MPSF Lacrosse Results, Mar. 24
March 24, 2017 *SAN DIEGO STATE 16, St. Mary's 5
Recap by SDSU
SAN DIEGO - San Diego State won for the sixth time in its last seven outings with a 16-5 conquest of Saint Mary's in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game Friday night at Aztec Lacrosse Field. With the victory, SDSU improves to 6-3 on the season and 1-1 in conference play, while the Gaels slip to 1-8 overall and 0-4 in the MPSF. Balanced scoring was once again on display for the Aztecs, who had nine players find the back of the net during the contest. Senior Kristen Hickey and sophomore Kirstie Greenlaw tallied three goals apiece, while senior Alex Watson, junior Katherine Smith and sophomore Natalie Peel finished with two strikes each. The SDSU cause was also aided by junior Mackenzie Lech, who tied her season-high with four ground balls, while freshman Ryli Quinn posted a game-best four draw controls. As a team, the Aztecs outshot Saint Mary's 37-16, including a 28-13 advantage in attempts on goal. In addition, SDSU maintained the upper hand in ground balls (24-18) and draw controls (14-9) to move to 7-0 all-time against the Gaels. San Diego State opened with a 5-0 blitz in the first 10 minutes of the first half and never looked back, fashioning an 8-3 lead by intermission. Hickey recorded all three of her markers in the period, including two on free position attempts, while freshman Morgan Taylor contributed two points on a goal and an assist. The Aztecs continued to build on the their advantage after the break, scoring the first three goals of the second half on strikes by Watson, Peel and sophomore Paige Hudak, who notched her first collegiate tally with nearly 10 minutes elapsed in the period. Leading 11-3, SDSU ceded a goal to SMC's Claire Healy before engineering another 4-0 run, as Greenlaw completed her first career hat trick with a pair of strikes during a span of 12:41. The two sides traded goals over the final four-and-a-half minutes to complete the scoring, as Smith converted from the free position with 1:17 to go. Collectively, the Aztecs were 8-for-15 on free position attempts, while the Gaels went 0-3 on the evening. SDSU was also 15-17 on clears (.882), while the Gaels were just 12-for-22 (.545) in that category. In front of the net, the Aztec goalkeeping trio of seniors Katrina Reeves, Katie Merritt and sophomore Katy Sharretts combined for eight saves while limiting an SDSU opponent to its lowest scoring output of the season. San Diego State will be back in action on Sunday when it plays host to California at Aztec Lacrosse Field, starting at noon PT.
No. 7 STONY BROOK 9, No. 9 Usc 7
Recap by USC
STONY BROOK, N.Y. -- Despite a hotly contested second half, the No. 9-ranked USC lacrosse team (6-3) fell, 9-7, to No. 7 Stony Brook (7-1) at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Friday, March 24. It was the third time this season that the Trojans have lost to a top-10 ranked opponent on the road and sends USC to its first back-to-back losses since Feb. 7 and 21 of 2015.
USC won the center circle by an 11-7 count, but couldn't convert on its offensive opportunities. The Seawolves jumped out to a 3-0 lead to open the game, and out-shot the Trojans, 22-19, with a 9-4 edge in saves to preserve the two-goal victory.
Three Trojans scored multiple goals including senior attacker Kylie Drexel who finished with three points (2g, 1a) to go with two ground balls and a new career high of five caused turnovers; which equals the second-highest total by a USC player in single-game history (tied with four other such instances). Senior attacker Michaela Michael scored a pair of goals and led the team with six draw controls. She also added a pair of ground balls and a caused turnover.
Freshman midfielder Kerrigan Miller had a pair of goals--one from free position--and picked up a ground ball, a draw control, and caused one turnover. Senior attacker Gabby McMahon had the seventh USC goal. Trojans earned three assists including the one by Drexel. Senior attacker Cynthia Del Core had one and senior midfielder Drew Jackson had the other. Jackson also grabbed three draw controls and had two ground balls.
Defensively, the Trojans picked up 19 ground balls. Freshman defender Morgan Kuligowski set new career marks with three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Freshman midfielder Kaeli Huff matched a career high with three ground balls and caused one turnover. Sophomore midfielder Jackie Gilbert picked up two ground balls and caused two turnovers. In goal, junior netminder Gussie Johns had four saves and picked up a ground ball.
For the Seawolves, Anna Tesoriero got the win and did so on the strength of nine saves. She had a heavy hand in denying the Trojan attack and finished out the day with three ground balls. Kylie Ohlmiller notched a hat trick and her sister Taryn Ohlmiller scored a pair of goals. Kristin Yevoli led her team with four draw controls and added four ground balls and three caused turnovers. Brooke Gubitosi pestered the USC offense to the tune of five ground balls and four caused turnovers. Dorrien Van Dyke finished with two goals.
Stony Brook broke free for a big 3-0 run to open the game. It took the Seawolves just three minutes and 30 seconds to get goals from Ally Kennedy, Van Dyke, and Taryn Ohlmiller. USC answered at 24:50 when Drexel scored on a straight-ahead free-position shot, but Stony Brook was unrelenting as it went up by four goals, 5-1, on scores from Van Dyke and Keri McCarthy with more than 22 minutes left in the first half. Del Core dished to McMahon for the goal at 15:56, but again, the Seawolves responded with back-to-back goals, this time both by Kylie Ohlmiller for a big 7-2 lead.
Drexel found Michael cutting and hit her with a pass for a goal at 12:31 to stem the tide, but Kylie Ohlmiller dished to Taryn Ohlmiller for a goal at 7:42 left in the first half to extend the lead to five again at 8-3. The Trojans scored two more in the first half, both on free-position attempts, to trim the lead to three heading into the break.
Nearly 15 minutes had ticked off the clock when Kylie Ohlmiller went to goal unassisted to get the first goal of the second half. Her shot put Stony Brook back on top by four, 9-5, but would prove to be the only Seawolf goal of the frame. Defensive stand after stand, the Trojans earned their attempts on attack, but couldn't crack the code. Michael drew USC within three at 9-6 when she scored off a pass from Jackson, and then Miller scored unassisted with 5:02 left to play, but it was too little, too late. Stony Brook's stifling defense turned the Trojans away, time and time again, as time expired on USC's comeback bid.
Next up, the Women of Troy head into the Garden State for a matchup with Ohio State (6-6) at Wilkins Field on the campus of Mountain Lakes High School in Mountain Lakes, N.J. The Buckeyes are coming off a 15-5 loss to Rutgers earlier today.
For more information on the USC women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule, and results, please visit USCTrojans.com. Fans of the Women of Troy can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @USCTrojansLax.