March 9, 2017
SAN DIEGO -
Game Week Preview
Saint Joseph's (2-2, 0-0 Atlantic 10) at San Diego State (3-2, 0-1 MPSF)
Friday, March 10 | 7 p.m. PT | Aztec Lacrosse Field
Live Stats | Watch
Aztec Storylines
- Winners of three straight, the San Diego State lacrosse team looks to keep the momentum rolling this week when it plays host to Saint Joseph's in a non-conference tilt on Friday, March 10, at Aztec Lacrosse Field. Game time is set for 7 p.m. PT. In addition to live stats, a link to streaming video will be available on GoAztecs.com. The first 250 fans in attendance will also receive a free Aztec flag.
* SDSU is coming off a 14-8 triumph over Boston University last Sunday to open a seven-game homestand. The Aztecs received goals from nine different players, including two apiece from seniors Kayla Deitz, Kristen Hickey, Vickie Porter and Alex Watson, along with sophomore Natalie Peel. SDSU's senior goalkeeping duo of Katrina Reeves and Katie Merritt split time in front of the cage, with Merritt making nine saves after entering the contest with 21:41 remaining in the contest.
* The Aztecs broke a 7-7 tie with six straight goals during a 12-minute span in the second half to put the game out of reach. As a team, SDSU outshot Terriers 37-23, including a 19-7 spread in the first half. In addition, the Aztecs maintained a 27-13 advantage in ground balls and an 18-7 margin in draw controls.
* SDSU also received a sizable contribution from senior Casey Taggart, who came up with a career-high six ground balls, which is tied for second on the school's single-game charts. She also added a personal-best three caused turnovers en route to earning Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Defensive Player of the Week honors.
* Taggart's award gives the Aztecs four conference weekly honorees already this season. Last week, Reeves received defensive recognition from the league, while Hickey (offensive) and freshman Taylor Sullivan (rookie) garnered their respective accolades Feb. 6.
* San Diego State will be battling Saint Joseph's for the second straight season after posting a 15-13 victory on the road last year in Philadelphia, Pa. The two teams were tied 9-9 midway through the second half before the Scarlet and Black erupted for five straight goals during a span of 7:50 to take the lead for good. Former Aztec Alexa Comfort led all players with six goals, including a 2-for-3 effort on free position shots, while Peel finished with a team-high three ground balls. In addition, SDSU received a pair of tallies from Porter and another former player Katie Gill, while Merritt and Reeves combined for nine saves in front of the net.
* Through five games, Porter has been the Aztecs' leading scorer, posting 12 goals on 25 shots, highlighted by hat tricks at Oregon and Detroit Mercy. In addition, Hickey and Watson have amassed 10 markers apiece, while Peel and Deitz have scored seven each. After last Sunday's triumph, Hickey is tied for second in the MPSF with seven free position goals. She also boasts a team-high 30 shots, which is tied for seventh in the MPSF, while her 14 ground balls is tied for eighth, along with junior Mackenzie Lech.
* As a team, SDSU tops the MPSF with an average of 23.80 ground balls and 14.60 caused turnovers per game, while ranking third with 30.20 shots per contest. The Aztecs are also 19-for-36 (.528) on the year in free position shots and are 64-74 in clears (.865).
* In front of the net, Merritt leads the conference with a .900 save percentage following her stellar performance in relief last Sunday vs. Boston University, while Reeves occupies the fourth spot with a 10.13 goals against average and ranks seventh with a .466 save percentage. Last season, Reeves and Merritt split keeper duties as well, allowing the second-fewest goals in program history (190).
* SDSU will play a program-record 10 home games this year, including an action-packed March that features seven dates at Aztec Lacrosse Field alone. Following the BU game last Sunday, Friday's clash with Saint Joseph's marks the second of four straight eastern foes the Scarlet and Black will face on The Mesa, with New Hampshire (March 15) and Columbia (March 18) arriving in town next week. In addition, MPSF rivals Saint Mary's (March 24) and California (March 26) will invade "America's Finest City", before a visit by Brown (March 31) rounds out the busy month.
