DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis concluded the 2023 season on a high note by sending its seniors off with an impressive 11-9 win over San Diego State.
 
The Aggies (8-6) erased a three-goal deficit in the second half by out-scoring the Aztecs 6-1 in the third period to take a lead that they would not surrender. San Diego State held the advantage in the shots column (32-27), but UC Davis was clinical with its chances, scoring 11 goals from 20 shots on target.
 
Alex Agnew led the way offensively with a fantastic six-point performance, netting a hat trick while dishing out three assists. The Davis native finishes the season as the team's leader in total points, racking up a career-best 64 points on the year.
 
Grace Gebhardt registered a hat trick of her own, completing the season as the Aggies' leading goal-scorer with 41 during her sophomore campaign.
 
Mia Lawrence shined in her final collegiate game, scoring twice on the afternoon while providing an assist. Rhea Cosand was the other multi-goal scorer, finding the back of the net two times to cap off a solid freshman season.
 
In goal, Ashley Laing made it 11 games with double-digit saves, making 12 stops to help keep San Diego State under the 10-goal mark.
 
How It Happened
 
San Diego State took an early lead at the 11:34 mark in the first quarter before both teams would go scoreless for nearly 10 minutes in what proved to be a defensive battle. Agnew finally ended the scoring drought to bring UC Davis level, netting her first goal with just over five minutes left in the quarter. The Aztecs would take a 2-1 lead into the second quarter, however, when Deanna Balsama scored just before the end of the first 15 minutes.
 
Gebhardt tied the score with her early goal in the second period, but then the visitors would rattle off four straight goals to take a commanding lead. Lawrence's goal just before the halftime whistle would cut the lead to 6-3 going into the break.
 
The Aggies found their footing in the third quarter, rallying for five unanswered goals to take their first lead of the game. Cosand scored two goals in a less than a minute to spark her team offensively before Ella Brislin found the back of the net to tie things up at 6-6. UC Davis then turned to its leading goal-scorer, Gebhardt, who netted back-to-back goals to extend the lead to 8-6. SDSU got a goal back to cut the lead to just one, but Agnew restored the two-goal advantage with just five seconds left in the third quarter.
 
The teams would score two goals apiece in the last 15 minutes as the Aggies were able to keep the Aztecs at bay. Agnew completed her hat trick before Lawrence sealed the 11-9 victory with her goal in the final minutes.
 
UC Davis finishes the 2023 campaign with an overall record of 8-6, improving on last season's 5-8 finish.