Lacrosse

Aztecs at Cal Friday evening

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Aztecs at Cal Friday eveningAztecs at Cal Friday evening

Game Week Preview
San Diego State (0-1) at California (0-2)
Friday, Feb. 18 | 5 p.m. PT | FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium

San Diego State (0-1) at UC Davis (0-0)
Sunday, Feb. 20 | 12 p.m. PT | UC Davis Health Stadium

SAN DIEGO – The Aztec lacrosse team (0-1) returns to action this weekend, playing at Cal (0-2) Friday at 5 p.m. and at UC Davis, their old MPSF foe, Sunday at noon. Both games will be streamed.
 
Notes from Season Opener at USC

  • SDSU lost their season opener, falling 18-7 at USC last Saturday.
  • The Aztecs hung with the Trojans early in the game, getting a pair of first quarter goals from Camdyn O'Donnell and trailed just 5-4 with 10:26 left in the second quarter, but then saw the Trojans score six unanswered goals as part of a 10-1 run.
  • O'Donnell and Deanna Balsama led SDSU in scoring with each of them netting a hat trick.
  • It was the first game as an Aztec for Balsama (Sea Isle City, N.J.)., who transferred to SDSU after playing at George Mason for three years.
  • Brook Waddell (Wilsonville, Ore.) also scored her first career goal as an Aztec against USC.
  • Goalkeeper Sam Horan had 10 saves and a team-high four ground balls.
  • Bailey Brown and Cailin Young each caused two turnovers.
  • The Aztecs were 12-for-13 in clears in the first half but just 5-for-11 in the second frame.

Season Preview Tidbits

  • The Aztecs knocked off Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 22-6 in an exhibition last Saturday.
  • The Aztecs will be competing as an independent in 2022. The three-team MPSF folded after Fresno State cut its lacrosse program following the 2021 season.
  • SDSU will play a challenging schedule in 2022, playing away from their home field 10 times and facing five teams ranked in the IWLCA preseason poll: No. 4 Northwestern, No. 14 Denver, No. 15 Princeton, No. 16 Drexel and No. 17 Rutgers.
  • Key returners for the Aztecs include Bailey Brown, a 2021 All-MPSF selection who had 32 points and 26 goals, Cailin Young, 10 goals in 2021 on a .435 shot percentage and Camdyn O'Donnell, 11 points on six goals and five assists.
  • The Aztecs will have to fill the shoes of goalkeeper Katy Sharretts, SDSU's all-time leader in saves. As well as Emily Resnick, who led the team in points (46) and assists (23) last year, and Lexi Tan, who scored a team-high 29 goals.
  • Brown and Young along with Shelby Hook and Sam Horan will be the team captains this season.
  • SDSU has 10 newcomers (seven freshmen and three transfers), and head coach Kylee White is expecting immediate contributors from transfers Julia Lytle (Rutgers) and Deanna Balsama (George Mason). As a team captain, Lytle made 16 starts for Scarlet Knights last year and collected 13 points and caused 12 turnovers. Balsama was the 2019 A-10 Rookie of the Year and totaled 98 goals and 40 assists in her three years at George Mason.
  • Head coach Kylee White (11th season), the only head coach in program history received a five-year contract extension in the fall.

Opponent Notebook (Cal)
The Golden Bears went 0-2 last week, losing at Navy 18-10 and at Virginia 18-5… Cal went 2-16 last year and 0-10 in the Pac-12… Six of their final nine losses were decided by two goals or less… Nikki Zacaro is Cal's active leader in career games played and started, points, goals, and assists… Amanda Morse led Cal in points (6) and goals (5) last weekend… Catherine Roxas collected a team-high four ground balls… Goalkeeper Riley Drulinger allowed 27 goals in 91 minutes for a goals allowed average of 17.81. She faced 62 shots and had 12 saves… Head coach Brooke Eubanks is in her 8th season at Cal… The Aztecs are 8-3 all-time against Cal and have won the last six meetings… SDSU is 3-1 all-time against Cal in Berkeley.

Opponent Notebook (UC Davis)
This will be UC Davis' first game of 2022… They went 12-4 last year and won the 2021 MPSF Championship… They return 20 letterwinners and five starters from last year's team… Their top two returners in terms of points scored last year are Alex Agnew (53) and Kendall Seifert (41)… Goalkeeper Ashley Laing appeared in 11 games last year and had a goals allowed average of 9.56 in 339 minutes… Head coach Suzanne Isidor (5th year) has led UC Davis to 32 wins… SDSU is 5-7 all-time against UC Davis. The Aggies won both meetings last year. The Aztecs are 3-3 all-time at UC Davis.