Box Score Nov. 8, 2014

Box Score

DAVIS, Calif. -- Sophomore Dashiell MacNamara scored for the second time in as many matches to give UC Davis the early lead, but visiting Cal State Fullerton responded with two goals in the final five minutes -- including the game-winner with nine seconds remaining in regulation -- to escape with a 2-1 Big West Conference Tournament first-round victory on Saturday afternoon at Aggie Soccer Field.

The Aggies had their season come to an end, finishing 7-3-9 overall and 5-3-2 in Big West play while making their fourth consecutive (and fifth overall) trip to the league's postseason tournament. The Titans improved to 9-7-5, advancing to face top-seeded UC Riverside in next week's semifinals.

"I thought it was a good overall game," Head Coach Dwayne Shaffer. "It wasn't the most exciting, intense, game we've played all season, but I feel disappointment, I feel for the seniors. I felt like we had a very good season and today did not just go our way."

Playing a man down after Ramon Martin Del Campo was sent off with his second yellow card of the match in the 68th minute, MacNamara put the home side ahead with a short-handed score four minutes later off a pass from teammate Logan Magonigal in the 72nd minute. Magonigal, appearing in only his eighth match of the season, sent a cross to MacNamara on the right side, where the San Francisco native had a hack at it.

Titan goalkeeper Jeff Salt got a piece of MacNamara's shot, but there was enough force behind the sophomore's shot to deflect off Salt's hands and into the net on the far side for the 1-0 lead. It was MacNamara's third goal of the season, ranking him tied for third on the team in the category, while Magonigal collected his first career point on the assist.

That tally looked as if it would stand as the game-winner before Fullerton found its way back with time ticking away. Ian Ramos collected the equalizer in the 86th minute as teammate Jesse Vega headed a ball down to Ramos' feet, the senior found space, and fired a shot to the top of the net from 30 yards away to make it 1-1.

The two teams looked destined for extra time before the Titans stunned the home crowd by punching home the game-winner with just 8.9 seconds remaining. Ramos started the play from the left corner with 39 seconds left, but the ball fell in the middle of a mass of players from both sides just at the top of the six-yard box. Fullerton's Nigel Patterson was able to just get enough on the ball to punch it through traffic and over the line to the right post for the winning score.

"After scoring first, we should have been able to close out the game a little bit better than that," Shaffer said. "Unfortunately, it didn't happen for us. I thought my team played really well all season long. Today, it seemed like our energy level and our intensity were down a little bit, but that's got to be expected after playing 14 overtime games. Maybe today, finally all of that got to us."

Ian Palmer, Ryan Gross, and MacNamara, tested Salt early, forcing the keeper into three first-half saves. The Aggies' best chance in the opening 45 minutes came in the 21st minute as a corner by Miguel Acevedo was headed back across to Gross, whose shot was cleared off the line by a Titan defender to preserve the shutout.

MacNamara had another chance just after the break in the 57th minute, as he tried to flick a ball toward the net, but had the ball intercepted by the Fullerton defense. MacNamara was able to regain possession, but the ensuing shot was stopped by Salt at point-blank range.

Fullerton held a 17-7 advantage in the shot column, led by Marc Fenelus, who collected match honors with four attempts. MacNamara finished with three for the Aggies, who also got five saves from sophomore goalkeeper Armando Quezada.

"I told the players to keep their heads held high, they should be proud of themselves," Shaffer said. "We lost only four games on the season -- four out of 20 -- and, anywhere around the world, those would be great results. Two of those were in overtime, one was to the No. 2-ranked team in the country and, today, we lost with just nine seconds left on the clock. My team does everything right, but it just didn't go our way."