SAN DIEGO – The San Diego State women’s soccer team was looking to get back on track on Sunday against Eastern Washington after entering the match with a four-match losing streak. The Eagles (4-3-1) took the lead twice on the SDSU Sports Deck with the Aztecs (2-4-1) evening the score just seconds later on both occasions before SDSU tacked on two more goals for a 4-2 victory to return to the win column.
Olivia Sekimoto had a pair of shots on goal in the first ten minutes, but both were saved by EWU keeper Kamryn Willoughby. San Diego State’s Jenna West was given a yellow card in the 25th minute. Aztec goalie Alexa Madueno had her first save of the match on a shot by Delani Walker in the 30th minute. Midway through the 32nd minute, the Eagles’ Chloe Pattison scored to take a 1-0 lead. Just 31 seconds later, SDSU freshman Alexyz Nakamoto responded with her first career goal to even up the score heading into halftime.
Pattison scored her second goal of the match at the 50:25 mark with an assist by Walker. The reigning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year, Denise Castro, who put a shot on target in the first half, scored the equalizer just 22 seconds after Pattison reclaimed the lead. Carlin Blake and Logan Nidy were credited with assists on the goal.
Just a few minutes later, Castro struck again, this time to take the lead, on a set piece from a Blake corner kick. After a few more Willoughby saves, Castro distributed the ball, passing to Emma Gaines-Ramos, who scored a goal at the end of the 72nd minute to extend San Diego State’s lead to two goals. Madueno saved another shot in the 85th minute to hold on for the 4-2 victory.
San Diego State finished the match with more shots (25-13), shots on goal (12-5) and corner kicks (11-5) while Eastern Washington tallied more saves (8-3) and fouls (14-8).
With her brace and assist, Castro takes the team lead with seven points and is tied with Gaines-Ramos for the team lead of three goals. She ranks in the top ten in program history in terms of career points and assists. The San Ysidro native breaks her tie with Lynn Murray with the seventh most points in school history, moving up to 65. In goals, Castro remains in sixth with 28, just one behind Hannah Keane’s 29.
With her first career goal, Nakamoto becomes the first Aztec freshman to score not just this season but since Logan Nidy scored against UC San Diego on September 4, 2022. Nidy also scored against Idaho on August 21, 2022. No other Aztec freshman has scored since the beginning of the 2022 season.
Gaines-Ramos joins Castro atop the Aztec leaderboard with three goals but has done so in one fewer match with six appearances to Castro’s seven.
Madueno added three saves to her career tally to reach 335. She is now just three saves behind Aubree Southwick’s program record of 338.
San Diego State will be back at the SDSU Sports Deck at noon next Sunday for a match against Utah Valley. Admission is free and the match will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.