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Davis

Davis, California

Friday, March 29, 2024

Women’s field hockey preview

UC Davis’ field hockey team continues their long stretch of road games as they head off to the Hawkeye State. The Aggies are preparing for a face-off against Penn State and Iowa. Taking a break from conference action, the Aggies will hope to attain good form in preparation for conference playoff action.

The Aggies head into the week on a two-game losing streak suffered at the hands of Pacific and California. Although coming up short, UC Davis senior Cloey LemMon had herself a solid game against Pacific, recording two assists and now holds a team high total of five assists this season.

“We were disappointed with the losses,” said coach Austin Piles. “But at the same time we did see growth especially late in that second half against Cal.”

The Aggies will have their hands full yet again as they prepare for two Big Ten Powerhouses. Currently leading the Big Ten and ranked sixth nationally, Penn State will be looking to continue their amazing run of play as they prepare for the Big Ten playoffs.

UC Davis will have numerous players to defend against such as forward Taylor Herold, who is fourth in the Big Ten in points scored averaging 1.71 points/game. Herold will be assisted by Laura Gebhart who is third in the nation with an average of 0.85 assists/game.

The Aggies offense will also be tested as Penn State goalkeeper Kylie Licata has allowed an average of just one goal per game.

The Aggies head from one nationally ranked team to another as they face off against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Currently ranked 19th in the nation, the Hawkeyes have several players that could create challenges for the Aggies.

Sophomore Natalie Cafone who leads the Big Ten with 40 points this season could pose a threat to the Aggies defense, as well as Dani Hemeon who has accumulated 25 points in her junior campaign.

“Heading into this week, it is a great opportunity for us,” said coach Piles. “It is really about gaining the experience from our non-conference games to take with us in our conference tournament.”

The Aggies return to play 4-10 overall and 2-3 in conference.

— Shaun Moncada

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