UC Davis women’s lacrosse suffers close loss to University at Albany
The Aggies’ Grace Gebhardt was a bright spot for the team, scoring five goals
By EVA MACHADO — [email protected]
UC Davis women’s lacrosse lost a close contest to the University at Albany Great Danes on March 15 at UC Davis Health Stadium. The Aggies battled pretty evenly with the Great Danes in the fourth quarter, but with the game on the line in the final minutes, the Great Danes came out on top, eventually winning 17-15.
The tough loss extends the Aggies’ two-game losing streak after winning four straight earlier this season. Despite the loss, the Aggies’ defense put up a strong battle against UAlbany’s potent offense. UAlbany made 37 shots throughout the game and UC Davis fourth-year goalkeeper Ashley Laing saved a season-high 16 total shots.
UAlbany took an early lead, scoring the first two goals of the game.
However, UC Davis sophomore midfielder Lauren Picardi responded quickly, scoring the Aggies’ first two goals of the game, tying the score at 2-2. Then the Aggies took the lead late in the first quarter thanks to goals by sophomore forward Alannah Scott and third-year forward Brooke Tokushige. Picardi also scored her third goal of the game, completing her first career hat trick and giving the Aggies a commanding 5-2 lead.
UAlbany closed the first quarter with a goal of its own, cutting the deficit to two.
Early in the second quarter, UAlbany kept the momentum going, scoring the first three goals of the second quarter to take a 6-5 lead.
UC Davis’ Scott responded, tying the score with her first goal of the quarter and second goal of the day. The Great Danes and the Aggies scored two more goals in the second quarter, with freshman midfielder Rhea Cosandand and sophomore midfielder Ella Brislin scoring for the Aggies and helping the team maintain a one-point lead at 9-8 .
The Aggies opened the third quarter with three quick goals, two of which were scored by sophomore forward Grace Gebhard.
However, just when it looked like UC Davis was getting ready to run away with the game, UAlbany scored the first two goals of the quarter. Gebhardt was able to answer with a third goal in the quarter, but UAlbany wasn’t done.
Their offense dominated the rest of the third quarter, scoring three more goals. The third quarter ended with a 13-13 tie.
Sophomore forward Alannah Scott scored the first goal of the quarter in a promising start for the Aggies. However, UAlbany quickly tied the score, tying the game at 14.
The Great Danes’ offense seemed to overwhelm the UC Davis defense for the remainder of the quarter, scoring three more goals in a row. Gebhardt scored the Aggies’ final goal of the game.
The Aggies made one last attempt to score against the Great Danes in the final minute of the game; however, this effort ultimately failed as the Great Danes’ stingy defense stopped any shot attempts.
UAlbany ultimately prevailed, defeating the Aggies 17-15.
While it didn’t go their way, the Aggies showed the power they hold within their team, playing a strong back-and-forth game against the Great Danes.
Gebhardt was the leading scorer for the Aggies, totaling five goals. Laing also performed well, putting up a solid defense against the big Danes’ attack. Despite the loss, UC Davis showed tremendous heart by not backing down against a formidable opponent.
The Aggies ended their two-game losing streak against the Columbia Lions on March 18, defeating them 15-12 at UC Davis Health Stadium. With the win, UC Davis improves their overall record to 5-3. The Aggies will go on the road in their next games against Robert Morris (March 26), Duquesne (March 29) and Oregon (April 8).
Written by: Eva Machado — [email protected]
