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They're the best-kept athletic secret in the region.
Thanks to Wednesday's air-tight 1-0 road win at Cal Poly, the Aggie men's soccer team posted its fourth-straight victory while running its record to 7-3-1.
The Big West Conference-opener featured yet another hero — this time it was Luke Hazel's second-half goal doing the trick for UC Davis.
Assuredly knocking on the door of a national ranking, area fans can help let the cat out of the bag on Saturday when formidable CSUN comes to town for a 1 p.m. showdown at Aggie Soccer Stadium.
The match is part of a promotional ticket that not only gives fans a chance to welcome home a UC Davis crew that has been on the road since a 2-0 decision against then-No. 25 Air Force way back on Sept. 8, but also provides admission to the Aggie-Cal Poly football game at 4 p.m. later that afternoon. Anyone with a football ticket can watch this weekend's men's soccer match.
What could be better? Temperatures expected in the 70s, fútbol and football. A perfect world for sports enthusiasts...
"I really feel good about the team and where we sit right now," says veteran UC Davis head coach Dwayne Shaffer, now in his 23rd year at the helm. "Winning a game at the Division I level is extremely difficult, so we've been pretty fortunate to be on the winning end of seven of them so far."
The Aggies will face a Matador (6-4-1) ensemble that is coming off a 1-0 home win over No. 24 Cal State Fullerton. Shaffer says there are nothing but speed bumps in the talented Big West — a conference that has the nation's sixth-best rating percentage index (RPI). So having an enthusiastic crowd for CSUN allows the locals to take full advantage of the home-game advantage.
The challenge for Big West schools when they meet UC Davis? From where will that game-changing goal come from?
In their seven wins, seven different players have provided the deciding net-bender. In all, 11 Aggies scored in 2019.
"I have some great players on this team," Shaffer reports. "We have some future pros in this group."
To wit, the year began in head-turning fashion. Charged to open the campaign at Big 10-power Wisconsin, then heading to Marquette, UC Davis stopped the Badgers, 2-0, and went 0-0 with the Golden Eagles.
"I knew after the results that we had a pretty good team," remembers Shaffer, whose Aggies then returned home to vanquish Cal State Bakersfield and No. 25 Air Force.
An uneven trip to Southern California saw the men lose at LMU and San Diego. Then Pacific got to UC Davis in a stunning 2-0 upset.
But since, the real Aggies have stood up.
Down went San Jose State, No. 6 St. Mary's got beat at home (the 4-2 setback remains the Gael's only loss), and an overtime win at Sacramento State set up the clean sheet against Cal Poly. Four in a row and counting...
It's been the lock-down play of fifth-year senior keeper Wallis Lapsley and the back wall — most notably juniors Jake Haupt and Nabi Kibunguchy — turning away challenges.
At Cal Poly, Lapsley was asked to make but one save. However, when pressed, the global disease biology major from Seattle provided significant impact.
Case in point Wednesday was when Lapsley collected a weak Poly effort, launched the ball three-quarters of the way down the pitch to beat the defense and eventually create an Adam Mickelson-to-Hazel header for the coup de gras.
Lapsley has allowed nine goals and saved 35 attempts. Shaffer likes the way he directs the game and appreciates that his keeper's 6-foot-5 frame enables him to get to balls other goalies wave at.
"Wallis has been one of the greatest leaders I've coached," comes Shaffer's high praise. "It all starts with him in the back. He understand exactly what the coaching staff is looking for, he directs the players really well and has an understanding of our system, as well as our personnel."
As part of a constantly improving defense system, Consumes Oaks High grad Kibunguchy has joined San Diego native Haupt in providing a sort of wedge in front of Wallis. With those two roaming the pitch, opponents' angles have become harsh, their chances fewer and fewer.
"Those three key positions ... have really solidified our team," the coach points out. "They give us an opportunity to win and they support the front players to be able to score goals."
And as those three do their things, up front Kristian Heptner and Mickelson have emerged as the top two Aggie hot shoes.
Heptner, a biomedical engineering major from Christian Brothers High, leads Davis with three goals. Mickelson — the Montana product who is studying neurobiology, physiology and behavior, has a team-high four assists to go with a game-winning goal.
So, here comes CSUN. A team that's beaten No. 2 Washington and nationally ranked Cal State Fullerton, thanks to an Omar Grey first-half goal to top those Titans.
What does Shaffer expect Saturday — and how does he think the Big West eventually will shake out?
"We'll stay true to our principles," the Chico State grad explained. "There will be some minor changes, depending on who we're playing, but we're not going to change a whole lot of what we do. At this point, to change too much wouldn't be the wisest decision."
Shaffer loves that he can change up responsibilities among personnel, give foes different looks and find ways to match his better players against another team's "not-so-better players."
And Shaffer knows, going forward, the Big West will be a hammer-and-tong battle each time out: "Every game is so tight and so close. I would say at this point there is no clear-cut favorite (in conference). But I like our chances to compete for a championship.
"My team is only going to get better over the next couple of months."
So, coach, why should UC Davis faithful come out Saturday for the CSUN contest?
"Because we're good," Shaffer replied.
"Most people who have never been to an Aggie soccer game would be very surprised and impressed by the athleticism of my players. The speed that's on the field.
"Most people who've never been (to a game) walk out remarking how the game is played with emotions. These conference games can get a little bit crazy and wild at times.
"Come out, watch a men's soccer game, enjoy it, and I guarantee they'll want to come back and watch another game."
And another, and another...
Editor's note: One of the most well-known and respected sports writers in the industry, former Davis Enterprise sports and managing editor Bruce Gallaudet joined the UC Davis Athletics staff as its feature writer in the summer of 2018. Since then, visitors to UCDavisAggies.com have enjoyed his unique perspective on campus student-athletes, coaches, teams, individuals, programs, events and projects that represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
