SAN DIEGO – San Diego State lacrosse returned to The Mesa on Saturday, hosting Cincinnati at Aztec Field for the team’s third conference game of the season. It was a back-and-forth battle all the way through the end, but the Aztecs were unable to overcome the Bearcats in a 19-15 defeat.
The Aztecs fall to 5-9 overall and 0-3 in the Big 12 while Cincinnati improves to 8-7 on the season and 1-2 in the league.
Emma Betts led the San Diego State offense, posting a career high four goals, two of which came in the crucial fourth period. The senior also added one assist, one draw control and three ground balls.
Freshman Keira Doyle-Odenbach also set a career high, putting three in the back of the net in addition to recording six draw controls and three ground balls.
Kate Christos added three, Frankie Garcia and Bella Tan each put away two and Sara Toner had one on the day.
The Bearcats were led by Lauren Ottensmeyer, who tallied seven goals. Camryn Callaghan was the second leading scorer with five.
The Scarlet and Black went with a new starting goalkeeper, playing Grace Moore in the cage for the full 60 minutes. The freshman recorded eight saves off 37 shots faced.
The Aztecs took an early lead, outscoring the Bearcats 4-3 in the first period thanks to two goals from Doyle-Odenbach and one from Christos and Tan. Cincinnati was able to gain momentum in the second period, putting away seven unanswered goals to pull ahead 10-6 by halftime. San Diego State rallied in the third, putting seven points on the board and allowing only four, putting the Aztecs within one. The teams exchanged two goals in the first half of the final quarter before the Bearcats were ultimately able to pull away with three goals in the final two and a half minutes.
Next up, the Aztecs head to Tempe, Ariz. for their final road game of the season, taking on Arizona State on April 19 at noon.