SAN DIEGO – The Aztec lacrosse team (3-5) hosts No. 9 Denver (9-1) at 12 p.m. on the Aztec Lacrosse Field.
Aztec Tidbits
• The Aztecs fell to Drexel, who is receiving votes in the latest IWLCA poll, 15-14 in overtime Wednesday evening.
• This was SDSU's first overtime game of the year. There were four lead changes and three ties in the fourth quarter.
• Three Aztecs scored four goals: Deanna Balsama, Camdyn O'Donnell & Julia Lytle.
• Goalkeeper Sam Horan had 16 saves. She has averaged 18.3 saves over the last three games, the most over a three-game span in program history.
• The Aztecs have caused 27 total turnovers in their last two games. Their 16 caused turnovers against Marquette was a season-high.
• SDSU scored exactly 18 goals in three straight games from Feb. 27 to March 15, their first time scoring 18 or more goals in three straight games since the 2018 season.
• SDSU has alternated wins and losses over their last five games.
• SDSU is 10th in the nation in shots on goal per game (25.5). The Aztecs have had at least 25 shots on goals in six of their last seven games.
• SDSU is 21st in the nation with 18.8 ground balls per game. Goalkeeper Sam Horan is third in the nation with 3.9 ground balls per game.
• On three occasions an Aztec has scored eight or more points in a game this year (Balsama twice & O'Donnell once). Prior to this year, that had only happened twice in SDSU's 10-year history.
• The Aztecs have played or will play seven teams that are currently ranked or receiving votes in the most recent IWLCA poll.
• SDSU is in the midst of four straight home games. The Aztecs began the season with five consecutive road games and will be on the road for five in a row again after Sunday's home tilt with Denver.
Player Notes
Deanna Balsama (Sr. | Attack | Sea Isle, N.J.)
• Balsama leads the nation in goals per game (5.0) and shots on goal per game (7.8).
• She is also top ten in free position goals per game (2nd, 1.8), shots per game (3rd, 9.4), and total goals (5th, 40).
• She is on pace to score 75 goals. The school record is 52 set by Harlowe Steele in 2019.
• Balsama has scored eight goals in two of the last four games, the most in a game in school history.
• Her 10 points against Princeton tied for the most in a game in school history (Michaela Jarvis – 2013). She also had nine against Oregon.
Camdyn O'Donnell (Jr. | Attack | Poway, Calif.)
• O'Donnell had seven goals and an assist against Marquette last Tuesday. Her seven goals tied for the second most in school history and her eight points tied for the fourth most in program history.
• She attempted 14 shots against Marquette, the most ever in a game for an Aztec.
• She collected eight ground balls at Oregon (Feb. 27), the most in school history.
• Her seven assists are tied for the team lead with Brook Waddell.
Sam Horan (Sr. | GK | San Rafael, Calif.)
• Horan averages 13.38 saves per game, tied for the most in the nation.
• She has made 55 saves over the last three games. Her 21 saves against Princeton was a school record and then she saved 18 against Marquette, the third-most in school history. Against Drexel, she had 16, fourth-most in school history.
• She is averaging 3.88 ground balls per game, the third most in the nation.
Julia Lytle (Sr. | Midfield | Martinsville, N.J.)
• Lytle caused five turnovers against Marquette last Tuesday, tied for the second-most in school history.
• Against UC Davis on Feb. 22, she had seven ground balls, which tied a school record at the time (O'Donnell had eight the following week).
Bailey Brown (Sr. | Midfield | Katy, Texas)
• Brown is the all-time leader in draw controls with 214 and counting.
• She had nine draw controls at Oregon, which matched her career-high. Brown is the only Aztec in school history to have at least nine draw controls in a game twice (she has done it on three occasions).
Brook Waddell (So. | Attack | Wilsonville, Ore.)
• Her seven assists are tied for the team lead with Camdyn O'Donnell. She had zero last year as a freshman.
Opponent Notebook (#9 Denver)
Denver is 9-1 on the year and is ranked No. 9 in the latest IWLCA poll… They went 16-2 last year and 10-0 in the Big East… Their only loss was to No. 1 Boston College… They have wins over three ranked teams: No. 14 Stanford (8-6), No. 16 Vanderbilt (10-6) and at No. 8 Michigan (9-8)… They have three common opponents with the Aztecs: UC Davis, Cal & Drexel. They went 3-0 in those games while SDSU went 1-2… They allow 6.9 goals per game, the fewest in the nation… They cause 13.1 turnovers per game, the third most in the nation… Sam Thacker caused 2.78 turnovers per game, also third in the nation… Goalkeeper Emelia Bohi has a goals allowed average of 7.16, the second best in the nation… Head coach Liza Kelly (15th season) has led the Pioneers to five NCAA Tournaments. She is 205-74 at Denver… The Aztecs are 0-8 all-time against Denver and 0-3 in San Diego. The average score is 15.25-9.25.
Aztecs Host No. 9 Denver Sunday
