THIS WEEK…
Cal State Fullerton (3-9-2, 0-2-1 Big West) at UC Davis (4-7-2, 1-2 Big West)
Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 | 4:00 p.m. PT | Aggie Soccer Field | Davis, Calif.
RADIO: None
TV: None
FOLLOW: Live Stats | Watch Live | Tickets

UC Irvine (7-5-1, 3-0 Big West) at UC Davis (4-7-2, 1-2 Big West)
Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018 | 2:00 p.m. PT | Aggie Soccer Field | Davis, Calif.
RADIO: None
TV: None
FOLLOW: Live Stats | Watch Live | Tickets

OPENING WHISTLE: A pair of Big West Conference champions will pay a visit to Aggie Soccer Field, as the UC Davis women's soccer teams plays host to both the defending regular season and conference tournament champions this week. The Aggies open against the reigning tournament champs in Cal State Fullerton on Thursday (Oct. 11) at 4 p.m., before the regular season champs come to town for a Sunday matinee (Oct. 14) at 2 p.m.

PROMOS: Get there early! UC Davis soccer scarves, a popular collectible in recent years, will be given away to the first 200 fans in attendance for Sunday's match against UC Irvine. Gates open one hour prior to the scheduled 2 p.m. kickoff.

FINAL "BIKE IN" MATCH OF THE YEAR ON SUNDAY: As a way to celebrate the Davis "bike culture" and encourage children and adults to participate in healthy activities together, the UC Davis women's soccer program has introduced a series of "Bike In" matches for the 2018 season, offering discounted tickets to those who ride their bikes to select contests. For Sunday's match against UC Irvine, adults can attend those matches for only $5, with a child's ticket costing only $4.

IN THE POLLS: Neither UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, nor UC Irvine, are ranked nationally in this week's polls… The Anteaters, however, are ranked No. 7 in the West Region this week according to the latest United Soccer Coaches regional rankings.

BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can keep up with the latest in UC Davis women's soccer by "liking" them on Facebook (/UCDavisWomensSoccer) and following them on both Twitter (@UCDavisWSOC) and Instagram (@UCDavisWSOC). You can also follow Head Coach Twila Kaufman on Twitter (@twilakaufman) and Instagram (@TwilaKaufman).

ABOUT THE TITANS: Cal State Fullerton enters the week with a 3-9-2 overall record and are winless in Big West play at 0-2-1 after falling in its only match of the week at CSUN (2-1) on Sunday… The Titans are winless in their last seven contests (0-6-1) dating back to a 2-0 shutout of San Jose State back on Sept. 6, and are just 1-5-1 away from Titan Stadium this season… Fullerton's only conference result was a 1-1 draw with rival Long Beach State back on Sept. 27… Senior defender Nano Oronoz leads the team offensively with five goals and 11 points on the year, while freshman Kristen Swales has scored four times… Sophomore goalkeeper Tianna Sanders has played all but 167 minutes in net, posting a 1.50 goals against average and 52 saves to go with a shutout.

SERIES NOTES: The Titans lead the overall series with the Aggies, 12-2-1, according to records that date back to 2004, after the two teams battled to a 1-1 draw in Southern California last season… Prior to that, UC Davis snapped an eight-match losing skid in the series with a 3-2 victory at home back in 2016… Both of the Aggies' wins in the series have come at Aggie Soccer Field, where they are 2-6 all time against Fullerton in the series… Three of the last five meetings have all gone to overtime, with the Titans posting a 2-0-1 mark in those contests, while five of the last six meetings have been decided by a single goal.

ABOUT THE ANTEATERS: UC Irvine enters the week with a 7-5-1 overall record and a perfect 3-0 mark in Big West play after sweeping past Central Coast rivals UC Santa Barbara (2-1) and Cal Poly (2-1)… Each of the Anteaters' last three wins have come in double overtime as they have won their last five straight overall… UC Irvine is 2-2 in true road matches this season, opening the week at UC Riverside on Thursday before coming to Davis… Sophomore forward Claire Grouwinkel leads the team offensively, scoring six of the team's 16 goals for 12 points… Eight different players have accounted for the remaining 10 goals… Junior goalkeeper — and Elk Grove, Calif., native — Maddie Newsom has played every minute in net, posting a 1.15 goals against average and 56 saves to go with a shutout.

