Box Score Nov. 5, 2014 Box Score
DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis sophomore
Dashiell MacNamara converted a deflected Cal Poly shot into a "golden goal" game-winner on Wednesday afternoon, scoring in the 105th minute to lift the host Aggies to a 2-1 victory over the Mustangs and a berth in the Big West Conference Tournament.
UC Davis, taken to overtime for the 14th time in 19 contests this season, improved to 7-3-9 overall and 5-3-2 in league play, clinching the No. 2 seed and hosts role for the first round of the conference tournament against an opponent to be determined later tonight. The match will kick off at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 8) at Aggie Soccer Field against the No. 3 seed from the South Division.
Cal Poly, which needed a win to secure a berth in the postseason tournament, finished its season at 8-7-4 overall and 3-5-2 in conference play.
"We've got an opportunity to achieve our goal that we set as a program from day one," Head Coach Dwayne Shaffer said. "Now, everything from here, is going to be exciting for the student-athletes."
All three goals on Wednesday came after the break, but it was MacNamara's second game-winning goal of the season -- both of them golden goals in double overtime -- that put the Aggies over the top. A shot by the Mustangs' Joseph Bolous at the top of the box was blocked by UC Davis defender and fell to the feel of freshman Noah Wilson.
Wilson played a ball ahead that just caught a sprinting MacNamara onside at the midfield line on the counterattack, and the sophomore put home his second goal of the year to the lower left corner, just outside the reach of goalkeeper Wade Hamilton, to end the game.
Playing without the services of four players due to card accumulation or red card suspensions, UC Davis forced the Mustangs to play from behind early in the second half thanks to junior Ian Palmer, who took advantage of a failed clear by the Cal Poly defense for his third goal of the year in the 52nd minute. Palmer settled the ball from about 30 yards out and looped home a shot than clanged in off the bottom of the crossbar at the upper left corner for the 1-0 lead.
The Mustangs, who held a 22-19 advantage in shots for the match and a 10-4 lead in the category in the second half, drew even seven minutes later as Sean Dhillon crossed to teammate Matt LaGrassa, who sent a perfectly placed ball over a stretching Armando Quezada to the upper right to make it 1-1, and set the stage for extra time.
"I give credit to my team, we started four freshman today, and I thought they played well and battled hard," Shaffer said. "Under the circumstances, to be down in numbers, it was a great opportunity for some of those players."
Of the Aggies' 19 shots, 10 of those were on frame, including three shots each from Lizandro Torres and Palmer. Nine different UC Davis players finished with shots, eight of those with multiple attempts, while Quezada finished with six saves on the day, including one near the end of regulation on a point-blank attempt by Justin Dhillon with less than a minute remaining.
LaGrassa led all players with six shots for Cal Poly, while Hamilton stopped seven shots and got some help from his defense, which saved a Matt Sheldon attempt on the doorstep with 10 seconds remaining in the first overtime.
NOTES: UC Davis will be making its fifth appearance in the Big West Conference Tournament, and has earned a berth to the league's postseason event for the fourth consecutive season... The Aggies are 2-4 all-time in the conference tournament, including reaching the championship match in 2012... UC Davis will host a Big West Tournament match for the third consecutive season, and are 2-1 at Aggie Soccer Field in the event... The Aggies are unbeaten in its last four meetings with Cal Poly... The 14 overtime matches extends UC Davis' NCAA record this season, posting a 3-0-9 mark in double overtime... Of the Aggies' 19 goals this season, 14 have come in the second half or later.
