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Davis

Davis, California

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Aggies strong on spring break trip

Coach Elaine Jones could be called a glass half-empty person – she always thinks about what the team could do better.

The Aggies went 2-1 on their second east coast road trip, but Jones will always think about the one loss to Lehigh.

“I always want the one we couldn’t get,” Jones said. “We played well in the two wins, but I’ll think the most about the one loss.”

The Aggies continued their strong offensive play, averaging 15.3 goals on the road swing. UC Davis had 11 different players score, with senior Molly Lapolla leading all players with eight over the trip.

The Aggies are now 7-2 on the season.

March 22 – UC Davis 21, Liberty 0

A blowout would be an understatement.

Monday’s contest was all UC Davis as the Aggies shut out the Flames for their first win on the trip. The victory was the Aggies’ first shutout since 2007, and their first as a Division I team.

“Liberty was young and I think we just overmatched them,” Jones said.

Freshman Anna Geissbuhler earned her third straight hat trick by leading all Aggie scorers with four goals. Junior Gina Hoffmire also notched a hat trick with three goals.

The Aggies outshot Liberty 32-7 and held the Flames to just three shots in the first half.

In a game full of things to be excited about, Jones said she was most proud of having ten different scorers.

“It was great to see everyone score,” Jones said. “We tried to give everyone playing time and experience, and they all produced.”

March 23 – Lehigh 11, UC Davis 9

Entering Tuesday’s game against Lehigh, Jones wanted the upset.

However, the Mountain Hawks had other plans.

The Aggies dropped their second game of the season in a contest Jones said they should have won.

“We definitely could’ve upset them,” Jones said. “Unfortunately, not everyone showed up to play.”

Similar to what happened in their first loss of the season to Villanova, the Aggies dug themselves into a 7-4 first-half hole they were unable to overcome. The sub-standard first period play is something that puzzles Jones, but she feels the team can overcome this soon enough.

The stifling Mountain Hawk defense held UC Davis to 2-of-7 shooting in the final 10 minutes to secure the victory.

Lapolla led all Aggies with four goals, including three in a 5-0 Aggie run.

Jones attributed the loss to poor team chemistry on the field.

“We definitely had the talent to beat them,” Jones said. “We just needed everyone to be on the same page and to play together.”

March 25 – UC Davis 16, Saint Francis 5

UC Davis finished the road trip strong – largely due to the play of its freshmen.

Freshmen scored ten of the Aggies’ 16 goals, with Hannah Mirza netting five, Elizabeth Datino adding three and Geissbuhler with two.

“It was really good for us to see our freshmen lead the way,” Jones said. “The freshmen are learning a lot and getting a lot of playing time which is really good.”

UC Davis jumped out to a 7-1 lead within the first 16 minutes and never looked back. The strong Aggie defense held the Red Flash to one goal and only six shots after the break.

Datino and Lapolla each had four assists to lead UC Davis.

The Aggies take a week off before embarking to play Mountain Pacific Sports Federation rival Denver on April 9.

JASON ALPERT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

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