Score: UC Davis 2, UC Santa Barbara 3 (2OT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawai'i
Records: UC Davis 13-5-2 (6-2-2), UC Santa Barbara 8-5-8 (4-2-4)
The short story: A heartbreaking conclusion marked the end of a historic season for UC Davis, as the Aggies' two late goals were overshadowed by the No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, who capitalized on a controversial penalty ruling in the final seconds of the match.
PITCH SIDE
- UC Davis erased a two-goal deficit with Teresa Garcia and Ashleigh Garcia each finding the back of the net
- Taylor Dever and Sammie Ruelas assisted on Ashleigh Garcia's equalizing goal for UC Davis
- The Aggies had 16 shots on the night, with eight being on target
- Caeley Goldstein made a valiant effort, recording nine saves against 20 shots faced
- Goldstein ended her season with 101 saves, the most in UC Davis' Division I era, and tied for second most all-time in a single season
- Despite the finish tonight, UC Davis posted their best season in the program's Division I era
- UC Davis concluded the regular season with 13 wins, the most in the program's Division I era
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UC Santa Barbara scored first in the 48th minute with a well-executed combination play leading to a goal
- The Gauchos extended their lead 10 minutes later with a strike from 20 yards out in the 58th minute
- The two-goal lead seemed to put UC Santa Barbara firmly in control until the Aggies responded with their first goal of the game in the 74th minute, when Goldstein sent a long pass downfield to T. Garcia, who injected life into the lineup and cut the deficit to one goal with a precise right-footed finish
- The Aggies netted an equalizer two and a half minutes later, with A. Garcia perfectly positioned to tuck home a loose ball in the box
- Both teams remained tied at 2-2, heading into overtime
- Both overtime periods featured scoring chances on both sides, reflecting the back-and-forth battle all night, but in the final moments, the game was gut-wrenchingly decided by a VAR review of a tackle from minutes prior, resulting in a penalty kick for UC Santa Barbara
