Box Score Oct. 22, 2016 Box Score
DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis senior
Steven Guzman headed home a pass from classmate
Dashiell MacNamara to make it a one-goal match late, but visiting Sacramento State turned away the host Aggies late for a 2-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at the Aggie Soccer Field.
The loss dropped UC Davis to 7-8-2 overall on the season and 3-5 in Big West Conference play with two matches remaining in the regular season, remaining five points ahead of Cal Poly for the third and final tournament spot. The Mustangs play at UC Santa Barbara later Saturday night.
The Hornets improved to 8-6-2 overall and 4-3-1 in league play on the year, remaining in second play in the division and increasing their lead over the Aggies to four points.
UC Davis out-shot Sacramento State, 20-8, for the match, including a 12-4 advantage in the second half. The Aggies, who put eight shots on frame for the match, were led by
Matt Baringer, who took seven shots off the bench, putting four on goal.
At the other end, Hornets goalkeeper James Del Curto stymied the UC Davis offense, making six stops and getting help from his defense to deny a header by Baringer in the 40th minute by clearing it off the line to maintain the lead.
Sacramento State drew first blood in the 17th minute as Alex Bettencourt netted his sixth goal of the season off a free kick from about 35 yards out. Off the dead ball, Trevor Jackson started the play with a touch to the left, meeting Bettencourt, who took a touch and bent a rocket around the Aggie defensive wall and in at the left post for the 1-0 lead.
A quick series gave UC Davis its best chance of the first half, with Del Curto turning away a trio of chances in the span of 40 seconds. Junior
Kyle Higgins unleashed a shot near the top of the box that Del Curto was able to get his fingers on, but out for a corner. Junior
Noah Wilson's ball into the box first found the head of
Roy Boateng, whose header was punched up in the air by Del Curto, but right back to Higgins, whose shot was saved once again and cleared away from danger by the Hornets.
Trailing 1-0 after the break, it took only 18 seconds for the Aggies to create an opportunity as Del Curto turned away Baringer on a shot from the top of the box to the right post, and he stopped the sophomore once again six minutes later on another attempt from the right corner of the box, pushing it away at the left post.
The Hornets made it a two-goal game in the 61st minute as Nate Nugen capitalized on a turnover in the Aggies' defensive half, as Bettencourt gained possession, touched a pass to Nugen at the top, who sent a low shot through traffic and inside the left post for his fifth of the year.
UC Davis finally got on the board seven minutes later as MacNamara drove down and chipped a cross near the touchline to a waiting Guzman at the left post, who headed it down past Del Curto to make it 2-1. The Aggies finished with four of the final five shots in the match, but could not find the equalizer as time expired.
Looking to avenge a 2-1 loss on Oct. 12, UC Davis hosts Cal Poly on Wednesday (Oct. 26) at 3:00 p.m., in the final home match of the 2016 regular season. The Aggies then travel to UC Santa Barbara on Sunday (Oct. 30) for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
