DAVIS, Calif. — Looking to build off an offensive start to its 2021 season, the UC Davis women's lacrosse team closes out a brief two-game homestand this weekend at UC Davis Health Stadium, welcoming Oregon for a 1 p.m. opening draw in Davis, Calif.
MATCH INFO…
WHAT: Oregon (0-0) at UC Davis (1-0)
WHEN: Sunday, Feb. 21, 2021
TIME: 1 p.m.
WHERE: Davis, Calif.
ARENA: UC Davis Health Stadium
STREAMING VIDEO: UC Davis Lacrosse Facebook Page
LIVE STATS: UCDavisAggies.com
*** Please be aware that due to Yolo County guidelines and game day protocols, fans are unable to attend home events this season.
IN THE RANKINGS…
Neither UC Davis, nor Oregon, are ranked nationally according to the preseason IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll released on Feb. 1… Two opponents on the Aggies' 2021 schedule are among the preseason top 25: No. 13 USC (March 7) and No. 23 Stanford (Feb. 28 and April 4)… The first weekly poll of the regular season will be released on Feb. 22.
ABOUT THE DUCKS…
Oregon officially opens its season on Feb. 19 with a contest at San Diego State at 6 p.m., before heading to Northern California to take on UC Davis as part of a six-game road trip to start the year… The Ducks are coming off a shortened 2020 season that saw them finish 2-5 overall with identical 20-12 wins over Liberty and Fresno State to bookend their five defeats… Sophomore attacker Hanna Hilcoff returns after leading the Oregon offense with 22 goals and 26 points overall on 43 shots last season, while junior Shonly Wallace added 20 more scores… Senior goalkeeper Alle Dunbar returns after starting all seven games in net in 2020, posting a 16.40 goals against average and 59 saves (.341 save percentage).
SERIES NOTES…
According to records dating back to 1997, Oregon leads the all-time series with UC Davis by a 14-5 count, but the Aggies have won the last two meetings with the Ducks: a 15-12 victory in 2019 and a 14-8 triumph in 2020 — both in Eugene… Sunday marks the first meeting between the two programs in Davis since a 10-9 Oregon victory in 2017… The Ducks have won all six meetings played at UC Davis in the history of the series… The 15 goals scored by the Aggies against the Ducks in that 2019 win were the most by UC Davis in the series.
AGGIE STORYLINES…
• Senior midfielder
Kate Graham was named the MPSF Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in her career on Feb. 15
• UC Davis opened the season with a 20-12 victory in a non-conference clash with MPSF rival Fresno State on Feb. 14
• The 20 goals scored against the Bulldogs were the most since the Aggies put up 23 against Fresno State on April 21, 2018
• Senior
Sorana Larson, who led the Aggies with 21 points in 2020, opened the season with four goals and three assists against the Bulldogs
• Larson's four goals tied her career high (vs. Fresno State in 2018 and against Bucknell in 2019), while her seven points were a career high
•
Anna Hofgard (4) and
Kendall Seifert (3) also added hat tricks against the Bulldogs — both collecting career-high totals in that category
• The goal was Hofgard's first since March 12, 2019, against Lehigh
• Goalkeepers
Taylor Mathieson (7) and
Ashley Laing (5) split time in net against the Bulldogs, combining on 12 saves in the win
• UC Davis returns 19 letter winners and nine starters off of last season's squad that finished 3-3 overall, while welcoming nine freshmen to the fold.
• Seniors Myers, Larson,
Kate Graham, and
Anna Belenis, have been named captains for 2021
• Head Coach
Suzanne Isidor is in her fourth season at the helm of the Aggies, leading UC Davis to a 20-17 overall record and earning a pair of MPSF Coach of the Year nods.
• In the spring of 2020, assistant coach
Ashley Johnson (now in her sixth season) was named to the coaching staff for the Ugandan women's national team in advance of the 2022 World Lacrosse Women's World Championships at Towson University (https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2020/4/20/womens-lacrosse-aggies-johnson-joins-uganda-national-team-staff.aspx).
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.
