Game Week Preview
San Diego State (0-0, 0-0 MPSF) at Stanford (0-1, 0-0 Pac-12)
Sunday, Feb. 16 | 1 p.m. PT | Stanford University | Stanford, Calif.
Live Stats (available on GoAztecs.com) | Live Stream (Pac-12 Networks)
Aztec Storylines
- The San Diego State lacrosse team opens its ninth season of competition this Sunday when it travels to Stanford, Calif. to take on the Stanford Cardinal on The Farm. The contest with the Cardinal is set to start at 1 p.m. PT. Live stats for the contest will be available on GoAztecs.com and a live stream will be available here.
- The Aztecs come into the 2020 season as back-to-back MPSF Champions after an 11-7 season in 2019 and an 11-8 season in 2018. The Aztecs' combined 22 wins in the last two years is just one win shy of the team's combined win total from 2015-2017 (23 total wins).
- As a team, the Aztecs ranked among the nation's best last spring, finishing ninth in shots on goal (25.89/gm) and 16th in ground balls (21.22/gm).
- SDSU returns to action with some familiar faces on the roster, including nine seniors and five juniors. The team captains for 2020 are junior Julia Sheehan, senior Morgan Taylor, senior Taylor Sullivan, and redshirt senior Katy Sharretts.
- Redshirt senior goalkeeper Katy Sharretts enters 2020 after an All-MPSF selection as well as being named to the 2019 All-MPSF All-Tournament Team. The redshirt senior not only set the program's record for saves in a game (19) in the Aztecs' MPSF Championship win over UC Davis, April 28, 2019, but topped her own SDSU record for saves in a season, registering 25 more than she did in 2018 (192 total in 2019).
- The confines of Aztec Lacrosse Field proved to be friendly to SDSU as the Aztecs collected a 6-1 record at home throughout their 2019 scheduling. While the road was not as kind to SDSU, the Scarlet and Black saw themselves unbeaten in neutral-site locations, collecting regular-season wins over Oregon, California, Columbia and a postseason win over Fresno State in the MPSF Tournament.
- The Aztecs have a challenging 2020 schedule set, facing five nationally ranked teams in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) preseason poll. After starting off regular season play at No.20 Stanford, the Scarlet and Black will travel up to Los Angeles, Calif. just a week later to take on No. 16 University of Southern California on Sunday, Feb. 23. In March, the Aztecs travel to Ann Arbor, Mich. to battle the preseason No.9-ranked Michigan Wolverines. The two teams will face off on Sunday, March 22, at 1 p.m. Four days following, on Thursday, March 26, SDSU meets another ranked opponent in No. 10 Denver, as the Pioneers travel to San Diego for a noon matchup. Sitting at the top of the IWLCA preseason rankings is No. 1 University of Maryland, who SDSU will face for the first time in program history in College Park, Md. on Wednesday, April 1, at 7 p.m.
- Senior Taylor Sullivan will look to continue her success of finding the back of the net in 2020. In 2019, the then-junior tallied 39 points on 35 goals along with a .402 shot percentage. She is the Aztecs returning leader in goals, points, shots on goal and free position goals.
- The 2020 season will be Head Coach Kylee White's ninth season as the shot caller for the Aztecs. Since the inception of the program at San Diego State, White has accumulated a 65-70 overall record, highlighted by three-straight 10-plus win seasons.
- The offseason saw the Aztecs welcome a new face to The Mesa in assistant coach Taylor Gait, a 2016 (bachelor's degree) and 2018 (master's degree) Syracuse graduate. As a senior for the Orange, Gait tallied a career-high 21 points on 18 goals and a personal-best 13 assists, earning All-Northeast Region honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). Assistant coach Brandi Padilla earned a promotion and will now act as SDSU's associate head coach.
- The Scarlet and Black welcome 13 talented newcomers to the team for the 2020 campaign. This year's SDSU recruiting class features some of the nation's top high school student-athletes who sharpened their talents at leading lacrosse programs in Maryland, California and New York, along with a Canadian prep star and a three-year Division I college transfer.
- Eight Aztecs were named to the 2019 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation all-academic team, the second highest total in program history. The eight selections in alphabetical order feature sophomore Bailey Brown, senior Paige Hudak, sophomore Hailey Kovinsky, senior Natalie Peel, sophomore Julia Sheehan, senior Harlowe Steele, junior Taylor Sullivan and fellow classmate Morgan Taylor.
- Collectively, San Diego State was designated an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad for the fourth time in program history (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) after recording a team GPA above the 3.0 prerequisite last year.
Up Next
- After opening the season on the road, San Diego State returns to America's Finest City to kick off 2020 home action against Arizona State on Thursday, Feb. 20. Opening draw is set for 1 p.m. PT, with free posters available for all fans in attendance.
Opponent Notebook
Stanford
The Cardinal (0-1) dropped their season opener at No. 10 Denver 17-13. Before the Aztecs arrive on The Farm, Stanford hosts No. 8 Virginia Friday at 3 p.m. The Cardinal ended the 2019 season ranked No. 23 (IWLCA), finishing with a 13-6 overall record (7-3 in Pac-12 play). Sunday marks Stanford head coach Danielle Spencer's home debut, most recently coaching at Dartmouth and earning Ivy League Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2018. Freshman Jay Browne tallied six points in her collegiate debut, recording a team-high four goals and two assists (in loss at Denver). Junior Ali Baiocco was named to the Tewaarton watch list on Thursday and kicked off her third season as a Cardinal with a hat trick and eight shots. The Harding, N.J. native led Stanford in goals, assists and points in 2019.