UP NEXT…
GAME 1: Arizona State (0-0) at UC Davis (0-0)
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020 at 1 p.m. PT
WHERE: UC Davis Health Stadium in Davis, Calif.
STREAMING VIDEO: Facebook Live
LIVE STATS: UCDavisLiveStats.com
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DAVIS, Calif. — The UC Davis women's lacrosse team officially opens its 2020 campaign on Saturday (Feb. 8) at 1 p.m., as the Aggies host Arizona State in their season opener at UC Davis Health Stadium.
Having warmed-up with preseason scrimmages against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation foes Fresno State and reigning league champion San Diego State, UC Davis jumps right into the fire against the Sun Devils — the first of four Pacific-12 Conference opponents for the Aggies to start the season with matches against California, Stanford, and Oregon to follow.
Live stats will be available for the home opener, which will also be streamed live via Facebook Live on the team's Facebook page.
The Aggies, who open with five of their first seven contests at home, return 17 letter winners and seven starters off of last season's squad that saw them finish 9-8 overall and reach the championship match of the MPSF Tournament for the second consecutive year. The performance wrapped up the program's second consecutive winning season, while the nine wins were the most for UC Davis since it finished 10-5 in 2011.
Gone are leading goal-scorer and two-time MPSF Player of the Year
Taylor Cuenin (48 goals and 101 shots in 15 games) and
Shannon Cross (20 goals and 33 points), but the cupboard is far from bare for the Aggies.
Led by third-year head coach and two-time MPSF Coach of the Year
Suzanne Isidor, UC Davis returns five of their top seven scorers from a season ago, paced by senior attacker
Amanda Outcalt — a two-time MPSF selection who led the league in points (70) and assists (37), while ranking fourth in shots (89) and fifth in goals (33), as well as All-MPSF selections in defender
Anna Belenis and midfielders
Ally Deremer and
Kate Graham.
Graham led the trio with 14 goals and four assists and was the Aggies' leader in draw controls with 80. Belenis and Deremer were part of a core of 10 players that started all 17 matches last year.
Meanwhile, in goal, junior
Taylor Mathieson is the incumbent after posting a 4-3 record and an 11.24 goals against average in 12 games, stopping 97 shots — including a season-high 19 against Georgetown — for a save percentage of .475.
On the other side of the field, Arizona State wrapped up its 2019 campaign with a 6-12 overall record and a 2-8 mark in the Pac-12, falling to California in its opening round game of the Pac-12 Tournament. Senior Kerri Clayton led the Sun Devils in goals last year with 33 to finish with 46 points, while junior Emily Glagolev posted a team-high 56 points on 23 goals and 33 assists.
Junior Berkeley Bonneau returns after appearing in all 18 matches in net, posting a 12.04 goals against average, 194 saves, and a .481 save percentage.
Looking ahead, a pair of future UC Davis opponents earned spots in the preseason Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association poll as Georgetown comes in at No. 19, with Stanford standing at No. 20.
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.
