Box Score Davidson, N.C. – The Pacific Tigers won a tight one in their final non-conference matchup of the year, defeating the Davidson Wildcats 4-3 in North Carolina. Pacific has now won nine games in a row and sits at 9-3 on the season entering next Sunday's America East Conference opener at Stanford. Davidson falls to 2-9.
Laura Pujade got the win in the game, with Jessie Niccum taking over for the last 20 minutes of the game. Pacific allowed only eight shots in the game, taking 13 of their own, with ten of those on goal.
Savannah Burns scored early again for her 11th of the year three minutes after the game began. The junior took a backhand swing from the top of the circle and sent the ball in top post for the game's first goal.
Burns scored again at 10:46 off a corner to make it two games in a row with multiple goals. Her 12th goal of the season put her fifth all-time for a Tiger in a single season. Her 22 career goals are third all-time behind only Katy McDonough's 23 and Vianney Campos' 68.
Hannah Tvergyak and Emma Leach picked up assists on Burns' second goal. The assist gave Tvergyak a career-high ten points on the year, the eighth Tiger with double digits, while Leach built on her career high with her 11th assist, tied for the most in Pacific history.
A goal off a corner at 20:50 cut Pacific's lead to one as Davidson's Katherine English scored.
Already with five goals in the last four games, Alicia Muiños picked up another goal despite Pacific playing a man down after a green card. Muiños' goal came at 28:04 from deep in the circle to make it 3-1.
The Tigers took another green card just before halftime, putting them down a player for the first minute and a half of the second. Pacific only allowed two shots in the first 35 minutes of the game despite the multiple man advantages for Davidson.
Davidson's Becca Jones cut it down to a one-goal game once again at 47:29, scoring on the Wildcats' fifth shot of the game. Jones scored off a rebound after Pacific blocked the first shot.
A green card on Davidson shortly thereafter gave Pacific a chance to expand their lead back up to two. Ali Campos started the attack with a shot that was saved away as the Tigers managed three shots with the advantage.
Marguerite van Wyk scored on the final of those shots, making it 4-2. Van Wyk's 15th goal of the season moved her into a tie for the second-most in all of Division I, just one goal behind Charlotte Veitner of UConn.
Ash Rutherford and Hayley Kilfoil served as the set-up duo on the corner, earning assists. Rutherford's 12th assist put her back in front of Leach for the team lead. Kilfoil's assist gave her eight points on the year.
The Wildcats had four penalty corners in quick succession starting in the 63rd minute. Niccum, who took over in goal with 20 minutes remaining, stopped everything on the first three but couldn't quite get to the last chance as Davidson scored to make it 4-3.
The Tigers buckled down from there and took over, not allowing Davidson to possess the ball enough to even get another shot off as Pacific took the win.
Conference play starts up next for Pacific, who will take on the Stanford Cardinal in Palo Alto on October 9 at noon.
Make sure to follow Pacific field hockey on Twitter with the username @PacificTigersFH and on Instagram at pacifictigersfh.
