SAN DIEGO, Ca. The Villanova Wildcats (5-1) took on the San Diego State Aztecs (3-6) on the road at the Aztec Lacrosse Field, defeating SDSU 10-9 in overtime. Not only did fifth year captain Caroline Curnal have a hat-trick, but she also scored the game winning goal for the Wildcats for the second time this year. Kayla Gulmi led the team in points with four while Sydney Pappas and Maddie Luer had two goals each. Goalkeeper Cate Gallagher finished the game with nine major saves. This is the second overtime rally for the Wildcats this season.

SDSU's eight turnovers compared to Villanova's four led to a stronger start for the 'Cats. There were some early game handling issues for the Aztecs which gave Luer the opportunity to score the first goal of the game. Villanova deployed a strong pressure defense, clogging the middle of the field and not letting the Aztecs get any easy clears. The second goal of the game came from SDSU's Mia Kohn which tied it up going into the second quarter. 

The Aztecs outscored the Wildcats 3-2 in the second quarter with Villanova goals coming from offensive threats Pappas and Curnal. Sydney Wolfington, Brook Waddell, and Caitlin Jones scored a goal a piece for SDSU in quarter three where we also saw key saves from goalkeeper Sam Horan. 

In the second half we saw Deanna Balsama lead the Aztecs in points with three goals and one assist. Two of these goals came in the third quarter where the Wildcats outscored the Aztecs 5-4. Other Aztec goals came from Wolfington and Kate Christos while Wildcat goals came from Isabella Francati, Pappas, Gulmi, and Luer. It was a battle to the very end with goals back-and-forth from both teams. The score going into the fourth quarter was tied up at eight. 

Curnal kicked off the quarter with a draw control and finished the quarter with the goal that took the Wildcats into overtime. Just when Balsama's third goal gave the Aztecs the lead with five minutes to spare, Curnal ripped one past Horan to give the 'Cats six more minutes to fight. This is not the last time she came in clutch! 

About two minutes into the overtime period, Luer passed it to Curnal who scored the game winning goal for the Wildcats, making their record 5-1. Both teams fought to the very end with the Wildcats coming out victorious and finishing their West Coast swing on a high. 

For more Wildcat action, tune in Saturday, March 11, at 1:00 PM at Villanova Stadium as they take on Maryland.

NOTES: Villanova played Maryland in 2022 and lost 7-19…Caroline Curnal has 53 draw controls this season making her total career draw controls 280…