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DAVIS, Calif. – Kristian Heptner scored eight minutes and 40 seconds into Saturday's home match against UC Riverside thanks to a string of quick moves that fooled three Highlander defenders, UC Davis' defense showed firsthand why it is the stingiest unit in the Big West by limiting its opponent to only eight shots, and Adam Mickelson sealed the victory by out-sprinting everyone on the field and capitalizing on a 1v1 counterattack in the final minute of the game to help the Aggies cap their weekend with a 2-0 result.
 
UC Davis will now enter Wednesday's 3 p.m. showdown at Aggie Soccer Field, against UC Santa Barbara, with a 9-4-1 overall and 3-1 league record. UC Riverside will return to Southern California at 6-7-2 and 1-3.
 
"What is exciting is that this group has not peaked yet. We usually start to peak when conference games begin; we are improving, but this group can still play at another level," said head coach Dwayne Shaffer.
 
Heptner is on a roll, and strengthening his reputation as one of the (if not the) hottest player in the Big West after scoring his fourth goal in the last six games.
 
That one goal was all UC Davis needed to remain undefeated at Aggie Soccer Field this season because its defense never allowed the Highlanders to generate any sort of rhythm on offense for the rest of the match. Forced to take low-quality shots in an attempt to score the equalizer, Wallis Lapsley took care of any errant shot that neared the Aggies' net.
 
The senior global disease biology major ended his day with five saves, one shy of a season high.
 
"(Wallis) is a fifth-year leader who is vocal on the field. He controls the team and the defense back there. He has two outstanding juniors in front of him in Nabi Kibunguchy and Jake Haupt. Jake doesn't receive the headlines like Nabi, but he works hard and plays just as big a role for our defense," added Shaffer.
 
"Our team defense is outstanding, and that is what I told the guys at halftime. If we can keep them scoreless, we will win this game."
 
UC Davis entered this game allowing a league-low 10 goals throughout its first 13 (now 14) games.
 
On the opposite side of the field, men's soccer tested Highlander goalkeeper Edwyn Gutierrez early and often, and recorded six shots on goal out of its 17 attempts.
 
Entering the final minute of the match, Kaleb Schirmacher cleared the ball out of the Aggies' 18-yard box, and found his teammate Mickelson along the near sideline. Once Mickelson received his teammate's pass, he showcased his speed by out-running everyone throughout the remaining two-thirds of the field to generate a 1v1 scoring opportunity.
 
At that point, the only question on everyone's mind centered on what quadrant of the goal Mickelson would attack. From 10 yards out, he blasted a shot towards the near post, but could have picked any corner of the goal and scored. Even though Gutierrez made a valiant diving attempt on that play, there was no way he could have stopped that shot because it was struck with such force.
 
After battling through a month-long stretch of action that included a program-record eight games, UC Davis will continue a home-friendly portion of its schedule on Wednesday when UC Santa Barbara visits Aggie Soccer Field for the league's marquee game of the week.
 
After facing the Gauchos, the Aggies will head to Cal State Fullerton before hosting Sacramento State in its regular season finale.
 
Including Saturday's contest, three of UC Davis' last four games will take place on its own turf.
 
"We have a great game coming up against UC Santa Barbara. They are a talented team that is on a roll. Today's crowd was phenomenal, we appreciate your support and look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday," Shaffer added.
 
 
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, 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.
 
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, 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.