SAN DIEGO - San Diego State concluded its four-game season-opening homestand Sunday night with a convincing 3-0 victory over No. 10 Michigan. The win improved SDSU’s record to 2-1-1 on the year, while the Wolverines fell to 2-2.

 

The Aztecs’ win over the 10^th-ranked squad in the nation, according to the NSCAA, represents the highest-ranked team they have defeated since downing No. 5 Pepperdine, 1-0, on Aug. 31, 2012, which is two years ago to the day.

 

SDSU enjoyed a handful of good looks in the first half, the first of which occurred in the 16^th minute. Aliyah Utush ranged to her right with the ball and then flicked a pass backwards with her heel to an open Kelsey Booth, who put a quality shot on net. The attempt was denied by Wolverine goalkeeper Taylor Bucklin, but San Diego State maintained possession only to have Victoria Barba’s diagonal blast stopped by a leaping Bucklin.

 

Then in the 21^st minute, Michigan could not clear the ball and Booth serviced it to the right post, but a leaping Angela Mitchell could not squeeze her shot between the keeper and the post. On the rebound, however, Katie Perry took a rip, but that, too, was blocked. Nine minutes later, Booth’s long-distance shot sailed just above the crossbar as Michigan escaped another dangerous Aztec opportunity.

 

SDSU would have its persistence pay off in the 37^th minute when it drew a Michigan foul. With three Aztecs surrounding the ball on a free kick, Meggie Gulczynski was the one who ultimately put a boot on it from 20 yards out and rattled the cage to lift San Diego State to a 1-0 lead.

 

The Aztecs appeared to head into intermission up by one goal, but Michigan’s attempt to head the ball out of the box failed and instead sailed over Bucklin and into the goal for an own goal 31 seconds before the first-half horn.

 

In the second half, the game was a back-and-forth affair with the Wolverines trying to cut into their deficit and the Aztecs looking for insurance. SDSU won out down the stretch by keeping Michigan off the scoreboard and adding a goal in the 87^th minute. San Diego State’s second-to-last corner kick produced the third goal of the game when Barba sent a ball into Xochi Hunter. The freshman touched it to the right post and a sliding Mitchell came in and recorded her third goal of the season from three yards out.

 

SDSU continued to outshoot its opponents, this time enjoying a 19-8 advantage and a 13-4 edge in shots on goal. After each team attempted just one corner kick in the first half, the Aztecs ended the game by taking eight compared to the Wolverines’ three.

 

Booth, Gulczynski, Perry and Morgan Darling led San Diego State with three shots apiece and goalkeeper Melanie Vaughn made four saves in her second start of the campaign.

 

SDSU is off until the schedule takes it to Portland, Oregon, to face Washington in a neutral-site contest on Friday, Sept. 12, at 4:30 p.m. PT. The Aztecs will then face Portland on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2:30 p.m. PT.