Score: UC Davis 4, LSU 3
Location: Davis, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 7-2, LSU 5-2-1
The short story: In an instant classic at Aggie Soccer Field, UC Davis scored three goals within five minutes during the second half to defeat LSU 4-3 on Sunday afternoon. This victory marked the Aggies' first-ever program win over an SEC opponent.
PITCH SIDE
- Genavieve Fontes started and finished the game for UC Davis, recording a brace by scoring the first goal for the Aggies in the first half and delivering the game-winner in the 83rd minute
- This is Fontes' second consecutive brace, following her performance against Utah Valley in Thursday's win
- Joining Fontes in the scoring column were Jayde Holley and Sam Tristan
- Tristan and Fontes extended their lead as the top scorers in the Big West Conference, each recording their seventh goal of the season, with the next closest competitor having four
- Setting up the Aggie scoring were Sydney Bushman, Sammie Ruelas, and Ashleigh Garcia
- Garcia made a vital impact off the bench for UC Davis, distributing a pair of assists in her first appearance since Aug. 25
- For LSU, goals came from Mollie Baker, Andrea Iljkic, and Sage Glover
- Back and forth for all 90 minutes, both teams registered seven shots on target
- Aggie goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein was instrumental in securing the win, making four crucial saves throughout the match
HOW IT HAPPENED
- UC Davis struck first in the 13th minute, with Fontes rising above the Tiger backline to finish a goal that started with a Ruelas assist
- The Aggies maintained control and a 1-0 lead into the halftime break
- The Tigers responded with two goals of their own after the break, making it 2-1 in favor of LSU by the 70th minute
- The match's intensity peaked in the 78th minute when Holley, the conference's assist leader, blasted a free kick throught the Tigers' wall and into the net
- Aggie Soccer Field would erupt even more as Tristan put UC Davis ahead just seconds later, netting a goal in the 79th minute to make it 3-2
- LSU momentarily silenced the Aggie crowd with an equalizer in the 82nd minute, leveling the score at 3-3
- The silence was short-lived, as Fontes scored the game-winner in the 83rd minute, securing UC Davis's third goal within five minutes, clinching the 4-3 victory
NOTABLE
- This is UC Davis' first program win over an SEC opponent
- UC Davis has won four consecutive games and lead the Big West with a 7-2 record
- The Aggie remain the only team in the conference with a record above .500
NEXT UP: UC Davis now shifts its focus to Big West action, aiming for a fifth consecutive victory as the Aggies travel to the Aloha State to face Hawai'i on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 10 p.m. PT.
