Box Score Oct. 25, 2014

Box Score

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- UC Davis senior forward Matt Sheldon finished with a match-high five shots, helping his side to a 26-10 advantage in that category on the night, but the Aggies could not put one in the back of the net, tying a pair of NCAA records in a scoreless draw with Causeway Cup rival Sacramento State on a damp Saturday night at Bonney Field in Sacramento.

"I thought it was a great night to play our rival," Head Coach Dwayne Shaffer said. "I thought my team played really well, but the name of the game is scoring goals. Our defense is playing outstanding and our offense is playing well, but we're just not finishing the final pass. It's unfortunate because we created a number of chances tonight."

Playing on the home field of the USL Pro Sacramento Republic FC, visiting UC Davis (6-1-9 overall, 4-1-2 in the Big West Conference) battled their league rival for 110 minutes before settling for its ninth draw of the season, matching the record set by Providence in 2005 and matched by St. John's (2009) and South Florida (2013).

The Aggies got their via their 11th overtime match in 16 contests this season, matching the NCAA mark set by Saint Louis in 2003 and equalled by San Diego State (2009) and UC Davis (2011).

Despite the disadvantage in shots, the Hornets moved to 4-9-3 overall and 2-4-1 in Big West play with the draw, holding the Aggies' offense at bay behind 11 saves from goalkeeper Philip Bru.

The 26 shots were a season high for UC Davis and the most for the program since Sept. 8, 2013, when the Aggies unleashed the same number against Bakersfield at home. UC Davis put 11 of those on frame, leading Sacramento State in that category, 11-4, for the match, while also holding a 7-2 advantage in corner kicks -- four of those coming in the second overtime period as they pressed for the game-winner.

UC Davis opened with seven of the first eight attempts of the match en route to a 9-3 shot advantage in the opening period, before unleashing 13 shots in the second half. Sheldon and classmate Ramon Martin Del Campo each had shots stopped by Bru in the first half, but the Hornets had their best chance in regulation go by the wayside in the 53rd minute as leading scorer Chimdum Mez found his way behind the defense and won a footrace to a 50-50 ball at the top of the box.

Sacramento State's leading scorer chipped a ball over the head of a charging Armando Quezada toward a wide-open net, but the goal was not to be, as Brian Ford raced back and popped the ball over the top of the net for a corner, preserving the shutout.

The Aggies turned up the heat in the second half of the second period, including a 12-second span that saw UC Davis unleash three shots toward the opposing goal, only to come up empty. Freshman Evan Barrett and Miguel Acevedo each had attempts blocked by defenders -- the latter of which rebounded right to Sheldon on the left side, but his attempt skirted wide.

A final flurry in the the last five minutes of regulation saw the Aggies take advantage of numerous turnovers by Sacramento State. A three-man rush ended with a shot by Barrett saved at the right post in the 86th minute, freshman Noah Wilson spun off a pass by Connor Willis-Hong and launched one that was smothered by Bru, and Wilson had a header miss wide off passes by Sheldon and Ryan Gross in the 88th minute, forcing overtime.

Just one minute into the first overtime, junior Ian Palmer broke in on the defense and skipped a ball toward the net that was briefly mishandled by Bru, only to be covered quickly, while Acevedo had a shot find its way through traffic in the second overtime, only to be stopped by Bru.

Quezada finished with three saves in posting his fifth shutout in eight starts this season for the Aggies, just one shy of matching a quartet of UC Davis greats (Omar Zeenni, Nic Platter, Jason Kong, and Brian Hocking) for third on the school's single-season list.

"We're still on top of the North Division, that's where we want to finish," Shaffer said. "I'm happy with my team, I'm happy with where we're at. We're playing really, really, well and, one day, the soccer gods are going to open up the goal and give us an opportunity. The sooner, the better, would be nice."

UC Davis closes out a three-match road swing on Wednesday (Oct. 29) at 7 p.m., returning to the coast to take on UC Santa Barbara at Harder Stadium.