DAVIS, Calif. -- The UC Davis defensive backfield of Anna Belenis, Addie Dearden, Ally Deremer and Natalie Garces captured all-tournament honors, but it was visiting San Diego State that hoisted the champion's trophy after its 15-7 win over the Aggies in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation women's lacrosse championship game at Aggie Stadium Sunday afternoon.

UC Davis, the tourney host and top seed, finishes its second season under head coach Suzanne Isidor with a 9-8 overall record. SDSU wins its second consecutive team title and closes out the 2019 season with an 11-7 mark.

This marks the Aggies' second straight meeting against the Aztecs. UC Davis won the previous matchup by a 16-12 final, earning the conference's top seed and a bye into Sunday's title game. 

The Aggie trio of sophomore Mar Alvear, junior Sorana Larson and junior Amanda Outcalt each netted two goals plus an assist. Senior attacker Taylor Cuenin had the seventh goal while fellow senior Shannon Cross earned an assist on the offensive end. Overall, UC Davis outshot its guest by a 36-29 margin, but connected on a season-low 19.4 percent of its attempts.

Aztecs Harlowe Steele, Caitlin Jones and Kirstie Greenlaw each scored hat tricks. Steele ultimately claimed tournament MVP plaudits, adding three caused turnovers and four draw controls to her offensive output. Goalkeeper Katy Sharretts kept the host Aggies out of the cage with 19 saves, 14 of which came in the second half.

"I do think San Diego State played better this time," said Isidor. "I give them a lot of credit. They played hard and they executed across the board. Last time, their goalkeeper played great but I think this time, everyone on the field played great for them.

"For us, it wasn't a lack of effort. For some reason, it wasn't our day, execution-wise and in finishing our shots. We'd come up with a great defensive play and then we would turn the ball over. That definitely hasn't been an issue of late with us, but it surfaced [today]."

The Aggies drew first blood in the contest, with Cross feeding Outcalt for a goal in the third minute of play. Cuenin's eight-meter strike made it 2-1 for UC Davis in the fifth. However, SDSU netted five of the next six goals for the remainder of the half to craft a 6-3 advantage.

Alvear assisted Larson for a goal in the 39th minute, then Larson returned the favor to Alvear about four minutes later to bring UC Davis to within an 8-6 deficit with nearly 17 minutes left in the second half. But the Aztecs responded with five straight and seven of the last eight for the remainder of the game, with Sharretts collecting nine saves down that final stretch.

The Aggies played an even game with the Aztecs on the draw, winning exactly half of the game's 24 starts in the center circle. Maddie Myers led with four draw controls, while Alvear and Kate Graham had three apiece.

Steele, Sharretts, Greenlaw, attacker Lexi Tan, midfielder Jenny Buckland and defender Shannon Gallagher represented SDSU on the all-tournament team. UC Davis had its four defenders, while third-place Fresno State landed midfielders Kayla Galet and Hannah Krats to form the 12-player squad.

The MPSF championship rotates among the three member institutions, meaning Fresno State will host the 2020 installment.
 

San Diego State (11-7)	6	9	-	15
UC Davis (9-8)	3	4	-	7

GOALS - SDSU:  Harlowe Steele 3; Caitlin Jones 3; Kirstie Greenlaw 3; Natalie Peel 2; Bailey Brown 2; Jill Haight 1; Lexi Tan 1. UC DAVIS: Amanda Outcalt 2, Mar Alvear 2, Sorana Larson 2, Taylor Cuenin 1. 

ASSISTS - SDSU: Natalie Peel 1, Harlowe Steele 1. UC DAVIS: Mar Alvear 1, Shannon Cross 1, Sorana Larson 1, Amanda Outcalt 1.

GOALIE SAVES - SDSU: Katy Sharretts 19 (60:00). UC DAVIS: Taylor Mathieson 7 (53:25), Grace Richards 0 (6:35).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Kayla Galet, MF, Fresno State
Hannah Krats, MF, Fresno State
Anna Belenis, Def, UC Davis
Addie Dearden, Def, UC Davis
Ally Deremer, Def, UC Davis
Natalie Garces, Def, UC Davis
Shannon Gallagher, Def, San Diego State
Jenny Buckland, MF, San Diego State
Kirstie Greenlaw, Atk, San Diego State
Katy Sharretts, GK, San Diego State
Lexi Tan, Atk, San Diego State
Harlowe Steele, MF, San Diego State (MVP)
 

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ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.