DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis women's soccer team out-shot visiting San Diego State by a 16-12 count on the day — including putting eight of their attempts on frame — but it was a 65th minute goal by the Aztecs' Lovisa Norrby that proved to be the difference in a, 1-0, victory over the Aggies on Sunday afternoon.

The loss ended UC Davis' three-match winning streak, evening the Aggies' record at 3-3 overall on the year. Ten different players finished with shot attempts on the afternoon, led by three from Alicia Sloss and two apiece from four other players.

"To be honest, it was a disappointing result," Head Coach Twila Kaufman said. "I think in the first half they had a little bit better run of play, but we had, by far, the most dangerous opportunities and just didn't put one away."

San Diego State, a perennial NCAA Tournament power which got eight saves from goalkeeper Gabby English to keep UC Davis off the board, improved to 2-3 overall on the year with the win.

After battling to a scoreless draw through the first 45 minutes, the Aztecs finally broke through midway through the second half, winning their fifth corner kick of the period. Nikolina Musto lofted a ball to the back post to the waiting head of Norrby, who stuck the header into the back of the net for her first goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.

Now chasing a goal, the Aggies did not shrink from the challenge, pushing forward and taking six of the final nine shots of the half, including dangerous attempts by Alicia Sloss and Ari Zamora in the 66th and 73rd minutes, respectively, that forced English into saves.

"Over the course of the game you saw our forwards get better at hunting out some of the opportunities they missed in the first half and, unfortunately, they just didn't go our way," Kaufman said. "That happens, sometimes, in our sport where you can be the better team on the day and not win."

UC Davis came out of the gate firing on all cylinders in the first half, out-shooting its opponent by a 9-2 count and applying pressure right out of the gate with three corners in the first 10 minutes. The Aggies' best chance to dent the net came in the 31st minute with a flurry inside the 18 as Sloss drove to the goal and had a shot saved by English, only to have the rebound bounce out to Crystal Crump, who had a shot blocked, and Aliyah Walker follow with another attempt smothered by English — all the span of 12 seconds.

Senior goalkeeper Alexis Smith finished with three saves on the afternoon, moving her past Amy Armknect (1993-96) for third on the all-time list with 224, and just 18 back of Taylor Jern (2011-14) for second. Meanwhile, the defense limited San Diego State to only four shots on frame.

"We missed her in the first few games, but (senior defender) Kristie Braken-Guelke is starting to become a bigger and bigger presence for us," Kaufman said. "Her voice was awesome and necessary for us today."

A three-match home stand comes to a close on Thursday (Sept. 6) as UC Davis hosts Weber State at 4 p.m. at Aggie Soccer Field.

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.

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.