UC Davis entered the match against No. 8 Stanford looking to salvage a victory to finish its season.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, they would go home empty handed.
UC Davis got off to a fast start, taking a three-goal lead less than five minutes into the game, and the Aggies led by one with just over 18 minutes left in the first half.
“We came out really excited and it showed,” said coach Elaine Jones. “We came onto the field ready to play.”
From there things fell apart.
After scoring six goals in the first 18 minutes, UC Davis found the net just once over the next 36. In the meantime, the Cardinal exploded offensively, scoring 14 times during the 36-minute stretch and taking a 12-goal lead to break the game open.
Jones blamed the stretch largely on the Aggies’ inability to control the draws.
UC Davis was beaten 19-13 on draw controls.
The Aggies salvaged a few late goals, but it was not nearly enough, as UC Davis fell 21-9.
The 21 scores are the most UC Davis has conceded since April 2008 when it lost to California.
With the defeat, the Aggies fell to 10-5 on the season and 2-4 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. UC Davis finished fifth in its conference, one game away from the playoff picture.
The Aggies were led by senior Christina Corsa and sophomore Hannah Mirza, who each found the net three times. Junior Vanessa Jamison, sophomore Elizabeth Datino and senior Gina Hoffmire found the net once apiece.
Jamison led the team with two assists, while Corsa, Datino and sophomore Anna Geissbuhler each added one.
While the Aggies were disappointed with the loss, Jones believes the season as a whole was a success.
“We finished with a winning record,” she said. “We would have liked to make our conference tournament, but 10-5 is a strong record and the team earned that.”
The game concluded the careers of six UC Davis seniors.
Jones believes this year’s group of graduates is among the best in UC Davis history.
“They have been the most dedicated and committed senior class I have ever had,” she said. “We’ll be sorry to see them go. They have all accomplished a lot in their careers and I am proud of them.”
TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
