Timing can be everything in sports.

Catch someone when its star player is injured, and a team might steal a win it otherwise might not have had.

Play against a terrific passing quarterback in a driving rainstorm, and he becomes less of concern for your defense.

As a team, get it together late in the season and it could mean playoffs — maybe more.

Such is the case for UC Davis lacrosse.

The Aggie women (3-10 overall) have won two of their last three conference games and are poised — with a good showing during the final four matches of the regular season — to find themselves in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation postseason.

The top six schools in the 10-team MPSF advance to the league tourney, which begins April 30 in Denver. UCD and Colorado (7-5, 2-3) are tied for sixth.

“We got a couple key wins at Fresno State and Cal,” says Aggie coach Kate Henwood. “We really needed those to give us a confidence boost. We feel really good about where we are in conference (2-3) and still have four really important conference games in front of us.

“It’s a good time of year to be playing our best lacrosse and we’re excited about the potential of still being able to correct some of our mistakes.”

Wobbling along at 1-9, UCD’s 11-6 victory at Fresno State on April 8 hinted that the switch was flipped on.

A strong showing at Cal two days later resulted in a 13-8 win, confirming that.

Even a 10-7 setback to Oregon (10-5, 5-2) on Sunday showed that the Aggies were improving.

“Our players always take our conference games seriously,” Henwood continues. “But I think they get really up for games that they know really count. While I’m not saying they don’t take the other games seriously, in (conference) games we know we have to bring our absolute best efforts forward.”

UCD can’t let down during these next two weeks.

A 4 p.m. Friday showdown with No. 24 USC will be quickly followed by a Sunday game with No. 37 San Diego State (noon). Both games are at Aggie Stadium.

“We’re vying for one of those final spots,” Henwood explains. “If we beat San Diego State on Sunday, our chances look pretty good.”

Beat USC on Friday, and those chances look very good.

Once again, the Aggies have been paced this season by senior attacker Elizabeth Landry.

The Acalanes High graduate has 36 goals and nine assists (both team highs) and broke the conference’s career draw-control record against Oregon. Landry’s 227 controls are the mark that she will increase in UCD’s last four games.

With three goals against the Ducks, Landry now has 146, top 10 among other MPSF careers.

“She’s a really special player,” Henwood says of Landry. “She’s one of the hardest workers that I’ve ever coached. She has that ‘It’ factor you can’t teach a competitor. She embodies what it means to be a competitor.

“We’ve worked really hard on homing in on some special skills of hers. Watching her develop not only as a player, but as a leader, has been one of the valued moments of coaching that everyone looks forward to when they take on this profession.”

But the Aggies, especially lately, haven’t been one-dimensional.

Virginia native Melissa Kellan has 34 points (26 goals, eight assists). She scored on all four of her shots in the win over Cal as UCD set a school mark for efficiency, hitting .722 percent (13-of-18) on the attack.

Henwood praised the team-style attack, singling out Kellan, Ellie Delich, freshman Kelsey DeJesus and Mary Doyle.

Kellan, a sophomore, “has been smart and improving” while junior Delich “is increasingly figuring out the timing of her cuts around the crease.”

“Kelsey is learning more and more how to be in the right place at the right time and Mary Doyle (another junior) is just a tactician. She knows how to put herself in a position to get fouled — and when she’s put on the line, she executes.”

After USC and San Diego State (8-5, 4-2), UCD plays No. 10 Stanford (9-2, 5-0) on Wednesday (7 p.m. at Aggie Stadium) before traveling to St. Mary’s (0-12, 0-6) April 25.

Notes: When the Trojans come calling, Davis High fans will welcome home Kylie Drexel. The former Blue Devil Athlete of the Year (2013) played lacrosse, field hockey and basketball at DHS. Sophomore Drexel has 17 goals and 11 assists for the Trojans this spring. … After the USC game, the Aggies will conduct an autograph session and free lacrosse clinic. … “Good Day Sacramento” (KOVR, Channel 13) paid a visit this week to UCD lacrosse. After chatting with Henwood and Landry, show host Kristin Marshall took a handful of shots (one of which went in on the backhand).

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or 530-320-4456.

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