* Sunday's victory over the Boston University extended the Aztecs' victory streak to three games, their longest since winning seven in a row from Feb. 28-March 22, 2015. Over the past three games, the SDSU defense has really tightened its grip, especially in the second half, outscoring the opposition 16-3 over final 22 minutes in each of those contests.
* San Diego State was picked to finish sixth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in 2017, as the league released its annual preseason coaches' poll on Jan. 24. The Aztecs received 28 points in the balloting, which was completed by the conference's nine head coaches. SDSU landed in the sixth position, eight points behind fifth-place UC Davis (36 pts.) and five points ahead of seventh-place California (23 pts). Reigning MPSF champion and NCAA quarterfinalist USC was predicted to defend its MPSF title from a year ago, garnering 64 points and eight first-place votes, while league finalist and NCAA Tournament participant Stanford was pegged for the runner-up slot after netting 56 points and one first-place vote. Colorado, which took third in the conference race last season, was projected for the same finish in 2017 after earning 51 points, while Oregon wound up fourth in the poll with 38 points.
* SDSU has once again inked a talented recruiting class for the 2017 season. Highlighting the newcomers are two high school All-Americans and a pair of all-state performers, nine all-conference selections, three all-section/district honorees, one all-county pick and one player of the year award recipient.
* Sullivan leads the Aztecs' talented freshman cast with five goals so far this season, which is good for sixth on the team. The Annapolis, Md., product also ranks sixth on the squad with 15 shots, including seven on frame, while notching three ground balls, two caused turnovers, one assist and one draw control. In addition, SDSU has received a team-high 12 draw controls from Ryli Quinn, while Morgan Taylor tops the freshman class with 10 ground balls, which ranks fifth on the team.
* Sullivan is also the lone freshman to start in all five games for the Aztecs this year, joining Hickey, Lech, Porter, Peel, Reeves and sophomore Harlowe Steele.
* The program's only coach after lacrosse became the 19th intercollegiate sport at San Diego State in 2012, Kylee White is now in her sixth season at the helm of the Aztecs. She has transformed SDSU's fledgling program to a strong competitor in the MPSF, highlighted by consecutive conference tournament appearances in 2014 and 2015. In November 2016, White was inducted into the London (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame after becoming the only women's lacrosse player to represent Canada in each of the last three decades. In 1995, she played on the inaugural U-19 Canadian National Team and later served as an assistant for the squad in 2007. White also played for Team Canada at four IFWLA World Cups (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013), helping the 2013 team to a silver medal. A four-year letterwinner at Ohio State, White was a four-time Buckeye scholar-athlete honoree and a Big Ten all-academic performer on three occasions. She co-captained the 2002 squad to an 11-5 record and a runner-up finish in the American Lacrosse Conference, helping Ohio State claim its first NCAA berth. White caused 28 turnovers in 2001 and still ranks among the OSU all-time leaders in caused turnovers and ground balls.
Opponent Notebook
Saint Joseph's
The Hawks evened their record at 2-2 on the year after defeating Cal in a wild 18-17 slugfest last Sunday. SJU trailed by two on five separate occasions in the first half, including a 6-4 deficit with 19:48 remaining, before uncorking a 9-5 run to stake a 13-11 lead by intermission. Freshman Hope Anhut led all players with five goals on the day, including back-to-back markers in the first half that put the Hawks ahead to stay at 8-7 with 10:55 left in the first period. For the season, Anhut tops the squad with 13 goals, while senior Nora McCallion and sophmore Rebecca Lane have amassed 12 apiece. Seniors Liz O'Sullivan and Amelia Deibler have shared the goalkeeping duties for SJU this year, combining for .387 save percentage and a 12.25 goals against average. Through four games, the Hawks are averaging 14.0 goals per game, along with 17.0 ground balls, 12.5 draw controls and 9.75 caused turnovers. In addition, SJU is 6-9 (.667) on free position attempts and is 51-63 (.810) on clears. The Hawks are coached by Alex Kahoe, who is in her third season in the City of Brotherly Love. Kahoe was three-time All-American during her collegiate playing career at Maryland before graduating in 2000.