BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The UC Davis offense erupted for the second consecutive match, scoring twice in the first half to stake the team to an early lead before adding an insurance goal late in the second, lifting the Aggies to a, 3-1, victory over host CSU Bakersfield on Sunday night in Southern California.

The victory kept UC Davis unbeaten to start the year, scoring three goals for the second consecutive contest and improving to 3-0-1 overall. The Roadrunners, who pulled a goal back with just under three minutes to play to break up the shutout, fell to 2-2 overall.

Junior Adam Mickelson opened a three-point night with his team-leading second goal of the year in the 19th minute, converting on a ball played across the mouth of the goal for a 1-0 lead. A long ball played over the top found Jacob Rudolph, who won a footrace with his defender to the touchline down the right side.

With a step on his defender, Rudolph threaded a pass just underneath a diving Roadrunner keeper to Mickelson sprinting down the left side, who one-touched a right-footed shot into the net for the first goal of the contest.

Eighteen minutes later, a turnover near midfield led to the Aggies' second goal. Mickelson tallied his second assist of the year with a run down the left side. The Montana native outmuscled two defenders and poked a ball under the CSU Bakersfield keeper to a waiting Marte Formico in the middle of the six, who tapped it in to a wide-open net to make it 2-0.

The score remained that way until the final 10 minutes, when UC Davis was able to dent the back of the net one more time. A save by the Roadrunners rebounded back outside the 18 where senior Brian Quintero was racing in. A little give-and-go with junior Dylan Wood came back to the Bellflower, Calif., native, who curled a ball from the top of the box around the CSU Bakersfield keeper and into the top right corner of the net for the 3-0 lead.

Three minutes later, the Roadrunners pulled a goal back with 2:51 remaining in regulation as Sebastian Mentel made a run down the left side and sent a long ball back across the field, finding Ricardo Soza on the back post, where he volleyed home his first goal of the year to cap the scoring.

UC Davis outshot Bakersfield, 19-3, for the match, putting 11 of its shots on frame to just one for the host side. Eleven different Aggies finished with shots on the night, a team-high five of those off the foot of senior Justin Wright, who put three of his attempts on frame.

The Aggies continue a three-match road swing in the Pacific Northwest next weekend, traveling to Spokane, Wash., to face Gonzaga on Friday (Sept. 7) at 3 p.m., before locking horns with Oregon State on Monday (Sept. 10) in Corvallis, Ore., at 7 p.m.

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. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, 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.