DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis senior attacker
Sorana Larson finished with four goals and three assists for seven points on the day, while teammates
Anna Hofgard and
Kendall Seifert also posted hat tricks, as the Aggies' offense exploded for its highest goal total in 2018 in a 20-12 victory over Fresno State in the season opener for both teams on Sunday afternoon at UC Davis Health Stadium.
Larson, Hofgard (who finished with four goals on a team-high six shot attempts), and Seifert combined for better than half of the team's goal total on the day as eight different UC Davis players bent the net in the victory. The 20 goals were the most since the Aggies posted 23 against the Bulldogs in a 23-12 win on April 21, 2018.
UC Davis led by as many as 11 just nine minutes into the second, exploding for six of the game's first seven goals and leading 13-6 at the break.
Kaley Stunz opened the scoring just 34 seconds into Sunday's contest and Larson scored all of her goals in the first 12 minutes of the contest as the Aggies bolted out to a 10-2 advantage with just under 19 minutes to play in the opening half.
Out of the break, the home team kept up the barrage, opening the second half with four straight scores — two by Hofgard and one each from
Kate Graham and
Alex Agnew — for its largest lead of the day and cruised from there.
A 5-0 burst by Fresno State closed the gap to just six with just under six minutes to play, but Hofgard sparked a run that saw the Aggies score three of the final four goals en route to the win. Seven of the team's 20 goals came off 10 free position attempts on the day.
Graham finished with a team-high seven of UC Davis' 18 draw controls, while
Anna Belenis gobbled up four ground balls. In net,
Taylor Mathieson started and made seven saves in the first half before
Ashley Laing took over in the second half, making five stops of her own.
The Aggies return to action on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m., hosting Oregon at UC Davis Health Stadium to close out a brief two-game home stand, before hitting the road for their next seven contests.
Fresno State (0-1) vs. UC Davis (1-0)
SCORE BY PERIOD — 1-2-Tot
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Fresno State — 6-6-12
UC Davis — 13-7-20
Fresno State SCORING: GOALS: KRATS, Hannah 3; SKALSTAD, Sloane 2; SKALSTAD, Sydney 2; EVANS, Hennessey 1; WALAITIS, Megan 1; KISZELY, Lauren 1; ORTMAN, Devon 1; ELDREDGE, Logann 1. ASSISTS: EVANS, Hennessey 2; KISZELY, Lauren 1; WALAITIS, Megan 1.
UC Davis SCORING: GOALS: Larson, Sorana 4; Hofgard, Anna 4; Seifert, Kendall 3; Agnew, Alex 2; Myers, Maddie 2; Wilson, Natalie 2; Stunz, Kaley 2; Graham, Kate 1. ASSISTS: Larson, Sorana 3; Graham, Kate 2; Agnew, Alex 1; Hofgard, Anna 1; Myers, Maddie 1.
SHOTS - Fresno State 36; UC Davis 37.
SHOTS ON GOAL - Fresno State 24; UC Davis 29.
GOALIES - FS: WALBURGER, Courtney 0-1 (60:00 minutes, 29 shots-9 saves, 20 GA); UCD: Laing, Ashley (30:00, 11-5, 6) , Mathieson, Taylor 1-0 (30:00, 13-7, 6).
Start time: 2:00 pm Finish time: 4:12 pm Length of game: 2:12
Officials: Dave Dunham; Tyrone Koen; Susana McDermott.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
