(Correction appended)It was an up and down week.
The Aggies entered this week having won nine of their last 10 games and were looking to keep things rolling as they re-entered Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play.
They did just that on Wednesday, as UC Davis overcame a halftime deficit to defeat Saint Mary’s.
However, Sunday was another story as the Aggies lost a heartbreaking contest to Denver.
With the two games, UC Davis moved to 10-3 on the year, 2-2 in conference play.
Wednesday, April 6 – UC Davis 21, Saint Mary’s 12
History was on the Aggies’ side when they faced the Gaels on Wednesday.
UC Davis had won 12 straight games over Saint Mary’s entering the contest.
The streak now stands at 13.
The Aggies were slow to open the contest, scoring just five goals in the first half, and entering the break trailing by three.
The second half, however, was a very different story.
UC Davis exploded out of the gate, scoring 10 unanswered goals in the first seven minutes of the final frame and moving into a commanding lead.
“We came out in the second half knowing we had to step it up,” said senior Gina Hoffmire. “It was the most intensity we’ve shown this season.”
While the offense was firing on all cylinders, Hoffmire said it was the defense that sparked the run.
“[The defense] was what got us going during that stretch,” she said. “They fueled us and kept us going.”
The Aggies held on from there, outscoring the Gaels 6-4 in the remainder of the frame and taking a 21-12 victory.
UC Davis was led by Hoffmire, who scored five goals, three of which came during the Aggies’ 10-0 run.
Elizabeth Datino, Anna Geissbuhler and Laura Martin added three goals each.
Sunday, April 10 – Denver 15, UC Davis 14 (OT)
The Aggies played their closest game of the year against the Pioneers.
Once again, UC Davis fell behind early and entered the break trailing by three.
The second half was a battle.
The Lady Aggies clawed their way back into the game, tying the score at nine with under 20 minutes to play.
The contest went back and forth from there, as the Aggies responded to each Pioneer score. Neither team was able to take advantage as time expired, and regulation ended with the game tied at 13.
The Aggies scored first in overtime when Hoffmire found the net. That marked UC Davis’ first lead of the contest.
The advantage did not last, however, as Denver scored less than two minutes later and retook the lead in the second overtime period to beat the Aggies 15-14.
While UC Davis failed to get the victory, Hoffmire was proud of the team’s effort.
“We came out with a lot of energy today,” Hoffmire said. “We wanted to get all of the 50-50 balls, and we did that. This loss hurts because it’s a conference opponent, but we gave it our all today.”
Christina Corsa, who scored four goals and added an assist, paced UC Davis.
Hoffmire finished the contest with three scores.
Despite the tough defeat, Hoffmire believes the Aggies will bounce back.
“We’ll keep going strong,” she said. “We know that we have to win these last two games now.”
TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
Correction – April 12, 2011: It was stated in the headline that the UC Davis women’s lacrosse team was eliminated from postseason contention. The Aggies are still in fact in the playoff race. The Aggie regrets this error.
Retraction – April 12, 2011: The above article stated: “The loss moved the Aggies to fifth place in conference, outside of the playoff picture with just two games remaining.” The Aggie regrets this error.
