Providence, RI – Skylar Richards' two goals lifted UC Davis Field Hockey to a 3-1 win over Bryant University at Goldberger Family Field on Friday morning to give the Aggies their first America East win.
Richards first got the Aggies into the scoring column near the end of the second period when she was able to knife through the Bulldog backline and find the back of the net against the goalkeeper, Dieneke Hes.
The momentum would carry over through the halftime break as Brooke Sanchez would go on to put the Aggies up by a score of 2-0 as she was able to record her team-high, sixth goal on the year. The goal marks two straight games with a goal for Sanchez. Setting her up was none other than Lizzy Tedrow, who has consistently been finding Sanchez in opportunistic times all season. The assist for Tedrow today puts her at a team-high, five on the season.
Coach Austin Pile thought this goal to open up the second half was "fantastic." Pile went on and added that, "everything we talked about doing in the halftime talk, got rolled into one play." The coaching staff as a whole was "very proud" of that one, and shows a testament to the Aggies who in back to back games have been consistently finding ways recently to apply a game plan and make necessary adjustments when needed.
The Bulldogs would not go down without a fight, though. Just about three minutes of game time would pass before Sarah Van Scoten would cut the lead to just 2-1. The game would stand at this score for the entirety of the third period.
As Bryant tried clawing their way back into the game, with just under five minutes remaining Richards would deliver the much needed insurance goal to push the Aggies ahead 3-1 and seal the victory.
After the win, Coach Pile enjoyed how his team was able to respond with adversity by "digging deep and gutting out a win when we weren't playing at our best."
Pile also added that he was happy with how his team came into the match with a specific game plan and reiterated that "when we executed, we played really well." One final note from Pile is the appreciation for how his team was engaged and able to stay focused enough to capture a much needed road victory. "All 18 players that travelled east with us contributed in a positive way on the field to the win and that is awesome."
UC Davis Field Hockey moves to 2-9 on the season (1-4 AE) and returns Sunday, Oct. 9 at 9:00 AM PDT when they visit UAlbany.
Be sure to follow UC Davis FH on Instagram (@ucdavisfh) and Twitter (@ucdavisfh) to keep up with all your Aggie Field Hockey news and updates.
