ST. CHARLES, Mo. – UC Davis earned its first win of the 2023 season in a thrilling 13-12 victory over Lindenwood on Saturday morning.
It was a back-and-forth affair in the Midwest but UC Davis (1-1) did just enough to hold off hosts Lindenwood (1-3) with a strong defensive stand in the fourth quarter. Despite struggling on the draw, the Aggies were clinical with their chances on the attack, scoring 13 goals from 29 shots, with 26 of those efforts on target. UC Davis was able to earn eight free-position shots in the contest while holding the Lions to just one.
Alannah Scott and
Rhea Cosand paced the Aggies offensively, as each player recorded a hat trick in the win.
Ella Brislin turned in another solid performance with a goal and assist on the day while
Regan Arkless matched her, also tallying a couple points.
Lauren Hart was all over the field, grabbing a team-high four groundballs while chipping in with a goal of her own. Recording a team-high three draw controls was
Grace Gebhardt, who also contributed a goal down the stretch.
Ashley Laing was spectacular between the posts, making 12 saves including two in the final period to seal the victory.
How It Happened
The hosts would open the scoring to take an early 1-0 lead. However, UC Davis would respond extremely well, rallying for four straight goals to thrust itself into the lead. Cosand netted her second goal of the season to even the score at 1-1 before she assisted Scott to put her team out in front.
Hart was next to get on the scoresheet, extending the Aggie lead, and then Brislin would find the back of the net to cap off an excellent first-quarter performance.
UC Davis rode that momentum into the second quarter as Scott quickly found her second goal of the game before Gebhardt scored to make it a four-goal advantage.
The Lions roared back into the game by scoring twice to cut the lead in half, but Scott would complete her first-half hat trick to give the Aggies a three-goal lead. Lindenwood got a goal back, but Cosand canceled it out with her goal with 26 seconds remaining in the half, giving UC Davis a 9-6 halftime lead.
Arkless and
Mia Lawrence scored in the third period, but the hosts would start to creep back into in the contest, making it an 11-9 game going into the last 15 minutes.
With a goal at the 11:30 mark in the final quarter, Lindenwood quickly cut the deficit to just one. Senior
Alex Agnew answered back when her team needed her most, firing into the back of the net from a free-position chance to give the Aggies a two-goal cushion.
Brooke Tokushige scored with just under three minutes left, and despite a late rally from the Lions, this was enough for UC Davis to hang on for its first win of the season.
Up Next
UC Davis will play one more game on the road before returning to UC Davis Health Stadium, traveling to San Diego, Calif. to face Kent State on March 12. First draw is scheduled for 12 p.m.
