SAN DIEGO – After a 5-0 win over Nevada in Thursday’s conference opener, the San Diego State women’s soccer team looked to build on that momentum in Sunday’s match against UNLV on the SDSU Sports Deck. Alexa Madueno put up her second consecutive shutout as Trinity Coker and Denise Castro each scored in the last ten minutes of the match, with Emma Gaines-Ramos assisting on both goals in a 2-0 victory. The Aztecs, with Colorado State, are in first place in the Mountain West after their 2-0-0 week.
The first half was all about the goalkeepers on both sides as they kept the offenses off the board. For SDSU (4-5-1), Alexa Madueno had saves in the tenth, 36th and 37th minutes. On the Rebel (3-6-1) side, Hanne Breur put up five saves. Kali Trevithick and Denise Castro each had shots on goal in the opening ten minutes of the match before Carlin Blake put two shots on goal in the 21st and 22nd minutes and Alexyz Nakamoto put a shot on frame in the 29th minute.
Both offenses came out firing in the second half. Kali Trevithick forced another Breur save in the 52nd minute before Trinity Coker did so twice a minute later. After UNLV drove down the field, Alexa Madueno made a pair of saves before it appeared the Rebels scored a go-ahead goal in the 59th minute but the referees signaled for offsides, and the match remained scoreless.
Shortly afterwards, Castro and Blake fired shots on goal but were unable to score. Madueno put up another save of her own and Dori Savage forced a save in the 77th minute.
Finally, at the 80:56 mark, Gaines-Ramos found Coker who was able to get it by Breur to give the Aztecs a 1-0 lead. A little over five minutes later, Castro scored her third goal of the week on a pass from Gaines-Ramos to provide insurance. UNLV’s Gianna Newby was assessed a yellow card late in the 89th minute but Madueno did not face another shot as SDSU closed out a 2-0 win.
San Diego State finished the match with more shots (24-14), shots on goal (13-6) and corners (11-4) while UNLV tallied more saves (11-6).
Castro’s third goal of the week ties her for first in the Mountain West in goals with Boise State’s Avery McBride at six. However, McBride has played 11 games to Castro’s ten. She leads SDSU in goals (6) and points (13) this season. Castro’s goal ties her with Hannah Keane for fifth most points in program history with 74. She is fifth in goals in school history as well with 31. Castro ranks in the top 100 in the nation in goals (91st) and goals per game (86th).
Madueno totaled six saves to extend her program record career tally to 356. Her third shutout of the season and second of the week is the 25th of her career, which puts her just one away from tying the program record. Madueno trails Melanie Vaughn (25.5) and Aubree Southwick (26).
Coker’s second goal of the week and season ties a career high. After not scoring as a freshman, Coker had a pair of goals in each of the last two seasons.
With her two assists, Gaines-Ramos ties Carlin Blake for the team lead with four assists on the season. All four of Gaines-Ramos’ assists have come this week after she also had a pair of assists in Thursday’s win over Nevada.
San Diego State hits the road for four matches over the next two weeks. SDSU plays No. 10 Utah State on Thursday and Boise State on Sunday before going to Colorado College on October 10 and Air Force on October 13.