SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State lacrosse team had six players selected to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation all-tournament team, as announced Sunday following the conference championship at Aggie Stadium on the campus of UC Davis.
Leading the Aztec honorees was senior Harlowe Steele, who was named the tournament's most valuable player after totaling nine points on eight goals and one assist for the weekend to go with four ground balls and three caused turnovers, as the Scarlet and Black captured its second consecutive MPSF championship.
Joining Steele on the all-tournament squad were redshirt junior goalkeeper Katy Sharretts, along with seniors Kirstie Greenlaw, Jenny Buckland and Shannon Gallagher and redshirt sophomore Lexi Tan.
In San Diego State's 18-15 semifinal victory over Fresno State, Steele matched her career-high with five goals, including three during a crucial 9-3 run in the second half, where the Aztecs erased an 8-7 halftime deficit. The SDSU tri-captain also contributed three goals and one assist in the championship final vs. UC Davis, as the Aztecs pulled away in the second half for a 15-7 triumph. The Coquitlam, British Columbia native also led all players with three caused turnovers against the Aggies and tied for game-high honors with four ground balls to go with four draw controls.
With her effort, Steele finishes her career as SDSU's all-time leader in games played (68) while ranking second in both goals (99) and draw controls (149), third in shots (187) and fourth in ground balls (96). She became the Aztecs single-season leader with 52 goals during the 2019 campaign, scoring at least three in 12 of 18 games, including the six straight to end the year.
In addition, SDSU received a pair of tremendous performances from Sharretts, who posted 35 saves on the weekend to go with a brilliant .614 save percentage on 70 shots faced. The Bel Air, Md., product broke her own school record with 19 saves in the title game against UC Davis, allowing her second-lowest goal total in a full-time set of minutes this year. She also made 16 stops vs. Fresno State, stretching her single-season school record to 192 saves, which ranks fifth nationally.
Not to be outdone, Sharretts also picked up six ground balls this past weekend, extending her conference-leading total to 45 on the year, which ranks second on the Aztecs' single-season list.
Greenlaw, meanwhile, matched Steele offensively with nine points on eight goals and one assist, tying her personal-best as well with five tallies against Fresno State on Friday. Three of her goals also came during SDSU's second-period surge after back-to-back strikes near the midway point of the first half. The Highlands Ranch, Colo., native continued her productive tournament with a hat trick vs. UC Davis, highlighted by a pair of goals in the Aztecs' 7-1 closing blitz after the Aggies closed to with 8-6 earlier in the second half.
With her totals, Greenlaw finished with a career-high 32 goals this season, giving San Diego State three 30-goal scorers in the same year for the first time in program history, joining Steele (52) and Taylor Sullivan (35).
Tan was also a key contributor at the MPSF Championships with five goals, four ground balls and one caused turnover. Against Fresno State, the Towson, Md., native registered a career-high four goals, including a 2-for-2 clip from the free position. One of her eight-meter strikes capped an important 9-3 run, as the Aztecs overcame an 8-7 halftime deficit. She also scored the final goal of the first half vs. UC Davis, helping SDSU extend its lead to 6-3 by intermission.
Meanwhile, Buckland and Gallagher were instrumental in the Aztecs' defensive efforts, causing two turnovers apiece in the championship victory over UC Davis. In that contest, the teammates helped put the clamps on the Aggies' Taylor Cuenin, who scored just one goal on eight shots after completing the regular season with 47 goals and collecting MPSF Player of the Year honors. In addition, Buckland and Gallagher collected two ground balls apiece for the weekend and aided in SDSU's transition game, as the Scarlet and Black was successful on 36 of 40 clearing attempts.
San Diego State matched its program-record with 11 victories during the 2019 campaign, punctuated by its second straight MPSF crown. In addition, the Aztecs tied their school standard with seven all-MPSF honors to go with 14 conference player of the week awards.
2019 MPSF Lacrosse All-Tournament Team
San Diego State
Harlowe Steele, M – Tournament MVP
Katy Sharretts, GK
Kirstie Greenlaw, A
Lexi Tan, A
Jenny Buckland, D
Shannon Gallagher, D
UC Davis
Anna Belenis, D
Addie Dearden, D
Ally Deremer, D
Natalie Garces, D
Fresno State
Kayla Galet, M
Hannah Krats, M