TEMPE, Ariz. — Senior
Maddie Myers finished with five goals and seven points on the day, while sophomore
Alex Agnew added a hat trick and a pair of assists, but host Arizona State held off a second-half comeback attempt by UC Davis en route to a 19-14 victory on Sunday afternoon at the Sun Devil Lacrosse Stadium.
The Aggies fell to 5-3 overall with the loss, scoring nine of their 14 goals in the second half to try and erase a five-goal deficit at the half. The Sun Devils improved to 4-2 with the victory, forcing 24 turnovers and holding a narrow 39-34 advantage in shots.
Myers' five goals ties her season high, while the seven points are the most since she finished with eight in a win at San Diego State on March 5. Her nine shots on Sunday afternoon also tied her season high set in the win over the Aztecs.
Agnew, meanwhile, posted her third hat trick of the year on four shot attempts, posting her highest point total since finishing with six against Oregon on Feb. 21.
Kendall Seifert and
Sorana Larson also chipped in a pair of goals, as did
Natalie Wilson and
Kaley Stunz, while Myers (seven) and
Kate Graham (five) combined for 12 of the team's 16 draw controls.
Defensively, Larson and goalkeeper
Ashley Laing each scooped up four ground balls, while three different players caused a pair of turnovers apiece. In net, Laing played the final 40 minutes of the contest, finishing with a season-high 10 saves, tying her career high set in a win over Georgetown last season on March 9.
Arizona State opened with four of the first five goals, with Agnew's 12th of the year interrupting the string, to take the early advantage. Back-to-back scores from Myers and Stunz brought the Aggies back to within a goal, but another run by the Sun Devils — this one four straight goals after UC Davis had closed to within a pair — helped stake the home side to a 10-5 advantage at the break.
The Aggies responded with two straight scores off the sticks of Wilson and Seifert to open the second half but, just when it looked like UC Davis would climb back in it, Arizona State would find an answer. The Sun Devils scored three straight goals to go up six, 13-7, five minutes into the second period and they held the Aggies at bay from then on.
Scored by Agnew and Seifert two minutes apart midway through the half got the Aggies to within four, and a pair from Myers less than a minute apart later in the period made it a three-goal game with 9:57 to play, but the ASU defense stepped up, holding UC Davis to just four shots the rest of the way, while tacking on a pair of scores.
Goalkeeper Berkeley Bonneau finished with 12 saves in net for the Sun Devils, who were led offensively by four goals each from Maddy Hunter and Katie Brodsky.
The Aggies' marathon run of seven straight matches away from home comes to an end next Monday (March 29) with a neutral site contest against Coastal Carolina at San Diego State. Opening draw scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
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.
