SAN DIEGO - The top-seeded San Diego State Aztecs used suffocating defense to push them to the 2016 Golden Coast Conference Women's Championships title game with a 9-4 win over fourth seeded LMU at the Aztec Aquaplex Saturday afternoon.

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Senior goalie Rachel Mitchell (SR/Danville, CA) had 14 saves and Nikole Ferrari (SR/Redwood City, CA) had two goals and four steals as the Aztecs (16-16) shutdown the Lions' (12-20) offense. Seven different Aztecs scored in the win, including two more from Alyssa Diacono (JR/Ladera Ranch, CA).

With the win, San Diego State advances to the GCC Championships title game against second-seeded Pacific on Sunday at 2:30 pm. It is the third straight trip for the Aztecs in the three-year old history of the GCC. LMU had defeated SDSU in the last two title games.

It was a tight first half as LMU's Erin Byrne (SR/Orinda, CA) scored with 28 seconds left to cut San Diego State's lead to 4-3 entering halftime. San Diego State, who had scored on the first possession of the first and second quarter, scored first again to start the third, this time on a tally by Diacono to make it 5-3.

Tayla Walsh (SR/Sydney, Australia) then scored with 51 seconds left to bookend the quarter , giving the Aztecs a 6-3 lead.

LMU's Ivana Castro (SR/Commerce, CA) opened the fourth quarter with a goal to make it 6-4, but it would be the last time the Lions got on the scoreboard. San Diego State pulled away with the last three goals of the game.