UC Davis used both its experience and young talent to give itself three victories over the weekend at the Aggie Shootout.
The Aggies‘ youth led their team to a Saturday sweep with sophomore Dakotah Mohr contributing six goals on the day while freshman Kaylee Miller added five.
On Sunday, the Aggies looked to their veterans to lead them as senior Lindsay Kiyama had four goals on the day, while junior Dana Nelson had two strikes against No. 1 Stanford during a Sunday split.
Saturday – No. 11 UC Davis 17, Sonoma State 8
The long awaited home opener for the Aggies did not start off as planned, as the Aggies fell behind 5-3 midway through the second period against a struggling Seawolves squad.
But as soon as it hit 5-3 it seemed to be Mohr who came alive, as UC Davis looked to its leading scorer to dig it out of the hole it found itself in. The sophomore lifted the Aggies by scoring a game-high four goals, two of which came in the second period that put the Aggies up for good.
Five other Aggies chipped in two more strikes apiece as UC Davis dominated the second half and coasted to a 17-8 victory.
“We had a tough time finishing shots in the first half,” said Mohr. “It’s going to happen, but I think we responded really well and fought back hard.“
Saturday – No. 11 UC Davis 14, No. 17 Cal State Bakersfield 5
The Aggies shook off their bad start in the morning game and came out smoking in Saturday’s nightcap, scoring the first six goals of the game.
Miller led UC Davis over the Roadrunners with her first career hat trick performance. Junior Ashley Chandler also had three goals, all coming in the second half, as the Aggies swept Saturday play.
These two teams battled earlier this season on Feb. 15 with the Aggies sliding past the Roadrunners, 7-6.
“It was a really big jump from when we played them three weeks ago,” said senior goalkeeper Diana Pivacek. “Things really came together today and it felt really good.“
Pivacek held the roadrunners to a 0-for-7 shooting start that ignited the UC Davis victory.
Sunday – No. 1 Stanford 12, No. 11 UC Davis 5
The biggest challenge awaited the Aggies in the form of a Sunday morning game played against a team that was less than welcoming.
“It was such a physical game,” said Mohr with a cut across her face following the game. “It was crazy out there.“
UC Davis would not be intimidated by Stanford’s physical play or its ranking, staying within two goals of the best team in the country at half.
The Aggies could not hold on for much longer as the Cardinal hit five consecutive goals in the first 12 minutes of the second half.
“We knew coming in we had nothing to lose,” said Mohr. “Might as well go at it when you’re playing the best team in the nation.“
Sunday – No. 11 UC Davis 11, Santa Clara 6
Kiyama had two strikes in the Aggies‘ 5-0 start in Sunday’s finale against the Broncos. She then capped her hat trick with a five-meter penalty shot seconds before the halftime buzzer to give UC Davis an 8-5 pad at half.
Fellow senior Sophia Patronas added two strikes to push the Aggies to their third win of the weekend.
“I think everyone is happy with the way we played this weekend,” said Mohr. “Coming away 3-1 definitely means success.“
The weekend showing moves UC Davis to 14-6 on the season. The Aggies next host Maryland and San Diego State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
SAMMY BRASCH can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.