April 6, 2018
Game Week Preview
UC Davis (5-5, 0-0 MPSF) at San Diego State (8-5 0-0 MPSF)
Sunday, April 8 | Noon PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field
Live Stats | Watch | Game Notes
Aztec Storylines
- San Diego State looks to get back in the win-column this weekend when it plays host to Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival UC Davis on Sunday, April 8, at Aztec Lacrosse Field. Opening draw is set for noon PT, with the first 100 fans in attendance receiving a free pair of SDSU sunglasses. In addition to live stats, the Aztecs-Aggies clash will include a link to streaming video on GoAztecs.com.
- Prior to Sunday's contest, the Scarlet and Black will also celebrate the accomplishments of seniors Mackenzie Lech and Elizabeth Rourke, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony as part of Senior Day festivities.
- SDSU is coming off a pair of tough one-goal defeats on the road last week, dropping an 11-10 decision at Delaware on March 27, before falling short to Mount Saint Mary's by a 13-12 count on March 30. Against the Blue Hens, the Aztecs rallied to tie the score on two occasions in the second half before Delaware netted the eventual game-winner at the 4:45 mark. Three days later vs. the Mountaineers, San Diego State had two potential game-tying shots stymied in the final 45 seconds after scoring two quick goals just 26 seconds apart in the previous minute.
- Individually, the Aztecs were led by junior Jill Haight, who combined for six points on five goals and one assist for the week to go with eight draw controls and two caused turnovers. In addition, fellow classmate Harlowe Steele displayed her versatility with five goals and 12 draw controls while tying for the team lead with five ground balls and three caused turnovers.
- Not to be outdone, Haight became SDSU's single-season leader with 60 draw controls for the year, surpassing the previous standard of 55 set by Christina Ricciardulli in 2015.
- Entering the weekend, Haight leads the Aztecs with 29 goals, which ranks 79th nationally, while her team-best 4.62 draw controls per game (60 overall) is good for 52nd in the country. The Milton, Ga., native also tops the squad with 36 points and 13 caused turnovers. She has completed five games this year with three or more goals and has amassed seven or more draws three times.
- In addition, SDSU has received an all-round contribution from Steele, who ranks second on the team with 29 points (26g, 3a), 41 draw controls and 20 ground balls. The Coquitlam, British Columbia, product has compiled multiple goals in four straight games and has won at least five draws in three consecutive outings.
- Overall, the Aztecs have benefited from a balanced offense during the 2018 campaign, with eight players notching 10 or more goals. In addition to Haight and Steele's production, SDSU has received 22 tallies from junior Grace McGinty, including a team-high 13 on free position attempts for an average of 1.00 per game, which ranks 25th in the nation.
- Junior Kirstie Greenlaw has also provided a spark with 19 goals of her own, highlighted by hat tricks vs. Presbyterian, No. 4 Boston College and Wofford, followed by sophomores Morgan Taylor (16) and Taylor Sullivan (15), junior Natalie Peel (12) and Elizabeth Rourke (11). One of the team's two aforementioned seniors, Rourke is enjoying a tremendous season, logging a team-high 15 assists, which ranks second in the MPSF and 79th in the country, while topping the squad with 23 ground balls.
- Despite the graduation of standouts Katrina Reeves and Katie Merritt, the Aztec netminder responsibilities rest firmly in the capable hands of Katy Sharretts, who leads the MPSF with 121 saves, which ranks seventh in the country. The SDSU redshirt sophomore owns a .465 save percentage and a 12.05 goals against average thus far.
- Bailey Brown, meanwhile, has topped SDSU's talented freshman class with nine goals, 33 draw controls and 12 ground balls. The Katy, Texas, native was named MPSF Defensive Player of the Week on March 12 after receiving back-to-back conference Rookie of the Week accolades on Feb. 19 and Feb. 26.
