COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Lauren Jennings (So., San Diego, Calif.) scored four times to notch Player of the Game laurels as No. 1-ranked/Sierra Pacific Division Champion the University of California-Davis outlasted Mid-Atlantic Division Champion West Chester University, 12-7, in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship hosted by Texas A&M University.
Competing at A&M’s Rec Center Pool, the Aggies built a 6-2 margin by the conclusion at the end of the first quarter and never looked back in blemishing the Golden Rams and earning a spot in the tournament semifinals.
UC-Davis – which is guaranteed to finish no lower than Fourth Place in the final 16-team, 30-game championship standings – will seek to take down No. 4/Pacific Coast Division Champion the University of California-Los Angeles at 6:20 p.m Central this evening in the semifinals. Historically, the Aggies have previously garnered first (2012, 2013, 2017, 2018), second (2011, 2019), third (2008, 2014, 2016), fifth (2009) and 13th (2023) place marks as this year’s semifinal berth marks the 10th time UC-Davis has reached the penultimate round.
West Chester – which previously took home 12th place in 2023 at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) in the squad’s first appearance at the Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship – will take on the Irish of No. 5/Midwest Division Champion the University of Notre Dame at 7:30 p.m. Central this evening with a spot in the Fifth Place game on the line. Notre Dame fell into the consolation side of the bracket by dropping a 10-8 contest to UCLA in the game immediately preceding the UC-Davis/West Chester clash.
In a battle of a veteran program with 12 National Championship tournament appearances versus a relative newcomer to the upper echelon of women’s collegiate club competition with two National Collegiate Club Championship berths, the Rams held their own against the Aggies for the majority of the contest.
West Chester broke the scoring ice first as Hannah Christie (Sr., Telford, Pa.) spun in a ball to cash in a man-up opportunity 66 seconds (5:54) into the game to put the Aggies on their heels. Lauren Jennings (So., San Diego, Calif.) (5:30, man-up) and Kaitlyn Heindl (Jr., San Diego, Calif.) (3:58) turned the tables with consecutive goals to push UC-Davis ahead 2-1 prior to Christie firing in an equalizer (3:46) to even the damage at two-all.
The remainder of the first quarter and the majority of the third quarter belonged to the Aggies as Lauren Jennings (3:32), Katie Jennings (So., Santa Monica, Calif.) (3:08), Kailah Little (Jr., Stockton, Calif.) (2:35, penalty shot) and Kayla Landman (Sr., Sonora, Calif.) (23 seconds) closed the first frame and half with a 4-0 outburst as neither team mustered any offense in the second quarter.
The third quarter was a continuation of Davis’ offensive domination as Lauren Jennings (6:44), Katie Jennings (4:20) and Jordyn Stiles (Jr., Rancho Cucomonga, Calif.) (2:56) capped off a 7-0 surge dating back to Lauren Jennings opening salvo with 3:32 on the first quarter clock to provide the Aggies a comfortable 9-2 lead.
West Chester attempted to climb back into the game as Kaitlyn Gundersen (So., Reading, Pa.) stroked in a man-up score with 1:14 left in the third quarter to move the Golden Rams within six at 9-3 heading into the fourth quarter.
Gundersen (5:55) and Liv Chicchi (Fr., Lansale, Pa.) (5:10) shaved WCU’s deficit down to 9-5 with back-to-back scores to start the final seven minutes of regulation. However, Stiles terminate the run by finding the twine with 4:17 left on the clock to double-up West Chester at 10-5.
The teams traded equal blows from there as Christie (4:06; 2:44) punched in a pair for West Chester, while Audrey Laskey (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) (3:50) and Lauren Jennings (2:05) delivered for UC-Davis to establish the 12-7 final score.
For West Chester, Christie (four), Gundersen (two) and Chicchi combined for all seven Rams’ goals. Goalkeeper Jasmine Thek (Jr., Fort Washington, Pa.) stopped nine shots.
Lauren Jennings (four), Katie Jennings (two) and Stiles (two) were joined in the scoring column by Laskey, Little, Heindl and Landman who each chipped in solo markers for the Aggies. Goalkeeper of record Callie McClain (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) played the first half with two goals allowed and three saves. Ali Diaz (Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.) posted three saves with five goals permitted in the second half.
| 1st Q | 2nd Q | 3rd Q | 4th Q | – | FINAL | |
| West Chester University |
2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | – | 7 |
| No. 1 University of California-Davis | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | – | 12 |
| UC-Davis Goals: | Lauren Jennings (4); Katie Jennings (2); Jordan Stiles (2); Audrey Laskey; Kailah Little; Kaitlyn Heindl; Kayla Landman | |||||
| West Chester Goals: | Hannah Christie (4); Kaitlyn Gundersen (2); Liv Chicchi |
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| Saves: | UC-Davis – Callie McClain (3, 14 minutes), Ali Diaz (3, 14 minutes) ; West Chester – Jasmine Thek (9) | |||||
| Exclusions: | UC-Davis – 5 ; West Chester – 8 | |||||
| Advantage Opportunities: | UC-Davis – 2-for-8 ; West Chester – 2-for-5 | |||||
| Sprints: | UC-Davis – 2-for-4 (1st, 3rd) ; West Chester – 2-for-4 (2nd, 4th) | |||||
| Cards/Misconducts: | None | |||||
| Officials: | Bruce Morehouse, John Rightmyer | |||||
West Chester University’s Maura O’Donnell (#22) rises to shoot as the University of California-Davis’ Kaitlyn Heindl (#8) defends
The University of California-Davis’ Kailah Lillie (#12) unloads a shot over a charging Liv Chicchi (#19) of West Chester University
The University of California-Davis’ Charlotte Wu (#22) quarterbacks the Aggies’ offense & staves off West Chester University’s Kaitlyn Gundersen (#5)
West Chester University’s Maura O’Donnell (#22) attempts to split the University of California-Davis’ Kayla Landman (#7) and Amiah Merrill (#18)
The University of California-Davis’ Amiah Merrill (#18) plays keep away against West Chester University’s Kaitlyn Gundersen (#5)
