DAVIS, Calif. — With just seconds to spare, junior forward Lauren Gengarella recorded her first goal of the season and helped UC Davis avoid overtime after finding the back of the cage on a pass from redshirt senior Nica Taglieri during Sunday's match against Providence. The Friars could not find an answer to the Aggies' late goal, resulting in the program's first ever win over Providence, 3-2, at the Aggie Field Hockey Facility. 

Freshman Eline van den Bosch scored her second career goal and notched her first collegiate assist, while junior Tatiana Arias tallied her first goal of the season. Taglieri and sophomore captain Nicola Prebble were both credited with assists, and junior goalkeeper Chelsea Bigelow finished with seven saves on the day. 

"I am really proud of us for pulling out a win in spite of not playing our best hockey today," said head coach Britt Broady. "As a coach, there's a certain scrappiness you try to instill in your team, and a confidence that you are going to win despite any other factors. Even though our first touch was not our sharpest and our passing was not as connected as it was on Friday, we still found a way to win, and that's an intangible that's really exciting to have this early in the season," Broady added. 

The Aggies improved to a perfect 2-0 mark in the opening weekend of play for the first time since 2012 and will return to action tomorrow (Aug. 26) facing No. 4 Maryland in a neutral-site match at Underhill Field in Berkeley, Calif. The Friars fell to 0-2 on the season with the loss, and will face America East colleague Pacific in their next game on Aug. 27. 

"Maryland is a very good team and very well-coached," said Broady. "They have a lot of talented individuals on their roster and I think tomorrow's game will be a great opportunity for us to play to our highest ability. We are excited and ready to bring our best game against a strong Maryland opponent," added Broady. 

The Aggies jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead during Sunday's match, scoring on a corner play off the stick of Arias, with freshman Eline van den Bosch earning her first career assist. 

But eight minutes later, Providence answered back with a goal of its own to even the score at 1-1 heading into halftime.

The Friars' momentum continued over into the second period as they claimed their first and only lead of the day, 2-1, on a break away opportunity.  

Then, similar to Friday's game against the Owls, van den Bosch once again provided the Aggies with the game-tying goal—her second of the season—in the 53rd minute, shifting momentum back in favor of UC Davis. 

Tied, 2-2, the Aggies and the Friars continued in a back-and-forth battle, with both teams threatening on several occasions; the Aggies forced two saves by the Providence goalkeeper, while the Friars took a shot off a corner opportunity drawn in the 65th minute. 

With less than 30 seconds remaining, the Aggies maintained their attack on the scoring end as Taglieri maneuvered past several defenders, advancing the ball to the right side of the circle. The clock winding down, Taglieri sent the ball toward the goal, providing the perfect set up for Gengarella to sneak the ball past the goalkeeper, giving the Aggies a 3-2 lead with just five seconds remaining in regulation. 

The Friars could not find an answer for the Aggies' last minute goal, resulting in a 3-2 victory for UC Davis.

The Aggies resume action tomorrow (Aug. 27) at 11 a.m. facing 2017 NCAA Championship runner-up, No. 4 Maryland, in a neutral-site match at Underhill Field in Berkeley, Calif.   


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 animal science 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.

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