DAVIS, Calif. -- Senior midfielder Taylor Cuenin scored a double hat trick while junior Amanda Outcalt added four goals and two assists, helping UC Davis claim a 16-12 win over San Diego State Saturday at Aggie Stadium. The victory clinches the top seed in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, which the Aggies host on April 26 and 28.

UC Davis improves to 9-7 for the year and 2-0 in MPSF play. The Aztecs slip to 8-6 overall and open conference play at 0-1.

Cuenin scored four of her six goals in a 10-minute, 5-0 run that helped UC Davis pull away from a one-goal margin midway through the second half. Senior Shannon Cross and sophomore Mar Alvear also netted two goals apiece for the Aggies, while Sorana Larson and Maddie Myers each chipped in another. 

Alvear also helped UC Davis dominate the draw by a 22-8, pulling in nine draw controls. Myers (5) and Larson (4) combined for another nine, which helped their team control the ball for the majority of the contest. As such, the Aggies outshot their guests by a 44-26 margin, and committed only 10 turnovers for the contest.

For SDSU, senior Harlowe Steele and sophomore Lexi Tan each hit three goals. Junior goalkeeper Katy Sherretts had a busy day, given UC Davis' season high for shots, collecting 18 saves and two ground balls.

UC Davis never trailed in the game, although the two teams did battle to three ties in the first half. Outcalt completed her hat trick by the eighth minute to propel the Aggies to a 4-1 lead before three straight Aztec scores knotted the proceedings at 4-4. The two teams traded scores to equalize at 5-5 and 7-7 before Myers found the back of the net with 2:01 left in the first half, giving UC Davis an 8-7 lead at the break.

Cross and Cuenin delivered successful drives at the Aztec cage to start the second half to extend the lead to 10-7. Tan and Grace McGinty answered with goals of their own to bring SDSU back to within a 10-9 margin before Cuenin's outburst from the 40th through 50th minutes, lifting UC Davis to a 15-9 advantage.

The Aztecs staged a comeback to within three goals, but the Aggies managed the clock well down the stretch. In fact, the final goal came after UC Davis chewed 88 seconds off the play clock, then saw Cross fire in her second goal from the right side with just seven ticks left.

UC Davis also honored its senior class as part of the game's festivities, recognizing Cuenin, Cross, defender Natalie Garces, goalkeeper Grace Richards, defender Sami Herrick and goalkeeper Ashley Lotoszynski in the pregame ceremony. 

The Aggies return to action in the MPSF title game on Sunday, April 28. They will face the winner of that Friday's semifinal between SDSU and Fresno State.
 

San Diego State (8-6, 0-1)	7	5	-	12
UC Davis (9-7, 2-0)	8	8	-	16

GOALS - SDSU: Harlowe Steele 3, Lexi Tan 3, Morgan Taylor 2, Kirstie Greenlaw 2, Taylor Sullivan 1, Grace McGinty 1. UC DAVIS: Taylor Cuenin 6, Amanda Outcalt 4, Shannon Cross 2, Mar Alvear 2, Sorana Larson 1, Maddie Myers 1.

ASSISTS - SDSU: Julia Sheehan 2, Natalie Peel 1, Taylor Sullivan 1. UC DAVIS: Amanda Outcalt 2.

GOALIE SAVES - SDSU: Katy Sherretts 18 (60:00). UC DAVIS: Taylor Mathieson 7 (56:13), Grace Richards 0 (3:47).
 

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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 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: Established 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.