SDSU Women’s Soccer tie Saint Mary’s 2-2

The Aztecs have tied four out of their last five games, with Saint Mary’s the latest on the list.

by Madison Cadena, Contributor • September 15, 2022

Sports

Aztec sophomore Carlin Blake passes the ball during SDSU’s 2-2 tie against Saint Mary’s College on Sept. 9, 2022.

The Aztecs (2-1-4) played the Saint Mary’s College Gaels (4-1-2) in a tough match that ended in a 2-2 tie on Friday, Sept. 9 at the SDSU Sports Deck.

Goals by Denise Castro and Emma Gaines-Ramos gave the Aztecs a 2-0 lead, but the Gaels climbed back late in the game and equalized in the 78th minute.

The result marked the Aztecs fourth tie in their last five games.

The Gaels came out strong in the opening 30 minutes. They ended the match with a total of 7 shots. But once the Aztecs picked up their intensity, they looked completely locked in.

In the 44th minute junior Emma Gaines-Ramos gave a great pass up to sophomore

Denise Castro who put it in the net and gave the Aztecs a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

“It felt good to get back on the scoresheet after not producing statistically in a while,” Gaines-Ramos said. She finished the match with a goal and the assist to Castro’s finish.

The Aztecs came out strong in the second half. Forty four seconds into the half, Castro was tackled in the box leading to a penalty for the Aztecs. Gaines-Ramos then walked up to take the shot, and confidently doubled the Aztecs’ lead to 2-0.

Aztec junior Emma Gaines-Ramos strikes the penalty which eventually found the back of the net during SDSU’s 2-2 tie against Saint Mary’s College on Sept. 9, 2022. (Morgan Prickett)

The Gaels did not give up. The Aztecs conceded a free kick right outside their box which gave the Gaels a prime chance to cut into the lead. Senior Isabella Santavicca strutted up to take the free kick and beautifully paced it into the back of the net to cut the Aztecs’ lead in half.

In the 78th minute the Gaels completed their comeback following a corner that bounced around before being headed in by senior Laura Sanz.

“We can always get better and sharpen things up, and try not to give up so many set pieces,” Gaines-Ramos said following the unfortunate result.

Head Coach Mike Friesen also addressed the goal from the corner when he said, “we should have not given up those two set pieces and we need to finish the chances we get.”

Friday’s match was not the norm for San Diego as rain came falling down despite the heatwave coming to an end on the same day.

“The weather held up great and it was probably a welcome relief from all the heat they had, and it probably helped the game in some aspects,” Friesen said.

The Aztecs hit the road next for their biggest test of the season so far as they play No. 1 UCLA on Thursday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.

About the Contributors

Madison Cadena, '24 -25 Editor-in-Chief, '23 -24 Broadcast Live Producer

Madison Cadena is a third-year journalism student at San Diego State University. She is from Long Island, NY, and knew she wanted to pursue journalism at just 10 years old. Currently, she is the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Aztec and began as a sports reporter. From there she worked with multimedia, photo and social media to become the Multimedia Editor in her Sophomore year. Simultaneously she began her Presidential term for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, where she doubled attendance in her year. Madison is also a member of Kappa Delta and has been a part of the Points Committee, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee. She knew she wanted to gain more knowledge of sorority government, so she currently is on the College Panhellenic Association Board as the Vice President of Programming. In this position, she plans events and helps with governing for over 2,500 sorority women. She is also a new member of the Greek honor society Rho Lambda. Madison is in her third and final year at SDSU, and she is also a School of Journalism and Media Studies Intern, where she helps produce content and works alongside the Program Director Dr. Temple Northup.

Morgan Prickett, '22-23 Sports Editor

Morgan Prickett (he/him/his) is a journalism major heading into his senior year. He was born in Libreville, Gabon and has lived in multiple countries before arriving here at SDSU. He is a soccer writer for the local news site East Village Times, the president of the National Association of Black Journalists chapter at SDSU, and also serves as the VP of External Relations on SDSU’s School of Professional Studies and Fine Arts College Council. If he’s not watching or playing sports, he’s most likely jamming out to music while preparing a home cooked meal in his kitchen. This year he is looking forward to bringing coverage to all sports at SDSU in the most entertaining way possible.

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SDSU Women’s Soccer tie Saint Mary’s 2-2