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DAVIS, Calif. – Janae Gonzalez ended her UC Davis career with a brace by scoring on both UC Davis penalty kicks in Wednesday's season finale at Aggie Soccer Field, but it was a Hawai'i penalty kick in the 75th minute that pushed the visiting Rainbow Wahine ahead for good in a game they won by a 3-2 score.
 
Gonzalez' first PK, scored with just under nine minutes left until halftime, erased an early one-goal deficit after UH took an early lead 12 minutes after kickoff.
 
Once the game was tied, the Aggies possessed all the momentum, and peppered UH's net with one shot after another throughout the rest of the match.
 
That aggressive play paid off in the 56th minute when Bryanna Duckett was sideswiped inside the box with such force, she left her feet and landed on her side. Minutes later, Gonzalez struck again to give her team a 2-1 advantage.
 
"I know exactly where I am shooting the ball once the whistle is blown. I never change my mind or look at the goalie, all of my focus in on the ball," said Gonzalez regarding her pre-PK routine.
 
"The goal is not going to move, I am squarely focused on how I will hit the ball."
 
Nearly six minutes later, a long-ball counterattack led to Hawai'i's equalizer, followed by a PK of its own 13 minutes later that decided the match.
 
Led by the Aggies with 18, a combined 35 shots were taken throughout a game that featured constant end-to-end action and multiple high-quality scoring opportunities for both squads.
 
Leslie Fregoso led all players with six shots, and earned three of the Aggies' nine shots on goal.
 
Wednesday's match was a bittersweet occasion for the team's five-member senior class — Roisin Allaeddini, Gonzalez, Olivia Jones, Hailey Rittershofer and Courtney Van Winkle — because this game was their final one in a UC Davis uniform.
 
"Since I only played 10 games last year, it feels good to play the entire season and make a positive impact," Gonzalez added. "This senior class made its mark, we wanted to leave the program in a better place than when we arrived. This group accomplished that, and I want the program to continue growing in future seasons."
 
"I think a lot of positive moments took place this season," said first-year head coach Tracy Hamm following the match. "There were a lot of good wins and individual performances, moving forward there is a lot to build from.
 
"This group built a good foundation for the culture I wanted to create, regarding our work ethic and expectations at every training session. We will move forward together, bring in additional players with that winning mentality and continue to build (this program) throughout the off-season."
 
UC Davis ends the 2019 season with a 7-11 overall and 2-6 Big West record. Hawai'i will head to Long Beach State for its regular season finale at 6-7-3 and 4-1-2.
 
 
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 athletics programs.

Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year.

All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs.

To learn more about Marya Welch Initiative projects, like this group on Facebook, or join this groundbreaking program by clicking here, contacting Assistant AD for Leadership Giving and Alumni Engagement Liz Martin at (530) 752-7326 or emartin@ucdavis.edu.
 
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, 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.