DAVIS, Calif. — Mar Alvear's goal with 3:57 remaining in regulation broke a 14-all tie to give UC Davis the lead for good and freshman goalkeeper
Ashley Laing finished with a career-high 10 saves, including a stop on Georgetown's final scoring attempt with 11 seconds remaining, helping lift the Aggies to a 15-14 victory over the Hoyas on Sunday afternoon at UC Davis Health Stadium.
The win improved UC Davis to 3-2 overall on the season and was the second straight for the Aggies, who rallied from down six goals midway through the first half en route to the upset of Georgetown, which was ranked as high as No. 19 in the preseason coaches poll.
Led by hat tricks from Natalia Lynch and Mary Pagano, the Hoyas well to 4-3 overall on the season.
Freshman
Alex Agnew led all scorers with four goals on the afternoon, scoring twice in each half with her last coming at the 11:09 mark of the second period that completed the UC Davis comeback and tied the match at 12-all.
Sorana Larson and
Kate Graham also finished with hat tricks on the day, while
Maddie Myers added a pair to extend her point-scoring streak to five straight games, and
Natalie Wilson and
Kaley Stunz each added scores for the Aggies.
UC Davis trailed by a pair early in the first before a 4-0 Georgetown run staked the Hoyas to an 8-2 advantage with 13:22 to play in the opening half. Graham's second of the day got the Aggies' rally started as UC Davis scored four of the next five goals to make it a three-score game, and the home side was down only two at the break after Agnew and Stunz scored back-to-back — the last coming as time expired — as the Aggies trailed only 10-8 at the break.
Georgetown responded with the first score of the second half and led 12-9 with just over 24 minutes to play before UC Davis engineered its comeback. Larson scored two of the team's next three goals, with Agnew's tying score making it 12-12.
Pagano followed with a goal on the Hoyas next possession before Myers answered with her 15th score of the season and Wilson bent the net on an 8-meter attempt for her second of the year for a 14-13 advantage — the Aggies' first lead of the day with 8:06 remaining.
Liza Liotta scored at the 7:25 mark to tie things back up at 14-all, but that would be the last for Georgetown on the day, setting up Alvear on the free position attempt for the game-winner.
Laing, who took over midway through the first half for starter
Taylor Mathieson, stopped seven shots in the second half, including the clinching stop on Emily Ehle's drive to the crease before running out the clock and rushing the field.
Georgetown out-shot UC Davis, 36-32, but the Aggies held a 17-15 advantage after the break and put 25 of their 32 on goal. Myers finished with a team-high five draw controls on the day, while
Anna Belenis finished with three ground balls.
UC Davis continues its three-match homestand on Wednesday (March 11) at 6 p.m., welcoming George Mason to UC Davis Health Stadium.
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.
