LONG BEACH, Calif. — A strong third period lifted the No. 11 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos to an upset over No. 9 UC Davis in the third-place playoff at the Big West Championships.
Chloe Robinson led the Aggies for the second consecutive game, scoring a team-high two goals. Cassidy Smithson, Noelle Wijnbelt, and Allyson Clague each put up a goal to conclude the season. The Aggies nearly matched a season-high number of steals, earning 13 total, with four from Robinson and three from Kathleen Schafle.
UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara went head-to-head throughout the first half, with Robinson finding the cage at 1:35 in the first quarter for the first goal of the game. UC Santa Barbara responded with two before Smithson notched her goal to even the game at the half.
The third period would turn out to decide the game, as the Aggies were held scoreless on five shots for a 5-2 Gaucho lead. To start the final period, Wijnbelt found the cage to bring the Aggies within two, before UCSB extended the lead to 7-3 with 3:24 remaining in regulation. The Aggies earned the final two goals of the game from Clague and Robinson, but the Gauchos remained just out of reach at the horn.
Finishing the 2019 season with several names in the program record book, the Aggies recorded an 18-13 overall, 3-2 Big West Conference record, nearly identical to 2018's 18-12, 3-2 BWC numbers. Freshman Noelle Wijnbelt led the Aggies in scoring, netting 54 goals, closely followed by senior Annie Kutt at 50. Until Apr. 7 at UC Irvine, Wijnbelt had scored in every game she competed in, tying at second all-time with 20 consecutive games with a goal.
Junior Chloe Robinson also earned a place in the record book, tallying 39 assists this season to sit alone at sixth all-time in the single-season category. Kutt wrapped up her career with a program record 48 assists in a season (2018) to reach 130 assists in her career — just short of Jessica Dunn's program record of 140. In addition to her assist accolades, Kutt finishes fourth all-time with 262 career points, and seventh all-time in career shots, taking 382.
Junior transfer Emily Byrne drew 81 exclusions this season, ranking third all-time behind Dakotah Mohr's 133 (2009), and Christi Raycraft's 92 (208), while junior goalkeeper Caitlin Golding is currently fourth all-time for career goalie saves (445), as she logged her sixth game this season with double-digit saves.
| No. 9 UC Davis |
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| No. 11 UC Santa Barbara |
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GOALS: UC DAVIS: Chloe Robinson 2, Cassidy Smithson 1, Noelle Wijnbelt 1, Allyson Clague 1. UC SANTA BARBARA: Sarah Kreiser 3, Caitlyn Snyder 1, Katie Pipkin 1, Dara Bleiberg 1, Shannon Moran 1.
GOALIE SAVES: UC DAVIS: Caitlin Golding 10. UCSB: Kenzi Snyder 5.
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.
