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DAVIS, Calif. — After a scoreless first half that showcased the Aggies' defense, Audrey Matthew scored the first goal of the season 37 seconds into the third quarter of Sunday's spring season opener at Aggie Field Hockey Facility, and struck again with 15 seconds remaining in the same period to help UC Davis earn a 2-1 victory vs. Cal.
   
"Everyone was super excited to play today because we trained hard all year long leading up to today's game," said Matthew. "It has been nearly 500 days since we competed together, it was exciting to play against someone other than ourselves."
 
Sunday's game was the first for  the Aggies since they ended the 2019 season on Nov. 1 at Stanford.
 
UC Davis will now enter the back half of a home-and-home series against the Golden Bears, which will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday in Berkeley, with a 1-0 overall record. The Aggies will also seek their third head-to-head win in a row in the second of two designated non-conference matchups between America East rivals.
 
With its loss, Cal is now 0-1.
 
Throughout the opening half, six different Aggies recorded a shot but were unable to find the back of the cage through 30 minutes of action. On the opposite half of the turf, UC Davis goalkeeper Kalli Wagnon recorded two of her three saves before the break.
 
Once action resumed after halftime, Brooke Sanchez' heads-up pass to Matthew lead to a one-timer that beat Cato Knipping for the first goal of the afternoon. Even though Cal evened things up seven minutes later, Matthew scored again on an Aggie counterattack, which gave her team the lead for good.
 
"I remembered looking up and making eye contact with each of my teammates, it felt great to connect with them and score on each of those two shots," Matthew said.
 
Earning the game-winning assist on that play was Skylar Richards.
 
Leading 2-1 entering the final 15 minutes of action, UC Davis' swarming defense allowed only one shot throughout the rest of the game and protected that advantage until the final horn sounded.
 
Said Matthew afterwards, "today's game shows how all the hard work that took place throughout the year paid off once we were able to compete."
 
 
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, are enrolled in 71 of more than 100 academic programs at 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.