SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Senior
Sorana Larson finished with five goals on six shots and added a pair of assists, while classmates
Maddie Myers and
Kate Graham each contributed hat tricks on the day, leading the UC Davis women's lacrosse team to a dominating wire-to-wire victory over Coastal Carolina in a neutral site match on Monday morning at the Aztec Lacrosse Field in San Diego, Calif.
The Aggies improve to 6-3 overall on the season, ending a run of seven consecutive matches away from home with the victory. The Chanticleers, led by a pair of goals each from Kayla Downey and Avery Snyder, fell to 7-4 overall.
The six goals are a season low and the fewest allowed by UC Davis dating back to a 9-6 victory over Bay Area rival California on Feb. 14 of last season.
After trading goals over the first 14 minutes to start the game, the Aggies' offense found a groove and the defense clamped down on any Coastal Carolina opportunity, scoring eight straight goals to build an 11-3 advantage at the break and extend the run to 10 consecutive scores with the first two goals of the second half to start the clock running just four minutes in.
Meanwhile, the defense forced the Chanticleers into three turnovers and only three shots for the final 16 minutes of the first half, while senior goalkeeper
Taylor Mathieson came up with four of her seven saves in the first 30 minutes.
A goal by Snyder broke up the Aggies' run, but UC Davis kept up the pressure as
Natalie Wilson found the back of the net to start another 4-0 burst, with the team's final three goals in that run off the stick of Larson, who wrapped up her team-high seventh hat trick of the season and her fourth performance of at least five goals this year.
Alex Agnew and
Anna Hofgard also added a pair of goals apiece, while
Kendall Seifert joined the group in the scoring column.
UC Davis out-shot Coastal Carolina, 25-19, for the contest and finished with 17 draw controls to the Chanticleers' eight. The Aggies were also a perfect 5-for-5 on free position attempts and a perfect 17-for-17 on clear attempts.
Larson's five goals moved her into a tie for eighth on the school's career goals list with Christina Corsa (2008-11) and she trails former teammate
Amanda Outcalt (2017-20) by only 12 points for 10th on the all-time chart. With 166 draw controls, Graham moved into third place on the school's career list, just four behind Hannah Mirza (2010-13), while Myers and her 165 draw controls are now fourth.
With their season-long road trip behind them, the Aggies return to UC Davis Health Stadium on Friday (April 2), hosting California at 5 p.m. in the team's first home contest since a win over Oregon on Feb. 21. UC Davis then closes the weekend on Sunday (April 4) at 1 p.m., welcoming nationally ranked Stanford.
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.
