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Aztecs slated for seven regular season home games next spring
Source: goaztecs.com
Photo courtesy goaztecs.com
December 1, 2017 (San Diego) - San Diego State lacrosse head coach Kylee White has released her team’s schedule for the 2018 campaign. In addition to seven regular-season home games, the Aztecs’ challenging slate features matchups with four schools that qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year, as well as two conference finalists.
The Scarlet and Black will also engage eight first-time opponents, including two first-year programs, and will serve as host for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championships next April.
SDSU commences its seventh season of competition on the road against California in Berkeley on Sunday, Feb. 11. The Aztecs have won three of the last four meetings against the Golden Bears, including a 14-13 overtime thriller in San Diego last season.
Another Pac-12 member awaits the Scarlet and Black for its home opener when Arizona State invades Aztec Lacrosse Field on Saturday, Feb. 17, as the Sun Devils begin their first year of varsity competition.
The following week, SDSU will head to the front range of the Rocky Mountains to battle former MPSF rivals Denver and Colorado, respectively. The Aztecs will face the Big East Tournament runner-up Pioneers on Friday, Feb. 23, before engaging the Buffaloes, a 2017 MPSF finalist and NCAA Tournament participant, on Sunday, Feb. 25.
As the calendar flips pages, San Diego State returns to “America’s Finest City” to open a five-game homestand over a nine-day span, starting Friday, March 2, when it plays host to Atlantic-10 member St. Bonaventure, the first of three consecutive first-time opponents.
SDSU’s busy stretch continues with matchups against Presbyterian and Niagara on consecutive dates, March 5-6, respectively, before Boston College pays a visit to Montezuma Mesa on Saturday, March 10. Last season, the Golden Eagles fell to Maryland in the finals of the NCAA Tournament by a narrow 16-13 margin.
The Aztecs will play four of their next five games in the Eastern time zone, beginning on Friday, March 16, when they venture to Greenville, South Carolina, for a clash against Furman. The two sides last met in 2015, with the Scarlet and Black came up on the short end of a 13-12 decision. SDSU wraps up its excursion through the Palmetto State in Spartanburg two days later on Sunday, March 18, when it takes on Wofford, another first-year program.
The Aztecs will return to San Diego to battle Liberty on Friday, March 23, in the second-ever meeting between the two schools after SDSU extinguished the Flames by an 18-12 tally at home in 2015.
The Aztecs will venture back to the East Coast for two additional contests against first-time adversaries, squaring off Colonial Athletic Association member Delaware on Tuesday, March 27, before engaging Northeast Conference affiliate Mount St. Mary’s on Friday, March 30, in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
SDSU will close off its regular-season home schedule on Sunday, April 8, when it takes on conference rival UC Davis as part of Senior Day festivities. The Aztecs have captured three of the last four encounters against the Aggies, including a 13-11 triumph on the road last season to clinch a spot in the MPSF tournament.
The following weekend, SDSU will kick off a three-game road swing against USC on Friday, April 13, in Los Angeles. The Women of Troy finished with a No. 8 national ranking last year after advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals, where they lost to eventual runner-up Boston College.
The Aztecs will then trek to the Central Valley to tangle with MPSF adversary Fresno State on Sunday, April 15. SDSU owns a 5-1 advantage in the all-time series, but will be looking to avenge a 19-12 defeat at the hands of the Bulldogs last season in Fresno.
The Aztecs will put the finishing touches on their regular-season slate against Notre Dame at Arlotta Stadium in South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday, April 21, in the first-ever battle between the two programs. The Fighting Irish finished with an 11-8 overall mark in 2017 and advanced to the NCAA first round where they lost to Cornell.
As the month winds down, SDSU will serve as host for the 2018 MPSF Championships, which are scheduled for April 27 and 29, at Aztec Lacrosse Field. The second and third seeds will battle one another in the semifinal match, with the winner advancing to the championship final against the No. 1 seed.
San Diego State is coming off its most successful season in program history when it registered a school-record 10 victories, including its first-ever postseason victory with an 18-13 triumph over Oregon in the MPSF tournament. In addition to 13 talented freshmen, this year’s Aztec roster boasts 20 returning veterans, including captains Mackenzie Lech, Natalie Peel and Harlowe Steele.
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