Fresno State falls to UC Davis in MPSF championship game

Saturday, May 1

Fresno, CA

2:00 p.m. PT

Fresno State

2-12, 1-3

No. 1 seed UC Davis

12-4, 3-0

Fresno State

UC Davis

Photo by: Keith Kountz

Fresno State falls to UC Davis in MPSF championship game

5/1/2021 8:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Savannah Stoeckle / Strategic Communications Assistant

FRESNO, Calif. - Through a hard-fought battle in the 2021 MPSF championship, the No. 1-seeded UC Davis Aggies claimed the title over No. 3-seeded Fresno State with a 23-13 win at the Soccer & Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs finish their season with an overall record of 2-12.

"This team is so incredibly special," said head coach Kara Concheck. "To end Bulldog lacrosse in the way we did this weekend, was a tremendous display of what we stand for and who we are. We represented our alumni, friends and family, and team as a whole with pride. We have dealt with a great deal of adversity and have kept our heads high, and maintained a competitive spirit. This team battled and stopped at nothing all year. Records were broken all over the place, and we left our mark and legacy today as a united group. Go Bulldogs, forever and always."

Fresno State seniors Abbigayle Roberts (defense) and Hannah Krats (midfield), junior Sydney Skalstad (attack), and sophomore Hennessey Evans (midfield) were named to the 2021 MPSF All-Tournament team following the conclusion of Saturday's game.

With five ties in the game, and being down by four goals in the first half, the Bulldogs showed a resilient effort against a tough UC Davis lacrosse team who has won its most games in a single season since 2010. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Krats who tallied four goals in the contest. Evans had three, Skalstad and Megan Walaitis scored two apiece, and the freshman duo of Logann Eldredge and Devon Ortman added one each.

In the cage, senior keeper Courtney Walburger chalked 13 saves on 47 total shots. The Bulldogs had six caused turnovers on the day behind two each from Evans and Taylor Anders. Roberts and Alyssa Guidi also contributed with one apiece.

How it Happened
It was a tale of two halves with the opening period being an evenly matched competition throughout the entire 30 minutes. With neither team scoring in the first three and a half minutes, Evans broke the drought and scored one to give Fresno State an early lead. It didn't take long for the Aggies to respond, scoring three-straight to erase the Bulldog lead and take a two-goal lead.

Krats ended the Aggie run shortly after the Bulldogs won the draw control, and the 'Dogs would score another goals shortly after as Skalstad converted a successful free-position attempt, tying the game at three goals apiece. UCD scored, but Skalstad responded again to tie things up for the third time in the opening 15 minutes of play.

The next four goals over the following three minutes went to the Aggies to give UCD a 8-4 lead. Fresno State didn't buckle as it went on to score four goals of its own following three won draw controls in that time to knot the game for the fourth time. With 7:20 left in the opening half, the teams were tied at eight.

The scoring was minimal for the final minutes of the game, but UC Davis scored on a free-position with 49 seconds remaining to take a 10-9 lead into the break.

The second half opened with six-straight Aggie goals that would be too much for the Bulldog offense to come back from again. Fresno State scored four goals to UC Davis' 13 in the second half.

Notable

Fresno State played in its first-ever MPSF Championship game on Saturday. The Bulldogs' semifinal win on Friday was their first program postseason victory.
Abbigayle Roberts set the program record for most ground balls in a single season with 36 on the year.
Sydney Skalstad set the program record for most draw controls in a single season with 65 this season. She also set the single-game program record with 12 at Kent State earlier this year.
Sydney Skalstad is the program's leader in career draw controls with 147, passing the previous mark of 146 set by Kyleigh Westgarth (2014-17).
Lauren Kiszely set the single-season program record with 25 assists this year, besting the previous mark of 22 set by Sarah Bloise in 2017.
As a team, the Bulldogs fired their second-most shots in a season in program history, and third-most shots on goal. Fresno State won its third-most draw controls in a season this year.

"Fresno State Athletics: The Pride of the Valley '' – The Bulldog Foundation creates championship experiences for Fresno State student-athletes as they strive for excellence in the classroom, in competition, and in life. To become a BDF member, please visit bulldogfoundation.org.

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