SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Senior materials science and engineering major Alexis Smith set a program Division I record for career saves with six stops on the night, moving her into sole possession of second place on the all-time list in the process, but host UC Santa Barbara made an 18th minute score stand up in a, 1-0, victory over UC Davis in the Big West Conference opener for both teams on Friday night at Harder Stadium.

The defeat drops the Aggies to 3-6-2 overall on the year and 0-1 in league play, putting an end to UC Davis' seven-match unbeaten run in conference openers. Meanwhile, the Gauchos improved to 8-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play, winning for the fourth time in the last five meetings in the series.

Four of Smith's six saves came in the first half, tying her with Taylor Jern (2011-14) for second on the all-time list with 242 career saves and matching Jern's program Division I record. Fifteen minutes into the second half, Smith stopped an attempt by UCSB's leading scorer Shaelan Murison for her fifth save of the match, moving her past Jern and collecting the most saves in a career in the program's Division I history.

She added her sixth and final stop of the night on Murison in the 68th minute to keep it a one-goal match, going 1-v-1 with the Gaucho striker and making a diving kick save to keep her side close.

The six stops for Smith were just one shy of her season high set at California on Sept. 14 and matched a week later against Saint Mary's on Sept. 22. Krista Hull (1990-93) holds the all-time UC Davis career record with 323 saves in her four-year career.

UC Santa Barbara's score came off the foot of Lynsee Voss at the 17:18 mark of the first half as a pass by Murison from the far right corner found her teammate just inside the top of box, who took a touch, and fired the game-winner into the upper right side of the net for her first of the season and the 1-0 lead.

UC Davis put five of its seven shots on frame for the match, but could not put one past Hannah DeWeese, who stopped all five attempts en route to the shutout. Junior human development major Emma Hasco finished with three shots — two of those on frame — to pace the Aggies, while sophomore human development major Alicia Sloss had a dangerous chance near the end of the first half, putting a shot toward the net that deflected off a Gaucho defender, but right into the waiting hands of DeWeese.

The Aggies look to bounce back with a victory on Sunday (Sept. 30), as they close out their trip to the coast with a match against Cal Poly at Noon in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

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