- As a team, the Aztecs occupy the fifth spot nationally in draw controls (16.69/gm), while their scoring offense (14.69 goals/gm) and scoring margin (3.69) rank 22nd and 24th, respectively . In addition, San Diego State is 24th in the country with 24.08 shots on goal per contest and ranks 27th with 32.23 shots per outing.
- The Aztecs are 8-0 this season when leading at the half, but experienced their first two defeats of the season last week when scoring first (7-2). In addition, SDSU is 8-3 on the year when posting more draw controls than the opposition, but has dropped two straight despite maintaining a 22-5 advantage in that statistic vs. Mount St. Mary's The Aztecs are also 5-0 this season when collecting more ground balls and 5-0 when scoring over 15 goals.
- San Diego State is 3-3 against UC Davis all-time, including a 13-11 triumph on the road a year ago, when the Aztecs clinched a spot in the MPSF tournament. Taylor Sullivan is the team's top returner from that contest, notching her first career hat trick to go with one assist, while Ryli Quinn led all players with four draw controls.
- SDSU is 1-2 in San Diego vs. UCD, including a 7-6 overtime loss in the last meeting between the two squads at Aztec Lacrosse Field in April 2016. The Scarlet and Black's largest margin of victory in the series was recorded in a 17-8 triumph at home on March 16, 2014.
- The Aztecs and Aggies have faced one common opponent this season in the California Golden Bears. UC Davis dropped an 11-9 decision to Cal in its season opener at home on Feb. 9, while SDSU emerged with a 13-12 triumph in Berkeley two days later.
- A victory over UCD would give the Aztecs nine victories in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. More importantly, it would likely give SDSU a seeding advantage for the MPSF Championships to be held a Aztec Lacrosse Field later this month.
- 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 for this time 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 showdown, the Aztecs will embark on a three-game road trip to wrap up the regular season, starting Friday, April 13, when it makes the drive north to Los Angeles for a non-conference clash with No. 16 USC at McAlister Field. Opening draw is set for 3 p.m. PT.
Opponent Notebook
UC Davis
The Aggies (5-5, 0-0 MPSF) are coming off an 18-6 loss at No. 13 Stanford in their last outing on Thursday. Sophomore Sorana Larson scored two goals in that contest to lead UCD, while senior Kate Fellner added a goal and an assist. With the loss, the Aggies slip to 1-3 in true road games this season. UCD is 2-0 in neutral-site contests, posting a 13-11 triumph over Albany in Fresno, Calif., followed by a 12-11 overtime decision over Radford in Harrisonburg, Va. The Aggies have faced one additional ranked opponent, falling at No. 4 James Madison by a 15-5 count on March 28. For the season, UCD has been paced by junior Taylor Cuenin, the reigning MPSF Offensive Player of the Week who has amassed 26 goals, 24 ground balls, 11 draw controls and 16 caused turnovers. Larson (19 goals) and fellow classmate Amanda Outcalt (17 goals) have also surpassed the double-digit plateau in goals scored this year, while senior Kelsey DeJesus and junior Natalie Garces have collected 21 ground balls apiece. DeJesus and Garces are two of five San Diego natives on the Aggie roster, along with senior Carolina Tweedy, sophomore Sami Herrick and freshman Ally Deremer. Junior Grace Richards has played the majority of minutes at goalkeeper for UCD, posting 75 saves, a .424 save percentage and a 12.43 goals against average. Richards, who has picked up 21 ground balls as well, was a prep teammate of Aztec netminder Katy Sharretts at the John Carroll School in Bel Air, Md. UC Davis has converted 21 of 62 free position attempts (33.9 percent), compared to a 13-for-30 clip (43.3 percent) by its opponents. Entering the weekend, the Aggies lead the MPSF with 20.50 ground balls per game, which ranks 24th in the nation. UCD is guided by first-year head coach Suzanne Isidor, who 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. A product of Annapolis, Md., the former Suzanne Weinberg helped Penn State to three postseason berths as a collegiate player from 1992-95, including a semifinal finish as a senior co-captain.