April 29, 2018

SAN DIEGO - Junior goalkeeper Grace Richards tallied 16 saves with four ground balls and sophomore attacker Sorana Larson led the Aggies with three goals, but Aztec sophomore Morgan Taylor scored with just 23 seconds into sudden-victory overtime lifted San Diego State to a 11-10 win over UC Davis in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title game, held at Aztec Lacrosse Field Sunday.

The Aggies finish their first season under new head coach Suzanne Isidor with an 8-6 record. The Aztecs claim their first MPSF championship and close out the year at 11-8 overall.

Besides Larson, sophomore attacker Amanda Outcalt added two goals with Taylor Cuenin, Kelsey DeJesus, Kate Fellner, Mar Alvear and Maddie Myers each chipping in one. Sophomore midfielder Kate Graham also notched a game-best two assists for UC Davis.

Taylor led SDSU with four goals, including the game-winner. Kirstie Greenlaw and Taylor Sullivan each contributed a pair of scores, while junior Jill Haight posted seven draw controls to help her team lead that category by a 15-8 margin.

The two teams battled to eight total ties in the contest, including five through the first 22 minutes of play. Sullivan drew first blood in the fifth minute, then scored again after Fellner's equalizer in the sixth to provide SDSU with a 2-1 lead. However, Graham assisted Larson on back-to-back scores in the 10th and 11th minutes to boost UC Davis to its first advantage of 3-2.

An Anna Belenis steal and pickup in the Aztec's attacking third set the stage for Outcalt's eight-meter goal with 14:43 left, keeping the Aggies in front by a 4-3 lead. However, two second-chance goals put the Aztecs back on top by a 5-4 margin. Then Myers finished an Aggie transition with her goal in the 20th, knotting the score at 5-5.

Aztec goalkeeper Katy Sherretts posted a couple of saves to keep UC Davis off the board, first against a free position chance then immediately following on a crease roll attempt, while SDSU netted three unanswered goals in the next seven minutes of play. Richards made three stops of her own down the final stretch to cool the Aztec offense, keeping the score at 8-5 by the halftime break.

UC Davis mounted its gradual comeback in the second half, first when Addie Dearden -- a low defender who is masterful at clearing in transition -- sent an outlet to Cuenin for a goal in the 41st minute. Then after Cuenin had a ball stolen inside the arc, she quickly coaxed a turnover in the ensuing transition. DeJesus scooped up the ball, returned it to the Aggies' attacking third, allowing Larson to complete her hat trick on a crease roll with 16:07 left.

Alvear then scored to tie the contest for a sixth time at 8-8. She drew an eight-meter chance, which in turn resulted in another free position opportunity. Now set at the center hash, the freshman bio sciences major took one step, then whipped a shot past Sherretts for the equalizer at the 14:48 mark.

Richards made her 13th save of the game against a Kristie Greenlaw attempt with 12:30 left, allowing Dearden to successfully clear the midfield. DeJesus took it from there, driving through the right side of the scoring area before planting the 9-8 go-ahead goal at the 11:43 mark. SDSU also was forced to swap out its all-conference goalie when Sherretts left the game after a collision with the Aggies' Graham. The Aggies' lead held for more than five minutes before Taylor tied the contest yet again in the 54th minute, then put the Aztecs back on top, 10-9, with her left-side drive in the 57th.

UC Davis caught a major break at the two-minute mark in regulation when an errant Aztec pass sailed into the bench area. The Aggies quickly advanced the other way. Outcalt drew an eight-meter foul then evened the score at 10-10 with her free position conversion. Myers won the ensuing draw. Cuenin managed a shot with just seven seconds remaining but Amanda Stapp, who replaced the injured Sherretts in the 50th, blocked the attempt and forced the overtime period.

Sullivan won the crucial first draw of the overtime period, setting the stage for Taylor's winning goal. Belenis, Larson, Richards and defender Natalie Garces were subsequently named to the all-tournament team for UC Davis. SDSU's Taylor earned MVP honors. Sunday's game was the first MPSF title game appearance for both teams. It also marked the career finale for eight UC Davis seniors: Fellner, DeJesus, Shannon Geary, Kelly Chuck, Carolina Tweedy, Courtney Humphrey, Erica Ely and Rachel Brennan.
 

UC Davis (8-6)	5	5	0	-	10
San Diego State (11-8)	8	2	1	-	11

GOALS - UC DAVIS: Sorana Larson 3, Amanda Outcalt 2, Mar Alvear 1, Taylor Cuenin 1, Kelsey DeJesus 1, Kate Fellner 1, Maddie Myers 1. SDSU: Morgan Taylor 4, Taylor Sullivan 2, Kirstie Greenlaw 2, Jill Haight 1, Harlowe Steele 1, Natalie Peel 1.

ASSISTS - UC DAVIS: Kate Graham 2, Addie Dearden 1. SDSU: Julia Sheehan 1.

GOALIE SAVES - UC DAVIS: Grace Richards 16 (60:23). SDSU: Katy Sherretts 4 (50:08), Amanda Stapp 1 (10:15)

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Fresno State
Lindsay Hobson, M
Abigail Bergevin, M
UC Davis
Anna Belenis, D
Sorana Larson, M
Grace Richards, GK
Natalie Garces, D San Diego State
Mackenzie Lech, D
Morgan Taylor, M
Jill Haight, M
Taylor Sullivan, M
Harlowe Steele, M
Katy Sharretts, GK MVP: Morgan Taylor, San Diego State
 

---

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. 6-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.DON'T MISS OUT!: Season and single-game tickets for all UC Davis spring sports, plus renewals for Aggie football, are now on sale by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office at (530) 752-AGS1 or by visiting us online at UCDavisAggies.com.