DU demolished UC-Davis, behind a 41 minute run, to avenge an earlier defeat against the Aggies to advance to the MPSF semifinals tomorrow night.

UC-Davis drew first blood at 27:40. Denver responded 40 seconds later with a goal by Sarah Kasun with an assist from Nicole Martindale to tie the score. UC-Davis’ Sam Axenroth made it 2-1 at 25:56. DU knotted the score 2-2 on Audrey Schreck’s penalty shot. Denver took their first lead, 3-2, on a nifty shot from Casey White – a lead DU would never relinquish. Early in the game, UCD was putting pressure on Reece and double-teaming Nicole Martindale so the pair were looking for assists. However, a free position strike by Reece doubled the score to make it 4-2. That goal seemed to open the flood gates for the scoring duo. Elizebeth Behrins made an unassisted goal to make it 5-2 on a low shot into the net. Denver won the draw and kept the pressure on the Aggies and extended the lead on a Christa Reece goal assisted by Audrey Schreck. Then, at 7:25  Martindale scored again to make it 7-2. Once again, Denver took control of a loose ball and Reece made it a hat trick to extend DU’s lead to 8-2 with 1:12 to go in the first half. The half ended 8-2  with DU enjoying a 7-goal run. Denver got off 17 shots to UC-Davis’ 11. 

To start the second half, Denver came out on fire. Thirty seconds into the half, DU’s Kendra Lanuza scored on the break with an assist from Nicole Martindale. Twenty five seconds later, a Nicole Martindale assist to Elizebeth Behrins made it 10-2 at 29:04.  An Elizebeth Behrins assist to Caitlin Derry extended the rout to 11-2. At 25:59 Nicole Martindale scored a goal on a free position bounce shot to make it 12-2. That set the game clock running with no stoppage time with Denver holding a margin of 10 or more goals. Martindale made it a hat rick on back-to-back goals, 13-2. Reece piled on another goal, her 4th tally of the game, 14-2, to extend the Aggie’s pain. UC-Davis finally scored at 13:49, a drought of over 41 minutes without a goal. Naturally, DU countered with a quick goal by Monica Lucas, 15-3, with an assist from Martindale. DU’s Melissa Kellen scored on a free penalty shot to make it 15-4. The game ended mercifully 15-4 with a scoreless final 10 minutes.

The red hot DU Pioneers face undefeated USC, 17-0, Friday night in Palo Alto. This should be quite a match-up with the surging Pioneers against the perfect Trojans.