PALO ALTO, Calif. – UC Davis fell in a hotly contested matchup against No. 13 Virginia as the Cavaliers rallied from behind in the final period to snatch the 16-12 victory at Palo Alto High School.
It was a strong showing for UC Davis (0-1) in the season opener, holding a lead after three quarters. Despite Virginia's dominance on the draw (22-11), the Aggies used some stout defense to keep the nationally-ranked Cavaliers in check. Highlighting that stellar defensive performance was goalkeeper
Ashley Laing with an impressive 13 saves, two coming on free position opportunities.
Mia Lawrence enjoyed a terrific start to her senior season, netting a game-high four goals, scoring on all four of her shot attempts.
Regan Arkless and
Grace Gebhardt racked up two goals apiece, posting multi-goal performances in their season debuts.
Facilitating effectively on the offensive end was
Alex Agnew, dishing out a game-high three assists while chipping in with a goal of her own.
Lily Manos,
Rhea Cosand, and
Lauren Hart rounded out the scoring for UC Davis with one goal each.
How It Happened
Virginia opened the scoring in the early minutes of the contest before
Natalie Markman found Lawrence to cancel out the Cavaliers' goal. The ACC opponent regained the lead but Hart answered back at the 3:11 to level the game at 2-2 after 15 minutes.
UC Davis surrendered the first goal of the second quarter but then rattled off three straight goals to take its first lead. Lawrence, Arkless, and Gebhardt tallied three goals in less than three minutes to give their team some momentum. However, short spurt from Virginia made it 6-6 at the break.
The Aggies struck first in the second half when Cosand converted a free position chance. Lawrence and Manos followed with a pair of goals and Agnew got her name on the scoresheet just a few minutes later. Virginia would not go away, using another short run to cut the deficit to 11-10 heading into the final period.
The Cavaliers quickly took the lead with six straight goals in the fourth quarter. Gebhardt scored in the last minute of the game, but Virginia would walk away with the 16-12 win.
Up Next
UC Davis begins a two-game road trip on Feb. 25, traveling to St. Charles, Mo. to take on Lindenwood. First draw is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
