NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Sophomore
Risa Yamada scored twice, while
Leslie Fregoso and
Molly Branigan also added goals during a shootout of a second half on Sunday afternoon, lifting the UC Davis women's soccer team to its fifth consecutive victory, 4-2, over host CSUN at the Matador Soccer Field in Northridge, Calif.
The Aggies improved to 7-3 overall on the year and swept their Big West Conference opening weekend matches after posting a 2-0 shutout of CSU Bakersfield on Thursday. The five straight wins for UC Davis marks the program's longest winning streak since winning five-in-a-row from Aug. 24-Sept. 6, 2015, while the Aggies open league play 2-0 for the first time since posting victories over Hawai'i and Cal Poly to start the 2017 conference schedule en route to a 3-0-1 start that year.
Sunday's four-goal performance tied a season high for UC Davis, which has outscored the opposition by a 13-3 count during its five-match winning streak.
Both defenses faced a barrage of shots in the opening 45 minutes, unleashing nine attempts apiece, but neither team was able to dent the back of the net, heading into the locker room scoreless.
The floodgates opened in the second half as UC Davis answered a CSUN goal just three minutes into the period with three straight scores to take a lead it would not relinquish.
Yamada opened the scoring for the Aggies with her second of the season in the 56th minute, finishing to the back post from eight yards out off passes from Fregoso and
Emma Vane for the 1-0 lead. Branigan followed that up with her second goal of the year seven minutes later, as
Sammie Ruelas sent a throw to the feet of
Alana Curtis, who sent a cross through traffic in the box to the feet of Branigan at the top of the six, who poked it home to make it 2-1.
Fregoso then added to her point total with her team-high fourth goal of the season to go with her assist earlier in the match as Curtis logged her second assist on a pass over the top to the left side for the waiting Fregoso, who sent it home to the lower left side of the goal to make it 3-1.
Yamada then continued to pile on as she added her second of the day — and third of the year — in the 77th minute off a cross from
Devyn Simmons, rocketing a finish into the lower left side to cap the scoring for UC Davis as Simmons collected her first career point.
The Matadors would add a second goal in the 79th minute, but would come no closer, held to just one shot the rest of the way.
The Aggies finished with a 19-15 advantage in shots, including a dominating 11-3 lead in shots on goal, while collecting 11 corners to just two for the host side. Fregoso (six) and Yamada (five) combined for 11 of the team's 19 shots and seven of the 11 shots on goal for the match.
UC Davis returns home next week for a pair of Big West clashes, hosting UC Santa Barbara on Thursday (Sept. 30) at 4 p.m., before welcoming Cal Poly on Sunday (Oct. 3) at 1 p.m.
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.
