ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – San Diego State women's soccer found the equalizer with four seconds to play to send its Mountain West Championship match to overtime at New Mexico, but the Lobos got the golden goal in the 96th minute to bring an end to the Aztecs' season, 3-2.
Down 1-2 for nearly 53 minutes, the game looked all but lost in the final 15 seconds when SDSU (8-3-0) earned a corner kick. Chloe Frisch took it and sent it to the far side of the box to Anna Toohey. Toohey took one touch, settled the ball and bent a shot toward the far post. Sarah Broacha redirected it in with just four seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime. It was Broacha's first goal of the season and Toohey's team and league-leading sixth assist.
The Aztecs had the first dangerous chance in overtime. In the 93rd minute, after the Lobos keeper picked up a back-pass, San Diego State was awarded a direct free kick from about 12 yards out to the right of the goal. Laura Fuentes touched the ball to Frisch, who was on her left, and Frisch fired a shot just wide of the left post which would have ended the game.
Play continued and at the 95:25 mark New Mexico (10-1-0) got the game winner. The Lobos drove the ball down the right side and took a shot which Aztec keeper Alexa Madueno stopped but could not control. The ball trickled to the left and right on to the foot of Jadyn Edwards who fired it into the top of the goal for the game and championship winner.
Since the league was formed in 1999, this was the 11th time San Diego State has played for the Mountain West title and its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. And it was the sixth time the Aztecs have had to play more than 90 minutes to decide a winner (SDSU is 1-5 in those games). Three times, in 1999, 2014 and Saturday night, the games have ended in overtime (SDSU is 1-2 in those games), and three times, in 2004, 2015 & 2016, the games have gone to penalty kicks and SDSU is 0-3 in those games.
The Aztecs controlled the run of play from the opening whistle and got paid off at the 16:20 mark with Toohey's sixth goal of the campaign. Lauren Dicus played the ball into the box to Toohey, but a defender jumped into the passing lane and headed the ball back out and right onto the foot of Rachelle Elve. Elve popped the ball into the air toward Toohey, who playing like a basketball player boxing out a defender, held the defender off, spun, headed the ball to herself and popped it past the charging keeper and into the goal for a 1-0 San Diego State lead.
The Aztecs continued to press the advantage for a few more minutes, but in the final 25 minutes of the half, New Mexico took the game away from them. The Lobos got the equalizer on a Cami Floth strike just slightly more than five minutes after Toohey's goal.
New Mexico then took a 2-1 lead in the 37th minute. Alesia Garcia drove down the right side, got the defense turned in her direction and played a perfect cross to Edwards at the far post who tucked the ball in the open goal.
The game remained 2-1 until the 89:56 mark, when Toohey and Broacha combined for the equalizer.
New Mexico outshot the Aztecs 14-to-11, including 10-to-6 in the first half, and earned more corners 5-to-3.
Toohey, the Mountain West Newcomer of the Year and a first-team All-Mountain West selection, led SDSU with three shots, two on frame, a goal and an assist. Chloe Frisch, the league's Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-Mountain West honoree attempted two shots putting one on goal. First-team All-Mountain West performers Broacha and Emma Gaines-Ramos each produced a shot, with Broacha getting the 90th minute equalizer and Malia Kaleiohi, Dicus, Daniela Filpovich and Rachelle Elve each took a shot and Elve was credited with an assist on the Toohey goal.
A second-team All-Mountain West selection, Madueno made five saves for the Aztecs and surrendered three goals in 95:25.
New Mexico was led by four shots each from Floth and Edwards, those two scored the team's three goals, and keeper Emily Johnson had five saves and allowed two goals.
THE NOTE
San Diego State's two tallies doubled the number of goals New Mexico had allowed at home in its previous five games this season.
THE NOTE 2
San Diego State has faced New Mexico three times for the championship of the Mountain West (2012, 2017 and 2021) and suffered its first loss to the Lobos after holding them scoreless in the previous two encounters.
-SDSU-
Aztecs Fall 3-2 in Overtime for MW Crown
