Coach Elaine Jones knew her team would have to take advantage of their few home games.
Luckily for her, the team knew that too.
The Aggies (5-1, 2-0) improved to 3-0 at home with their 18-6 victory over Detroit on Saturday.
“It is very important to win these home games,” Jones said. “We’ve been preparing for our tough road schedule so it’s good to get the three home victories.”
The Aggies got off to the right start when junior Gina Hoffmire scored in the first 15 seconds. UC Davis never looked back.
The Aggies jumped out to a 4-0 lead before the Titans even scored. UC Davis went on a three-goal run to close out the first period with a 9-4 lead.
The Aggies added to their lead with eight unanswered goals in the second half to seal the victory. Hoffmire ended the game in fashion by scoring her sixth goal of the game with only 17 seconds left in the match.
With six goals, Hoffmire has scored 15 times over the past three games. She also added three assists for a game-high nine points.
“I feel like my play in practice is being rewarded,” Hoffmire said. “I just take smart shots and capitalize on my opportunities.”
Jones attributes Hoffmire’s play over the past few games to her quick shot that sometimes surprises goalies.
Senior Molly Lapolla was the only other Aggie with a hat trick as she netted three. Freshmen Anna Geissbuhler and Hannah Mirza each added two of their own.
Senior Britt Farquharson also netted two while five other Aggies scored once to account for the final tally.
“We got some balanced scoring and defense,” Jones said. “It feels great to get off to a good start.”
Despite the big victory and early season successes, Jones knows her team has a lot of things to work on if they want to continue their winning ways.
“Today was not our best effort,” Jones said. “I wasn’t necessarily happy with our shooting or our overall communication.”
Jones said the team is aware of this too.
“The team knows they have to work,” Jones said. “We’ve got a tough road trip coming up and we have to prepare for it well.”
The Aggies take a week off from games for finals before embarking on a three-game east coast road trip. UC Davis plays Liberty on March 22, Lehigh the next day and Saint Francis two days later.
JASON ALPERT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
