DAVIS, Calif. — Sorana Larson set a new career high with six goals scored, while teammates
Maddie Myers and
Alex Agnew tacked on hat tricks of their own to help lead the UC Davis women's lacrosse team to its second straight victory to start the 2021 season, clipping visiting Oregon by the score of 20-9 on Sunday afternoon at UC Davis Health Stadium.
The Aggies won their third straight against the Ducks, posting their largest margin of victory in the history of the series and, coupled with the 20 goals scored against Fresno State on Feb. 14, posting back-to-back 20-goal outbursts for the first time since defeating Long Island (22-11) and Saint Mary's (21-12) on the road in 2011.
Larson, who tied her career high with four scores against the Bulldogs a week ago, needed only six minutes on Sunday to tally a hat trick and added her fourth goal of the first half with just under nine minutes to play. The neurobiology, phyisiology, and behavior major added two more scores and an assist in the second half, finishing with a game-high eight shot attempts, as UC Davis went up by 10 with 17:30 to go and ran the clock from that point on.
Myers finished with four goals on the day — including a perfect 3-for-3 in 8-meter attempts — and a match-high nine draw controls, while Agnew tacked on three assists to go with her hat trick, scoring on all three of her shot attempts.
Anna Hofgard added two goals and four points, while five other Aggies bent the net in the rout.
Hanna Hilcoff, who paced Oregon with 22 goals last season, led the Ducks with a pair of goals on Sunday, while Shonly Wallace, who scored 20 times in 2020, finished with just one goal on three shot attempts.
Larson opened the scoring just 93 seconds into the contest and Oregon was within a goal at 3-2 just under six minutes in, but the Aggies quickly found space scoring eight of the next 10 goals — including a 4-0 run to close out the half — en route to an 11-4 halftime advantage.
Wallace found the back of the net to open the second-half scoring for the Ducks, but Oregon would never come closer than seven the rest of the way. Agnew scored twice followed by Larson for a 14-5 advantage, while Myers' fourth of the day sparked a 5-0 run midway through the second period that put the match well out of reach.
The Aggies outshot the Ducks, 34-21, for the day — including limiting Oregon to just eight shot attempts in the second half alone — while forcing the visiting side into 15 turnovers for the contest.
Ally Deremer and Larson each caused a pair of turnovers, while goalkeeper
Taylor Mathieson stopped six shots in the win.
UC Davis hits the road for the first time this season with a pair of matches next week, opening a run of seven-consecutive contests away from home in the Bay Area against California (Feb. 26) and Stanford (Feb. 28). First draw against the Golden Bears is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Berkeley, Calif., while the Aggies and Cardinal will square off at 1 p.m. in Stanford, Calif.
Oregon (0-2) vs. UC Davis (2-0)
SCORE BY PERIOD 1 2 Tot
-------------------------------
Oregon.............. 4 5 - 9
UC Davis............ 11 9 - 20
Oregon SCORING: GOALS: Hilcoff, Hanna 2; Stump, Lillian 1; Zajac, Mara 1; Wallace, Shonly 1; Cummins, Haley 1; McCardell, Nakeeya 1; Sweeney, Madysyn 1; Clarke, Lindsay 1.
ASSISTS: None.
UC Davis SCORING: GOALS: Larson, Sorana 6; Myers, Maddie 4; Agnew, Alex 3; Hofgard, Anna 2; Graham, Kate 1; Stunz, Kaley 1; Lawrence, Mia 1; Seifert, Kendall 1; Wilson, Natalie 1.
ASSISTS: Agnew, Alex 3; Hofgard, Anna 2; Graham, Kate 1; Larson, Sorana 1; Lawrence, Mia 1; Stunz, Kaley 1.
SHOTS - Oregon 21; UC Davis 34.
SHOTS ON GOAL - Oregon 15; UC Davis 29.
GOALIES - ORE: Dunbar, Alle (41:47 minutes, 22 shots-6 saves, 16 GA) , Eckert, Cassidy (18:13, 7-3, 4);
UCD: Mathieson, Taylor 2-0 (60:00, 15-6, 9).
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.