SERIES NOTES: The Anteaters lead the all-time series with the Aggies, 8-5-3, following last season's 1-0 victory by UC Davis in Orange County on Mandy McKeegan's goal with less than two minutes remaining in regulation… UC Davis has won two of the last three meetings — all three decided by a single goal… The Aggies are 2-4-2 against Irvine at home, with the Anteaters posting a 2-0-2 mark in the last four matches at Aggie Soccer Field… UC Davis' last win at home in the series came in 2009, thanks to a 2-1 victory… The two teams have gone to overtime four times, with the Aggies posting a 1-0-3 mark in those matches.

AGGIE TWITTER NOTES…
• This week's contests mark the Aggies' first appearance at home in over a month, competing at Aggie Soccer Field for the first time since Sept. 6 against Weber State
• Sophomore human development major Alicia Sloss scored her team-best fourth goal of the season at Hawai'i last week, matching teammate Mahlah Catline's team-high total from last season and the most since Rachel Smith scored five times in 2015
• Sloss' goal gave her scores in back-to-back matches for the second time this year, joining her goals against Nevada (Aug. 19) and Cal Baptist (Aug. 24)
• UC Davis' two goals against the Rainbow Wahine marked the fourth time that the Aggies have scored multiple goals in a match this season
• Senior materials science and engineering major Alexis Smith finished with a season-high nine saves at Hawai'i, surpassing her previous season best set at California and matched at Saint Mary's
• Smith also set a second career record in as many weeks as her 90 minutes in net in Honolulu pushed her past Kelly Parker (1997-00) for the program's Division I record
• The two goals pushed UC Davis' total to 12 on the year — the most since the 2016 squad scored 23 times
• The team's four goals in the last two matches are one more than the team's total in the previous seven matches combined
• UC Davis has been accurate as a team, putting more than half (73) of its 145 total shots on goal, ranking No. 70 in the nation in that category
• Senior biological sciences major Ari Zamora continues to be the only Aggie to appear in all 1,228 minutes this season

WHERE THEY RANK… BIG WEST (as of Oct. 8)
• SLOSS: points (t10th); points per game (8th); goals (t6th); goals per game (6th)
• SMITH: goals against average (8th); save percentage (7th); saves (t4th); saves per game (4th); shutouts (t3rd); shutouts per game (6th)

RECYCLED NOTES
ABOUT THE AGS: UC Davis returns 17 letter winners and nine starters off of last season's squad that finished 4-12-2 overall, but finished 3-3-2 in the rugged Big West Conference to finish just out of a spot in the league tournament… Sophomore forward Mahlah Catline leads the returners on offense after scoring a team-high four goals in her Division I debut… Junior communication major Mckenna Moriarty (two goals) and junior managerial economics major Olivia Jones (one goal) also scored last season… Now in her fourth year as a starter in net, senior goalkeeper Alexis Smith (materials science and engineering) returns after earning All-Big West second team honors as a junior, ending the year with a 1.20 goals against average, 84 saves, and three shutouts.

UC DAVIS EARNS HIGHEST PRESEASON PICK: The Aggies were picked to finish fifth in the Big West Conference — including receiving one first-place vote — according to a vote of the league's head coaches released prior to the start of the 2018 campaign. It is the highest preseason prediction in the program's Division I history as UC Davis had never been picked to finish higher than seventh prior to this year. The Aggies finished with 42 points overall along with their one first-place vote to place just behind CSUN, which was fourth with 48 points. Defending regular season champion UC Irvine, which received three first-place votes, was picked to repeat with 70 points overall, shading second-place Long Beach State (two first-place votes, 68 points) and defending tournament champion Cal State Fullerton (three first-place votes, 65 points).

SMITH EARNS PRESEASON HONORS: Senior materials science and engineering major Alexis Smith was one of 11 players named to the Big West preseason all-conference team — only the third Aggie to earn the honor along with Mary Beth Mazurek (2012) and Ashley Edwards (2013). A stalwart in net for UC Davis during her previous three seasons, Smith is a three-time All-Big West honoree who begins her final season in an Aggie uniform as the program's career record holder in shutouts (19), while standing tied for fourth in career saves (205) alongside Kelly Parker, and third in minutes played (5,087).

DON'T MISS OUT!
The ninth-annual UC Davis Athletics Brewfest takes place as part of the October 13 Homecoming football game against Idaho State... Tickets for the Brewfest plus the Aggies-Bengals game are now on sale at https://bit.ly/2ooveDI... The Brewfest celebrates UC Davis as the No. 1 academic brewing program in North America... The ticket package includes unlimited tastings at the UC Davis Brewfest, a commemorative tasting mug, and a ticket to the game.

ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.