SAN DIEGO – San Diego State opens its 2019 slate on Saturday, Feb. 2, when it plays host to Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in an exhibition game at Aztec Lacrosse Field. Opening draw is set for 10 a.m., with free team posters scheduled to be given away.
The Aztecs will be looking to defend their Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship from a year ago after setting a program record with 11 victories, capped by an 11-10 overtime thriller over UC Davis in the conference tournament finals.
A veteran-laden team, San Diego State lost just two starters from last year's squad, returning 23 letterwinners, including all six players who scored at least 20 goals during the 2018 campaign. Leading that group are seniors Harlowe Steele and Jill Haight, who became the first duo in program history to record 35 or more goals in the same season, earning all-MPSF honors in the process.
Steele finished with a team-high 38 goals, while Haight tallied 37 strikes of her own, which rank third and fourth, respectively, on the school's single-season charts. In addition, both players were exceptional in the circle, with Haight winning a school-record 74 draw controls, followed by Steele's 38.
Also back in the mix are seniors Kirstie Greenlaw (27 goals) and Grace McGinty (25 goals), along with juniors Morgan Taylor (23 goals) and Taylor Sullivan (20 goals). McGinty topped the squad with 16 free position goals last year and ranked fourth with 46 draw controls, while Sullivan caused a team-high 22 turnovers.
Not to be outdone, Taylor collected Most Valuable Player honors at the MPSF Championships last season after scoring the winning goal in the title game, while Greenlaw was an all-MPSF selection, as were juniors Marissa MacRae and Katy Sharretts.
Sharretts flourished in her first year as the Aztecs' starting goalkeeper in 2018, setting single-season program record with 167 saves and a .459 save percentage to go with a 12.04 goals against average. She also collected a team-high 31 ground balls and made double-digit saves in nine games, including a career-best 14 on five different occasions.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, meanwhile, competes at the Division III level as members of the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Last season, the Athenas compiled an 18-2 overall record, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to Colorado College 17-13 in the second round.
CMS, which earned a No. 23 national ranking in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWCLA) preseason poll, returns several key players from a year ago, including senior attacker Corie Hack, an all-region and all-SCIAC performer who scored a team-high 62 goals while contributing 56 ground balls, 38 caused turnovers and 30 draw controls.
The Athenas also welcome back sophomore midfielder Sally Abel, who notched 47 goals during her rookie campaign in 2018, while junior midfielder Allie Hill added 20 markers of own and tied for the team lead with 64 draw controls.
Goalkeeper Anna Gillespie returns to the fold as well after logging a 6.56 goals against average and a .476 save percentage as a freshman last year.
SDSU faced Claremont-Mudd-Scripps in one previous exhibition game, posting a 16-4 victory at Aztec Lacrosse Field in 2017. Four of this year's returners recorded goals in that contest, including Greenlaw, Sullivan and Taylor, who registered two tallies apiece, while Natalie Peel added a marker of her own.
Following Saturday's friendly, San Diego State will have nearly two weeks to prepare for its season-opening excursion to Las Vegas, Nev., where it will battle Oregon and California in a pair of neutral-site encounters on the campus of Canyon Spring High School. The Aztecs will square off against the Ducks on Friday, Feb. 15, starting at 7 p.m., before tackling the Golden Bears on Sunday, Feb. 17, beginning at 2 p.m.
SDSU will conduct its regular-season home opener on Friday, Feb. 22, when it tackles No. USC at 1 p.m. Admission to all Aztec lacrosse games is free.