DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis senior
Maddie Myers finished with a career-high six goals, including the go-ahead score with just over nine minutes remaining in the contest, helping lift the host Aggies to a 9-6 victory over California on Friday night at UC Davis Health Stadium.
The victory evens UC Davis' record at 1-1 overall on the year, snapping a three-game skid against the Golden Bears dating back to 2016.
Led by a pair of goals from Nikki Zaccaro, California dropped its 2020 season opener, falling 0-1 overall.
Myers' goal-scoring clinic marked the most goals by an Aggie since
Taylor Cuenin finished with seven against Radford on March 16 of last season, bringing her season total to eight overall on the season.
Sorana Larson,
Kate Graham, and
Kendall Seifert, also found the back of the net for the Aggies, who led 4-2 at halftime and out-shot the Golden Bears by a 31-24 count for the game.
After trading goals to open the contest, Larson's third of the year sparked a three-goal run by UC Davis that overlapped into the start of the second half for a 5-2 lead. The Aggies eventually led 6-4 on Seifert's second of the year with 11:47 to play before California mounted a comeback with back-to-back goals by Susie Ropp and Marisa Kuberra to tie the game at 6-6.
That's when Myers took over, scoring her fifth of the night at the 9:37 mark and gave UC Davis some breathing room with another score 28 seconds later for an 8-6 advantage and
Kate Graham put the exclamation point on the win with her third of the year for the 9-6 lead.
The defense, which caused eight turnovers and collected 21 ground balls, held the Golden Bears scoreless for the final 10:22 as goalkeeper
Taylor Mathieson finished with 10 saves. Mathieson,
Anna Belenis,
Ally Deremer, and
Annie Dalton, each finished with three ground balls apiece, while Graham and
Mar Alvear had three draw controls each.
UC Davis opens a brief two-game road trip on Saturday (Feb. 22) as the Aggies travel to Stanford for a 1 p.m. draw.
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, and among the top 15 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.
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 women's 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. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.
