on the team. She has won four or more draws in seven different games for SDSU this year, including a season-high seven in an 18-16 triumph at home over Niagara on March 6.
- Despite the graduation of standouts Katrina Reeves and Katie Merritt, the Aztec net-minder responsibilities rest firmly in the capable hands of Katy Sharretts, who a single-season program record 159 saves, which leads the MPSF and ranks 11th in the country. After sitting out the UC Davis game with an injury, the SDSU redshirt sophomore still owns a .466 save percentage and a 12.53 goals against average on the year. Sharretts has made a career-high 14 saves in five different games (at Denver, at Colorado, vs. Liberty, at Delaware, at Fresno State), which represent the second-best performances in the MPSF this year.
- As a team, the Aztecs occupy the 18th spot nationally in draw controls (15.29/gm), while their scoring offense (13.47 goals/gm) ranks 32nd. Similarly, San Diego State is 37th in the country with 23.24 shots on goal per contest and ranks 39th with 31.06 shots per outing.
- The Aztecs are 9-0 this season when leading at the half and are 9-3 when posting more draw controls than the opposition. In addition, SDSU is 7-1 on the year when outshooting its adversaries and 5-1 when collecting more ground balls. The Scarlet and Black is also unbeaten on the year (6-0) when scoring 15 goals or more.
- SDSU placed a program-record seven student-athletes on the all-MPSF lacrosse team, which was released on April 25. Senior Mackenzie Lech garnered her second straight all-league accolade, while Rourke, Steele, Haight, Greenlaw, Sharretts and sophomore Marissa MacRae received their first career all-conference nods. This season's all-conference team consisted of seven attackers, five midfielders, five defenders and two goalkeepers. SDSU had the most all-MPSF picks, followed by UC Davis and Fresno State with six each.
- 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.
Opponent Notebook
Fresno State
The Bulldogs (9-8, 0-2 MPSF) enter the MPSF Championships as the No. 3 seed after suffering a 23-12 loss at UC Davis in the regular-season finale. Fresno State is led by the two-headed attack of junior Sarah Bloise (59 pts, 39g, 20a) and sophomore Tiffiny Wallace (53 pts, 36g 17a), who were named to the all-MPSF team. Bloise has converted 21 free position shots for an average of 1.24 per game, which ranks ninth in the country. The Bulldogs' defensive efforts are headed by sophomore Olivia Mannon, another all-conference honoree who has amassed 29 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers to go with team-high 64 draw controls despite missing the last five games. Sophomore Laurel Maunder, who came up with a career-high 19 saves vs. UC Davis on April 11, has handled the majority of the goalkeeping chores for Fresno State, logging an 11.90 goals against average and a .463 save percentage. Freshman Mackenzie Wallevand (19g, 10a, 50 dc, 8 ct) was tabbed MPSF Rookie of the Year. Entering the weekend, the Bulldogs rank 37th nationally with 13.29 goals per game, while yielding 11.47 per contest, which is good for 51st in the country. In addition, Fresno State is averaging 12.65 draw controls and 19.53 ground balls per outing. Following last Saturday's loss, the Bulldogs are now 7-4 in road/neutral games this season. Head coach Jessica Giglio is in her sixth year in charge of the Fresno State program.
UC Davis
The Aggies (8-5, 2-0 MPSF), who have won three straight and seven of nine, earned a bye in the MPSF semifinal with a 23-12 triumph over Fresno State last Saturday. For the season, UCD has been paced by junior Taylor Cuenin, the MPSF Player of the Year who has compiled 37 goals, 28 ground balls, 12 draw controls and 22 caused turnovers. Cuenin has received plenty of help from additional all-league selections in sophomores Amanda Outcalt (28g) and Sorana Larson (24g), junior Natalie Garces (32 gb) and senior Kate Fellner (21a, 20gb). Junior goalkeeper Grace Richards, who also earned all-MPSF recognition, has recorded 107 saves, a .444 save percentage and an 11.96 goals against average. Entering the weekend, the Aggies are averaging 11.54 goals per game, but are allowing 11.69 per outing. In addition, UCD leads the MPSF with just under 20 ground balls per contest, which ranks 34th in the nation, and are averaging 13.77 draw controls per game. In her first season with the Aggies, Suzanne Isidor was named the MPSF Coach of the Year. She served in the same capacity at her alma mater Penn State from 2001-2010, where she led the Nittany Lions to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2001 and 2005.