SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women's soccer team had scored three goals in its first six games, covering 540 minutes, but in just under 55 minutes on Friday night at San Diego, freshman Denise Castro equaled that goal total and sent the Aztecs to a 3-0 victory.
Castro scored in the 29th, 35th and 55th minute to become the third freshman to accomplish the feat in an SDSU uniform, and the first to do it since Kim Castellanos had a pair of hat tricks in her initial campaign on The Mesa in the 2000 season. The only other freshman to score three times in a game for San Diego State was Lori LaCoursiere who did it in the 1996 season.
The victory snapped a five-game skid, which had equaled the second longest losing streak in program history, as well as halting a six-game slide for the team in games played on the Toreros' home field. The last time the Aztecs had won at USD was in a 4-2 decision on October 7, 1998.
In addition to Castro's offensive output, sophomore keeper Alexa Madueno, who entered the week ranked No. 2 in the nation with 44 saves, recorded her second clean sheet of the year while stopping all five Toreros' shots which reached her line.
The team's played a statistically equal first half, both producing four shots. The difference was Castro.
In the 29th minute, senior striker Anna Toohey fed the ball to Castro at the top of the 18. Castro turned and fired a right footed shot low to the far post. At the time it was her team leading third goal and Toohey picked up her first assist of the season.
Then, at the 34:37 mark, Castro struck again. This time senior defender Lauren Dicus took a pass down the right side, played it into the box where, with one touch, the San Ysidro, Calif., native turned and fired a shot between the legs of Toreors' keeper Judith Sorribes to double the Aztecs lead. It was Dicus' first assist as an Aztec and the teams went to intermission with San Diego State holding a 2-0 advantage.
If two goals are good, three are better.
In the 55th minute, Castro got the hat trick. From midfield, junior defender Claire Watkins passed down the right side to Toohey who crossed it into Castro, who was crashing the goal. With one touch of her left foot, she slotted it in for her third goal of the game.
From there, the Aztecs defense took over and kept San Diego off the board for the next 35 minutes to secure the shutout victory.
The Aztecs offense was very efficient at San Diego, they produced seven shots (four from Castro, two from Emma Gaines-Ramos and one from Taylor Moorehead) and scored on three of them. The Toreros attempted 14 shots led by Aryssa Mahrt's four.
THE NOTE
Denise Castro is the third freshman in San Diego State history to record a hat trick, and is the first freshman to do all the team's scoring in the game in which she had her hat trick.
NEXT UP
The Aztecs have eight days off until they host the UCLA Bruins on the Sports Deck on Sept. 19 at 6 p.m. PT.
-SDSU-
Aztecs Blank Toreros 3-0 Behind Castro’s Hat Trick
