SAN DIEGO – San Diego State lacrosse suffered its first loss of the season on Sunday, falling to Denver 19-9 in the home opener at Aztec Field.
The Aztecs (4-1, 0-0 Big 12), who dominated offensively in their first four games, trailed at halftime for the first time this season and could not overcome the early deficit.
The Pioneers (3-2, 0-0 Big East), who received votes in this week’s IWLCA Coaches Poll, earn their third straight win after starting the season 0-2.
“We played a great Denver team,” said Head Coach Kylee White. “We went in feeling very confident in our team and what we’ve learned over the last four games, but we had some uncharacteristic things happen today that led to a bigger loss than it needed to be. They battled until the end and competed hard, which I’m proud of them for. Our takeaways from today are that we need to stay disciplined, stay present and show up to games ready from the first whistle.”
Sophomore Frankie Garcia led the Aztecs in scoring with three goals on the day. Senior Sara Toner added two while Emma Betts, Kate Christos, Bella Tan and Keira Doyle-Odenbach each put one in the cage. Christos, the back-to-back Big 12 Midfielder of the Week, led SDSU in draw controls and ground balls, recording three of each. Goalkeeper Caitlin Boughton had 12 saves on 31 shots faced.
Denver’s Lauren Black and Raegen Wilson led the Pioneers with three goals apiece. Olivia Ripple, Caroline Bowers, Caroline Colimore, Eva Thomsen-Marr and Caroline Keil each scored two and Ryan Dineen, Kyra Obert and Addy Caulk each added one.
The Pioneers jumped out to a quick lead, taking a 3-0 advantage by the 8:01 mark. Doyle-Odenbach, the Big 12 Freshman of the Week, responded with a free-position goal to put the Aztecs on the board. Frankie Garcia added another one in free position, keeping the Aztecs within striking distance at the end of the first period with a score of 5-2.
The Scarlet and Black couldn’t shrink the deficit in the second period, heading into the break down 10-5 after two goals from Garcia and one from Betts.
The Pioneers outscored the Aztecs 9-4 in the second half to secure the win.
San Diego State will return to action on March 1, hosting USC at Aztec Field at 1 p.m.