'Dogs advance to MPSF title game with 14-11 win over Aztecs

Friday, April 30

Fresno, CA

2:00 p.m. PT

Fresno State

2-11, 1-2

No. 2 seed - San Diego State

5-9, 1-2

Fresno State

San Diego State

Photo by: Keith Kountz

'Dogs advance to MPSF title game with 14-11 win over Aztecs

4/30/2021 5:35:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery (Keith Kountz)Photo Gallery

By: Savannah Stoeckle / Strategic Communications Assistant

FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State lacrosse team earned its first-ever MPSF postseason win with a 14-11 victory over the No. 2-seeded San Diego State Friday afternoon at the Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium. The Bulldogs advance to Saturday's championship game to face No. 1-seeded UC Davis.

"Today was an incredible team win, and one for the record books," said head coach Kara Concheck. "The amount of heart, fight and unity displayed today was Bulldog lacrosse. We were well-balanced and executed our game plan. Everyone contributed to this team victory and I could not be more proud of this group."

Fresno State had six goal-scorers on Friday and was led in scoring by All-MPSF attacker Sydney Skalstad who netted four goals on the day. Hannah Krats, also an all-conference selection this season, scored three goals. Megan Walaitis, Logann Eldredge and Devon Ortman scored two apiece, and Lauren Kiszely fired in one.

Defensively, goalkeeper Courtney Walburger recorded 12 saves on the day, against an Aztec offense that fired off 36 shots. Hennessey Evans assisted the offense with one assist, but also helped the defense with a team-high two caused turnovers in transition.

How It Happened
Krats scored her first on a free-position attempt, but the Aztecs evened the score just one minute later. The Bulldogs pulled away slightly, scoring back-to-back goals from Ortman and Skalstad to take a 3-1 lead with 23:09 left in the game. San Diego State picked up some momentum, netting the next four goals of the game to extend its lead to 5-3 with 14:04 remaining in the opening half.

Skalstad stopped the Aztec run with a free-position score of her own, putting the 'Dogs back within one. The teams traded goals to round out the half as Skalstad scored in the last minute of the period to cut the gap to one, 7-6 in favor of SDSU, at the break.

It wasn't long before the 'Dogs would tie the game again as Eldredge scored in the opening 90 seconds of play. Fresno State came out with a smart and physical game in the second half, outscoring the Aztecs 8-4 in the period. Fresno State scored five goals to SDSU's one goal in the final 18:50 of the game.

Tied 11-11 with 9:18 remaining after San Diego State's Taylor Sullivan scored one for the Aztecs, the Bulldog defense locked down, forcing the Aztecs to make poor shots. The Bulldogs scored the final three goals of the game to pull away late, and tack on some insurance scores of their own. Kiszely scored the final goal of the game on a side-arm shot. The Aztecs had a free-position shot attempt, but Walburger was there for the save as the clock wound down to zero with a 14-11 Fresno State lead.

Whats Next - The Bulldogs face off with UC Davis for the MPSF Championship tomorrow at 2 p.m. at the Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium. Tickets for the championship game are available for purchase here, and the game will be live streamed on the Mountain West Network.

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley '' – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.

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