2017 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship Schedule & Results
No. 10 University of Pittsburgh-vs.-No. 2 San Diego State University Scoresheet
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Kelli Boling (Sr., Riverside, Calif.) posted five goals to claim Player of the Game recognition, Kayla McGowan (Jr., Dana Point, Calif.) added a hat-trick and the duo of Erin Fink (Gr., San Diego, Calif.) and Colleen Boensel (So., Salinas, Calif.) each accounted for pairs of tallies as the No. 2-ranked San Diego State University celebrated Cinco de Mayo by topping host/No. 10 the University of Pittsburgh, 14-8, in the opening round of the 2017 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship at the University of Pittsburgh’s Joe C. Trees Pool.
The 2014 National Champions, the Southwest Division Champion Aztecs will next be in action at 10:10 a.m. on Saturday, May 6, at Trees Pool versus Florida Division Champion/No. 5 the University of Central Florida in a quarterfinals matchup. UCF advanced to the quarterfinals by topping No. 11 Texas A&M University, 7-3, in the first round.
San Diego State appeared to have jet-lag in the early going as the host Panthers pushed SDSU around in the early going to grab a 1-0 lead with 5:23 remaining in the first quarter via a strike by Sam Sullivan (So., Westlake Village, Calif.). The Aztecs exacted their revenge by sinking a shot from the hand of Fink at 4:26 to collect the equalizer, but Pitt pounced to go back ahead at 3:33 when Maggie Walker (Jr., Perkasie, Pa.) ran a blast into the twine to make it 2-1 in favor of the home team.
The game turned in exactly the next two minutes as Boling struck for a man-up conversion at 3:03 and Marissa Wyan (Fr., Merced, Calif.) wailed in an even-strength tally at 1:33 to put San Diego State in front to stay at 3-2.
McGowan built the lead to a pair at 4-2 38 seconds into the second quarter, but Abi Rubio (Jr., Wexford, Pa.) responded at 6:05 to move the Panthers back within a marker at 4-3. Needing some offense to acquire some breathing room against Pitt, the tandem of Boling and McGowan delivered by depositing man-up (5:23) and even-strength (2:04) goals, respectively, to make it a 6-4 game.
Pittsburgh shrank the lead down in the closing moments of the first half and dawn of the second half thanks to Rubio who converted a man-up opportunity with 1:39 to go in the second quarter to retract the difference between the teams to 6-4 prior to the break. After halftime, she completed a hat-trick by hurling a ball past SDSU netminder Montana Jackson (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) with 5:03 remaining on the third quarter clock to inch the Panthers back to within one at 6-5.
However, the remainder of the third quarter belonged to the Aztecs as Boensel (3:37, 52 seconds) and Fink (12 seconds) contributed natural goals to go along with a successful six-on-five bid by Boling at 2:54 to account for a 4-0 scoring outburst.
Leading 10-5 going into the fourth quarter, San Diego State saw its lead begin to dwindle away as Walker and Genevieve McCarthy (Jr., Tinley Park, Ill.) caressed in shots at the 5:03 and 4:34 marks, respectively, to close the gap down to 10-7.
Boling snapped Pitt’s mini-run at 4:10 by lancing in a five-meter penalty shot, but Sullivan countered five seconds later (4:05) to keep the differential at three (11-9) and allow the Panthers to continue stalking San Diego State.
Facing the potential of a dramatic Pitt comeback and/or overtime, the tiro of Boling, Nicole Ryder (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) and McGowan terminated a rally by burying even-strength chances in order at 2:25, 1:28 and 25 seconds for the 14-8 final score.
For San Diego State, Ryder and Wyan joined the multi-goal scoring quartet of Boling, McGowan, Fink and Boensel by racking up solo strikes. Jackson earned the win in cage with three saves as the Aztecs seek at least another Top Five finish, with hopes of a National Championship, at the 2017 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship following past First (2014), Fourth (2015) and Fifth (2012, 2016) Place marks.
Pitt, which finished 12th at last year’s Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by the University of California-Santa Cruz during the squad’s first trip to the title tournament, received a hat-trick from Rubio and pairs of goals by Walker and Sullivan to accompany a solo point by McCarthy. In cage, Abby Jarrett (So., New Cumberland, Pa.) made four saves.
The Panthers, who can now finish no higher than Ninth in the 16-team field due to the first round loss, will seek to continue a trend of solid finishes by the Mid-Atlantic Division Champion following prior Fourth (2009), Sixth (2007, 2008, 2013, 2014), Seventh (2010, 2015), Eighth (2011), 10th (2001, 2003, 2012), 11th (2002, 2004, 2005), 12th (2016) and 13th (2006) Place marks by the group’s titlist.
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | Final |
| No. 2 San Diego State University |
3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | 14 |
| No. 10 University of Pittsburgh | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | — | 8 |
Pittsburgh Goals: Abi Rubio (3); Maggie Walker (2); Sam Sullivan (2); Genevieve McCarthy
San Diego State Goals: Kelli Boling (5); Kayla McGowan (3); Erin Fink (2); Colleen Boensel (2); Nicole Ryder; Marissa Wyan
Saves: Pittsburgh – Abby Jarrett (4) ; San Diego State – Montana Jackson (3)
Exclusions: Pittsburgh – 5 ; San Diego State – 1
Advantage Opportunities: Pittsburgh – 1-for-1 ; San Diego State – 4-for-5
Sprints: Pittsburgh – 2-for-4 (1st, 4th) ; San Diego State – 2-for-4 (2nd, 3rd)
Cards: None
Officials: Pat Beemer, Tiffany Urbanksi
University of Pittsburgh’s Elizabeth Tcheiguine
San Diego State University’s Kelli Boling passes as the University of Pittsburgh’s Sam Sullivan defends
