LA JOLLA, Calif. — The Aggies again split their games to end the Triton Invite in seventh place with an overall record of 6-6. No. 11 UC Davis fell to No. 7 UC Santa Barbara 11-5 in the first game of the day, before rebounding to defeat No. 13 LMU 11-8 to finish the tournament in the top half of the 16-team pool.
Noelle Wijnbelt logged another three goal day, with two coming in the loss to the Gauchos, while Annie Kutt led the team with three steals in the same game. Cassidy Smithson and Allyson Clague each had two goals in the afternoon game to lead the Aggies against the Lions, and Chloe Robinson finished with three assists, tying her single-game career high.
Against UC Santa Barbara, Wijnbelt put UC Davis on the board with the first goal of the game, but the Gauchos responded with seven straight scores before closing the first half with an 8-2 lead. The gap would prove to be too much, as the Aggies and the Gauchos were even with three goals apiece in the second half.
Rebounding with the fourth straight win over LMU in the series history, and the first since 2015 to be decided without going to overtime, nine Aggies contributed to the 11-8 victory. UC Davis nearly shut out the Lions in the first period, until LMU scored their first goal on a powerplay with 1:24 on the clock. The second period saw an LMU comeback from a 5-1 lead in favor of the Aggies, as the game became tied at 6-6 with 2:11 remaining in the half. Back-to-back goals from Clague and Kathleen Schafle put UC Davis back in the lead for the remainder of the game. Freshman goalkeeper Sophia Noble recorded a single-game career high of ten saves in her first start of the season, helping the Aggies hold LMU scoreless in the final period.
The Aggies finished the Triton Invite in seventh place among a loaded field containing 13 ranked teams, and move to 6-6 this season. They will be back in action at home for the Davis Shoot-Out on Saturday, Feb. 16, with games against No. 4 Cal, and No. 2 Stanford.
| No. 11 UC Davis |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
| No. 7 UC Santa Barbara |
3 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
11 |
GOALS: UC DAVIS: Noelle Wijnbelt 2, Devin Holcomb 1, Chloe Robinson 1, Kathleen Schafle 1. UCSB: Amanda Legaspi 3, Caitlin Snyder 2, Mollie Simmons 2, Sarah Snyder 2, Kate Pipkin 1, Dara Bleiberg 1.
GOALIE SAVES: UC DAVIS: Caitlin Golding 2, Sophia Noble 2. UCSB: Kenzi Snyder 6.
| No. 11 UC Davis |
4 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
| No. 13 LMU |
1 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
GOALS: UC DAVIS: Cassidy Smithson 2, Allyson Clague 2, Devin Holcomb 1, Annie Kutt 1, Chloe Robinson 1, Kathleen Schafle 1, Ariana Momen 1, Marcela Portales 1. LMU: Marialena Seletopoulou 3, Hana Vilanova 2, Mollie Williams 2, Morgan Molloy 1.
GOALIE SAVES: UC DAVIS: Sophia Noble 10. LMU: unknown.
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.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, 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.
