Box Score Sept. 24, 2016

Box Score

DAVIS, Calif. -- Alex Neff's second goal of the season early in the first half stood up as the only score of the match on Saturday afternoon as No. 18 Utah Valley squeaked past host UC Davis, 1-0, to close out the 2016 Copa de Causeway at the Aggie Soccer Field.

The loss snapped the Aggies' three-match winning streak as they ended the non-conference portion of their schedule at 4-3-2 overall. Senior defender Dashiell MacNamara and sophomore defender Roy Boateng were named to the 11-man all-tournament team for their efforts on the week.

The Wolverines improved to 7-2 overall with the win.

Neff's goal came at the 21-minute mark off a handball call on the left side, setting Utah Valley up 30 yards from the goal. The kick into the box found the head of leading scorer Skyler Milne, whose header was punched away by UC Davis goalkeeper Armando Quezada, but the rebound was followed closely by Neff, who collided into Quezada, knocking him out of position, as the ball found the back of the net.

Quezada, who finished with five saves, had a pair of saves back-to-back six minutes later, using a diving stop on a rocket by Aaron Meyer, and coming out to stop Meyer on the follow after the rebound bounced all the way back out to the top of the 18.

Sophomore Kristian Heptner had a header saved in the early minutes of the first half and Thursday's hero, Chase Rhode, just missed high on a header off a throw-in and back header by Noah Wilson in the 19th minute, as the Wolverines carried a 1-0 lead into the locker room at the break.

Each team had an early chance to start the second half and the Aggies successfully turned away a trio of corner kicks from Utah Valley leading to a Miguel Acevedo chance in the 57th minute. Acevedo worked a give-and-go with teammate Justin Wright, taking a couple steps into the box before unleashing a shot from 15 yards that was smothered by Utah Valley keeper Elliott Rubio.

Heptner then had a pair of chances blocked away by the Wolverines' defense as they played keep-away from the majority of the final 10 minutes, burying the ball into the corner to seal the 1-0 victory.

Both teams finished with 11 shots on the night with Utah Valley putting six of its 11 on frame to the Aggies' four.

UC Davis returns to the field next week in Southern California, opening Big West Conference play at CSUN on Thursday (Sept. 29) at 7 p.m., before taking on UC Irvine on Saturday (Oct. 1) at 7 p.m.