Oct. 10, 2014

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Junior forward Haley Hughes gave her team an early 1-0 lead in Friday night's Big West Conference match at Cal Poly, then doubled the Aggies' advantage by scoring another goal in the 60th minute to help UC Davis shutout the defending league champions, 2-0, on their own field.

UC Davis will leave Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo, California, with a 4-7-3 overall and 1-0-2 Big West record. Cal Poly falls to 6-8 and 1-2 respectively with the result.

"This was a great test against a worthy opponent. I am pleased that out team was able to play a solid 90 minutes with zero breakdowns," said Twila Kaufman following her first league victory as the Aggies' head coach. "We weathered a couple of storms and finished this game well. (Tonight's match) was a natural byproduct of all the hard work we have invested. Everyone will enjoy the night before refocusing tomorrow."

Ana Marija Sola earned her first assist of the year when she threaded her pass through the Mustangs' defense to her teammate. Facing a one-on-one scoring situation against Cal Poly goalkeeper Alyssa Giannetti, Hughes wasted no time in helping the Aggies jump out to a 1-0 lead 25 minutes into the match.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, Hughes punished the Mustangs once again after creating another 1-v-1 opportunity.

What started with a pass wide left from Celina Minissian continued with a brilliant run from Hughes towards the middle of the field. Once she eluded the last of a string of defenders, Hughes scored her team-high fourth goal of the season.

Even more remarkable about Hughes' effort was the fact that she only took a team-high three shots in the entire game.

"Haley did a great job validating the hard work of her teammates, that's what a goal scorer does," added Kaufman.

Hughes is the first Aggie to score two goals in a game since Sienna Drizin accomplished the feat nearly two years ago to the day. On Oct. 5, 2012, Drizin scored two of her team's three goals en route to a victory at Pacific.

Now armed with a 2-0 lead, UC Davis proved why it possesses the best defense in the Big West Conference by turning away every Cal Poly scoring opportunity and shot on goal. Throughout Friday's affair, 13 of Cal Poly's 23 shots were on goal. Unlike the Aggies who were brutally efficient by scoring two goals on five shots, not one Mustang attempt traveled past UC Davis goalkeeper Taylor Jern.

Prior to kickoff in its first league road match of 2014, UC Davis allowed a league-low 12 goals to opponents and a 0.87 goals against average - the Big West's top mark.

Jern finished with nine saves and earned her sixth shutout of the year 14 games into the season. By comparison, she collected six clean sheets throughout her first three years at UC Davis.

"Taylor does a great job organizing our backline. We are fortunate to have a goalkeeper who can play at such a high level on a consistent basis," Kaufman said.

When Jern was not busy turning the Mustangs away, her teammates chipped in when needed by recording four team saves. In all, the Aggies finished with 13 saves compared to Cal Poly's one.

Of the three UC Davis victories earned against Cal Poly in its 13 head-to-head meetings, two took place in San Luis Obispo.

If UC Davis is able secure a top-four finish at the end of the regular season, the Aggies will return to Alex G. Spanos Stadium since Cal Poly is the designated host for this year's Big West Women's Soccer Tournament.

UC Davis will now shift its focus to Sunday's 1 p.m. road match at UC Santa Barbara. Links for a free video stream, audio broadcast and live stats are available at ucdavisaggies.com.