DAVIS, Calif. — Making their season debut in front of the hometown faithful on Friday evening, the UC Davis women's soccer team pressed forward in the second half after falling in an early hole, but the host Aggies were unable to dent the back of the net as visiting New Mexico State scored once in each half en route to a 2-0 victory under smoky skies at the Aggie Soccer Field.
The loss dropped UC Davis to 1-2 overall on the year despite holding an 8-6 advantage in the shot column and a 6-4 advantage in the second half. The visiting Aggie side improved to 2-0 with the shutout.
New Mexico State's Shea O'Connor accounted for both of her team's scores, netting the first in the 10th minute after a teammate was taken down from behind on the left-hand side of the box, drawing a penalty kick. O'Connor did not miss from the spot, deftly placing her attempt to the bottom left of the goal for the 1-0 lead.
The score remained that way until the 71st minute as the NMSU defense repelled wave after wave of Aggie attacks before O'Connor gave her team some breathing room. Teammate Hannah Leitner broke down the right side and lofted a ball into the six, finding the head of O'Connor, who buried the header for the final 2-0 advantage.
Leslie Fregoso, marked closely by the NMSU defense all evening, and
Francesca Van Norden finished with two shot attempts apiece to lead the team.
UC Davis concludes its week on Sunday (Aug. 29) at 1 p.m., hosting UTEP at Aggie Soccer Field.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO System helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
