DAVIS, Calif. — Two of the quickest goals to start a match in the history of the program were enough to lift the UC Davis women's soccer team to victory on Thursday afternoon, as the Aggies scored twice in the first two-and-a-half minutes en route to a 2-1 triumph over visiting Cal State Fullerton in a Big West Conference clash at Aggie Soccer Field.

UC Davis won for the second time in its last three contests, improving to 5-7-2 overall and 2-2 in Big West play. The Titans, the defending conference tournament champions, fell to 3-10-2 overall and 0-3-1 in league play with the loss.

"It's always a good thing to be up, but it's also a nerve-wracking position for a team to be in because you know, at that point, you're going to be dealing with 87 minutes of the other team throwing the kitchen sink at you and I was really, really proud of our team for weathering that," Head Coach Twila Kaufman said.

"This was an awesome learning experience because it's the first time we've had this many substitutes available to us and that comes with a different set of problems. How do you use people? How do you get the right combinations? Normally at this point in the year, you hope to have that sorted out and I feel we have a little ways to go here. It's neat to see people fighting for minutes. It's neat to see enough people healthy and able to step up."

Taking the opening kick-off, the Aggies wasted little time in finding the back of the net, scoring just 96 seconds into the contest for the early lead. A corner from the left side by junior communication major Janae Gonzalez sailed across the box toward the back post where it met the waiting head of freshman Margot Ridgeway, who snapped it home from the top of the six for the 1-0 advantage.

The goal was the Fair Haven, N.J., native's second of the year, while Gonzalez, who scored her first goal as an Aggie in a win at Cal Poly on Sept. 30, added her first assist in a UC Davis uniform.

Just under a minute later, junior biomedical engineering major Hailey Rittershofer made it 2-0 with her second goal of the year, cleaning up in front of a wide-open net after a header by sophomore international relations major Mahlah Catline rang off the left post and fell right to the feet of Rittershofer, who punched it home from the middle of the box for the two-goal advantage.

"I made a mistake at Hawai'i, not playing Hailey, and I should have, but she didn't pout, she didn't complain to teammates, her professionalism in those moments is a huge thing," Kaufman said. "I think when you have people like that leading your program and setting the example for others is a really important piece, and it's a beautiful thing to have somebody with that much character and self-control. I am so happy, not just for the team, but for her to get in the scoring column tonight."

Ridgeway's tally ranks as the fifth-fastest goal scored in the program's history — and the quickest since Haley Hughes set the record with a goal just 18 seconds in against Hawai'i on Oct. 22, 2015 — while Rittershofer's goal was the 10th-fastest in the school's record books.

The Aggies' defense was stout in the opening 45 minutes, holding the Titans to without a shot until Kristen Swales unleashed an attempt wide in the 38th minute and limited Fullerton to just three in the opening period, one of which was smothered by goalkeeper Alexis Smith in the 40th minute.

UC Davis' lead stood until the 77th minute when the Titans were able to break up the shutout. A corner kick by Kaya Hawkinson swung into traffic where Atlanta Primus was able to get enough of her head on the ball and push it down off the crossbar and over the line before Smith was able to snatch it back, cutting the deficit to, 2-1.

Fullerton, however, was able to manage just two more shots in the final 13 minutes, pushing both attempts high over the bar and clear of danger to secure the win for the Aggies.

UC Davis finished with a 16-10 shot advantage, including a 6-3 lead in shots on goal, led by three attempts from Gonzales and two each from five different players.

"I think we're capable of scoring three goals a game, which is hard to believe because soccer, generally, isn't a high-scoring sport," Kaufman said. "So learning how to not waste opportunities and be really efficient is going to important for this team moving forward, but they're definitely capable."

Continuing a run that will see the Aggies play four of their final five regular season contests at home, UC Davis rounds out the weekend with a contest against defending Big West regular season champion UC Irvine on Sunday (Oct. 14) at 2 p.m.

DON'T MISS OUT!
The ninth-annual UC Davis Athletics Brewfest takes place as part of the October 13 Homecoming football game against Idaho State... Tickets for the Brewfest plus the Aggies-Bengals game are now on sale at https://bit.ly/2ooveDI... The Brewfest celebrates UC Davis as the No. 1 academic brewing program in North America... The ticket package includes tastings at the UC Davis Brewfest, a commemorative tasting mug, and a ticket to the game.

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 Times Higher Education, 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
Launched 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.