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Senior Kristen Hickey leads Aztecs with four goals
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo: Kristen Hickey courtesy goaztecs.com
February 4, 2017 (San Diego) - Despite a four-goal performance from senior Kristen Hickey, the San Diego State lacrosse team dropped a 15-10 decision to visiting Denver on Saturday in the 2017 season opener for both squads at Aztec Lacrosse Field.
SDSU also received two goals apiece by senior Vickie Porter and fellow classmate Kayla Deitz, but it wasn’t enough as the Pioneers used an 8-1 run spanning the first and second halves to break open a tight 3-3 game and keep the Scarlet and Black at bay.
Elizabeth Behrins put Denver on the board first with a pair of goals just 39 seconds apart in the fourth minute of play, while Kendra Lanuza followed with a strike shortly thereafter, giving the visitors a 3-0 advantage by the 24:33 mark of the first half.
However, the Aztecs flashed their resiliency, answering with three straight scores to forge a 3-3 deadlock with 22:25 left in the opening period. Two Pioneer fouls 40 seconds apart led to free position goals by Deitz and Hickey, while the latter added another quick score moments later.
Denver short-circuited SDSU’s momentum with four straight goals, including a tally by Julia Feiss off a feed from Caitlin Derry to build a 7-3 lead it would not relinquish.
SDSU ended its scoring drought of nearly 15 minutes when sophomore Natalie Peel found the back of the net with 7:46 left before intermission. However, the Pioneers scored a pair of goals before halftime and added two more in the first 2:14 of the second period to fashion an 11-4 bulge.
The Aztecs were unable to pull closer than five goals the rest of the way, as another free position goal by Hickey with 1:54 remaining provided the contest its final margin. Freshman Taylor Sullivan also got into the act for SDSU with her first collegiate goal in the second half.
Katrina Reeves made 11 saves in front of the net for the Scarlet and Black, while her Denver counterpart Maddy Stevenson finished with five stops of her own. The Pioneers were paced by Behrins’ five goals, while Lanuza and Feiss added three each.
Denver outshot SDSU 29-18, including a 17-8 spread in the first half. The Pioneers also maintained a 21-17 advantage in ground balls and a 17-8 margin on draw controls. The Aztecs were 6-for-10 in free position attempts, while the Pioneers went 1-for-3.
San Diego State returns to action next weekend when it travels to the Pacific Northwest to face Oregon in its Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener on Saturday, Feb. 11, starting at noon PT.
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