Aggie women, men post dramatic soccer victories over LSU, USF
Both UCD teams have four-game win streaks as Big West play looms
As a special treat for area soccer fans, UC Davis wisely scheduled a women's and men's doubleheader for Sunday afternoon and the large crowds at each game did not go home disappointed.
The Aggie women kicked things off at noon with an incredible battle with LSU of the powerful Southeastern Conference and came away with a dramatic 4-3 win in a back-and-forth game that featured six goals in the second half.
The men followed with a 4 p.m. match against the University of San Francisco and dodged a seemingly certain tie with a goal with 43 seconds remaining to take a tense 2-1 win from the Dons.
The Aggie women and the Aggie men have now each won four straight games.
The UCD women, 7-2, put on a show for the ages against their Louisiana visitors, who dropped to 5-2-1 on the season. In addition to the large group of Aggie faithful in attendance, LSU had a number of purple-clad fans there as well, giving the game a bit of a playoff atmosphere.
"I'm so proud of how we played and how we competed," said a beaming Aggie head coach Tracy Joyner.
"This is what we've been building for with the foundation that previous teams have provided, so it's a great win for us, but it's not really a surprise. We have a bunch of fighters and we have grit. Our players have a deep respect for each other and a strong belief in each other."
The Aggies struck early, with Genavieve Fontes scoring at 12:56 off an assist from Sammie Ruelas, and that 1-0 lead lasted until halftime.
Partisans on both sides couldn't have imagined the offensive explosion that was about to take place over the final 45 minutes.