Sarah Skinker

NOTRE DAME, Ind. -- No. 3-nationally ranked the University of California-Davis used a hat-trick by Sarah Skinker (Fr., San Diego, Calif.) to stop Dartmouth College 10-2 in the opening round of the 2011 Women's National Collegiate Club Championship at the University of Notre Dame.

The victory advances the Sierra Pacific Division champion Aggies to a 12:30 p.m. meeting on Saturday, May 7 against the victor of another first round game between No. 11 Pennsylvania State University and No. 12 Middlebury College with a berth in the tournament semifinals on the line.

New England Division champion Dartmouth will meet the victim of the PSU-Middlebury game at 7:30 p.m. later this evening in the consolation side of the bracket.

UC-Davis never trailed in the game opening up a 2-0 lead midway through the first period thanks to natural (5:29) and five-meter penalty shot (2:51) goals by Skinker. 

Dartmouth closed the gap to a single strike prior to the conclusion of the period as Aiofe Duffy (Sr., Mill Valley, Calif.) buried a feed with five seconds left in the seven minute frame to make it 2-1.

However, the Aggies sowed defense and reaped offense as the team added five more scores in the second period to carry a 7-1 lead into halftime.

For UC-Davis, Melinda Bacharach (Sr., San Ramon, Calif.) started the string of goals with a successful five-meter penalty shot at 5:27, before Katie Paznokas (Sr., San Diego, Calif.) broke losse for a tally at 3:35.  Kelley Shaw (Jr., San Ramon, Calif.) chipped in a man-up marker at 2:55, Kelley Oreglia (Sr., Camarillo, Calif.) netted a natural goal at 2:30 and Mary Banfield (Sr., Walnut Creek, Calif.) posted a score off an exclusion chance with 51 seconds remaining until the half to make it 7-1.

The Aggies kept rolling in the third period as Skinker converted on a five-meter penalty shot at 6:10 and Emily Muniz (Gr., Saratoga, Calif.) zipped a blast into the cage at 1:37 to push the margin to 9-1.

The Big Green finally terminated UC-Davis defensive stand and offensive sprint at 5:21 of the fourth period when Kristen Flint (Fr., Houston, Texas) split the Aggies' defense to reap a score.  For Dartmouth, the goal ended a 15:44 string back to Duffy's blast in the first period during which UC-Davis held the Big Green to five shots and no goals.

Oreglia closed out the contest's damage by registering her second score of the day with 42 seconds left on the game clock for the eight-goal margin of victory.

Guarding the iron, Laura Heddleston (Sr., Sacramento, Calif.) turned aside five shots to claim the victory for UC-Davis.  Dartmouth netminder Shelley Wentzel (Fr., Fremont, Calif.) stopped nine shots in her first appearance at the National Collegiate Club Championship.

UC-Davis Goals: Sarah Skinker (3); Kelley Oreglia (2); Katie Paznokas; Kelley Shaw; Melinda Bacharach; Emily Muniz; Mary Banfield

Dartmouth Goals: Aoife Duffy; Kristen Flint

Saves: UC-Davis - Laura Heddleston (5) ; Dartmouth - Shelley Wenzel (9)

Exclusions: UC-Davis - 4 ; Dartmouth - 8

Advantage Opportunities:  UC-Davis - 5-for-8 ; Dartmouth - 0-for-4

Sprints: UC-Davis - 1-for-4 ; Dartmouth - 3-for-4

Cards: None

Officials: Perry Korbakis, JT Wall

2011 Dartmouth College Big Green