Walaitis scores hat trick in Bulldogs' loss to UC Davis

Saturday, March 13

Fresno, CA

2:00 PM PT

Fresno State

1-5,0-0

UC Davis

5-2,0-0

UC Davis

Fresno State

Photo by: Samuel Marshall

Walaitis scores hat trick in Bulldogs' loss to UC Davis

3/13/2021 5:55:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

By: Savannah Stoeckle / Strategic Communications Assistant

FRESNO, Calif. - Senior attacker Megan Walaitis led the Fresno State lacrosse team in scoring with three goals on four shots against UC Davis on Saturday afternoon at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs dropped the non-conference battle with the Aggies, 20-9.

Walaitis led the team in scoring, while freshman Logann Eldredge and sophomore Hennessey Evans each scored two goals. Junior Sydney Skalstad and senior Hannah Krats added one apiece to round out the scoring efforts for the Bulldogs. Defensively, senior goalkeeper Courtney Walburger had a career-high 14 saves on 40 shots faced.

The majority of scoring happened in the first half of play as the teams combined for 47 shots and 24 goals in the first half, and only 17 shots and five goals in the second. Fresno State was outshot by the Aggies in the game, 40-24.

How it Happened
UC Davis opened scoring with a free position goal from the current NCAA leader in goals Sorana Larson. The Aggies followed up with two more goals before Walaitis could score her first with 23:30 left in the half. Walatis netted the goal on the assist from Krats.

The Aggies answered with four-straight goals to extend their lead to 7-1 with 19:12 remaining in the opening period of play. It was Walaitis again who snapped the scoring streak of the Aggies, scoring this one on a free-position attempt at the 17:56 mark in the half. Evans scored another for the Bulldogs three minutes later to bring Fresno State within four, 7-3. The four-goal differential would be the closest Fresno State got to the UC Davis lead in the game.

Larson scored another for the Aggies to end Fresno State's scoring run, and Aude Claire Moats added another for UC Davis before Krats got on the board for the 'Dogs at the 12:43 mark in the half.

The Aggies pulled out two more goals before Walaitis scored her hat trick off another assist from Krats. UC Davis again responded with a pair of goals to extend its lead to 13-5. Eldredge scored her lone goal of the game on a free-position with 5:35 remaining in the half, but UC Davis erased any momentum from the 'Dogs with three-straight scores to force a 16-6 lead.

Evans snuck a goal in off the assist from Eldredge to cut the Aggie lead to nine, but UC Davis' Anna Hofgard scored at the one second mark of the first half to put the Aggies up 17-7 at the break.

It was a battle of the defenses in the second half as only 17 shots were taken in the period. The Bulldog defense opened the period with forcing an Aggie shot clock violation, and Skalstad opened the scoring for the 'Dogs, netting one on the assist from Kiszely just two and a half minutes into the game. The Aggies scored two goals in a seven minute span before Eldredge netted her second goal, unassisted. It was another scoreless 11 minutes before Aggie Lauren Hart scored on a free-position with 4:47 left in the game. Hart's goal was the final score of the game as both defenses held strong.

Up Next - Fresno State travels to face No. 20 USC on Sun. Mar. 21 in Los Angeles. USC is 3-2 this season with games against Arizona State and No. 12 Stanford still to play this weekend.

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