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Men's Soccer

UC Davis hosts #20 UCSB in Big West’s marquee matchup

Final road game of the season takes Aggies to Cal State Fullerton on Saturday

In addition to men's soccer's key Big West Conference matchup on Wednesday, another popular event will take place Saturday afternoon when the 10th-annual Brewfest takes place before football's 4 p.m. Big Sky matchup versus Weber State.

This year's Brewfest was moved to Lot 56, due to construction of the new Student-Athlete Performance Center, and starts at 1 p.m. Do not miss one of UC Davis' most popular traditions, purchase your tickets today!


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Game 15
 
No. 20 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (10-3-2, 3-1 BWC)
at
UC Davis Aggies (9-4-1, 3-1)

Wednesday, Oct. 23 – 3 p.m.
Aggie Soccer Field (1,000) – Davis, Calif.  


Tickets
Video
Live Stats
 
Game 16
 
UC Davis Aggies
at
Cal State Fullerton Titans (9-5-1, 1-3 BWC)

Saturday, Oct. 26 – 7 p.m.
Aggie Soccer Field (1,000) – Davis, Calif. 

 
Tickets
Video
Live Stats
 
 
DAVIS, Calif. – With two weeks remaining in the regular season, every result matters in the chase for a coveted spot in this year's conference tournament. Aggie Soccer Field will receive every Big West soccer fan's attention on Wednesday when No. 20 UC Santa Barbara faces UC Davis in a key league clash featuring teams that are tied for second, trailing first place UC Irvine by one point in the standings.
 
Fans are encouraged to arrive to Aggie Soccer Field early — gates open at 2 p.m. — to secure a seat, while available. UC Davis faithful who live outside of the area can watch this matchup through a live video stream or live stats.  
 
Men's soccer's final road game of the season will take place on Saturday when it heads to Southern California to face Cal State Fullerton. Kickoff at Titan Stadium is set for 7 p.m. A video stream and live stats are also available for this contest.
 
Once UC Davis returns home, it will enjoy an extended break as the conference's designated team on a bye, before hosting Sacramento State on Saturday, Nov. 3, in both teams' regular season finale.
 
MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW!
UC Davis men's soccer alumni should circle April 17, 2020, on their calendars because that is when Wildhorse Golf Club will host the program's Alumni Golf Tournament.
 
Parents, players, coaches, friends and supporters of the program are also invited to participate in this annual event.
 
Last year, student-athletes who competed under Will Lotter, Simon Davies and Dwayne Shaffer packed the golf course to reconnect and support the program. By popular demand, this year's event is taking place at a larger facility to make this event as convenient — Wildhorse Golf Club is located in Davis — and enjoyable as possible.
 
Four sponsorship levels are available for this year's tournament by clicking here, contacting Charles Warne at (530) 601-1242 or warne_charles@yahoo.com.
 
SCOUTING UC SANTA BARBARA
Entering Wednesday's game at Aggie Soccer Field, UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis hold identical 3-1 league records, one point behind UC Irvine who leads all teams with 10 conference points.
 
With both the Gauchos and Aggies still within striking distance of that top spot, a regular-season title and home-field advantage throughout this year's Big West Tournament, Wednesday's winner will separate itself from the other and remain in the hunt for a league crown.
 
After defeating UC Riverside at home last week, the Gauchos' saw UC Irvine snap their 11-game unbeaten streak end on its home field with a 2-1 overtime result. Included in that streak were nine wins and two ties.

That match was UCSB's last at home this season; it will end the year with games at UC Davis, CSUN and Cal Poly.
 
UC Santa Barbara features one of the most diverse rosters in the league, with a combined 12 international players hailing from France, New Zealand, Spain, Sierra Leone, Australia, Canada, Ghana and Mexico.

Freshman midfielder Finn Ballard McBride leads all Gauchos with eight goals; senior midfielder Thibault Candia and senior forward complete UCSB's top-scoring trip with six and five goals apiece.

Even though the Gauchos hold the lead in the all-time series, UC Davis won three of the last four matchups, with two of those results earned in Santa Barbara.
 
Series Record: UC Santa Barbara leads 18-8-3
Last UC Santa Barbara Win: 10/17/18 — 1-0 at UC Santa Barbara
Last UC Davis Win: 10/21/17 — 5-0, at UC Santa Barbara
Last Five Results: L, W, W, W, L (OT)
 
SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The final road game of the season for UC Davis will take place this weekend at Cal State Fullerton, a matchup that has yielded some of the most exciting games in recent seasons.
 
In the last five played between these teams, UC Davis won two contests, dropped one, and tied the other two, which took place during the Big West Tournament and needed penalty kicks to determine a winner. On both occasions, CSF ultimately advanced to the next round by topping the Aggies.
 
So what can UC Davis fans expect this weekend? Another evenly-played match since these teams hold nearly identical records — the Ags are 9-4-1 overall and Cal State Fullerton is 9-5-1.
 
Last Saturday's 2-1 double-OT victory at Sacramento State snapped a five-game skid for the Titans, a streak that started with the team's final two non-conference games (at James Madison and Maryland), and continued with the first three league contests (at CSUN, vs. UC Santa Barbara and at Cal Poly). During that slide, CSF was outscored 12-1, and shut out in each of the first four games of that streak.
 
Series Record: UC Davis leads 10-9-5
Last Cal State Fullerton Win: 10/3/15 — 1-0 at Cal State Fullerton
Last UC Davis Win: 10/20/18 — 2-1 at Aggie Soccer Field
Last Five Results: W, T (2OT; L on PKs, 4-3), W, T (2OT; L on PKs, 5-3), W

NABI KIBUNGUCHY EARNS TOP 100 HONORS FROM TOP DRAWER SOCCER
Junior midfielder/defender Nabi Kibunguchy was named one of the top 100 players in the nation, by Top Drawer Soccer when the outlet released its midseason list on Oct. 21.
 
The No. 55 individual ranking is the latest honor for the Elk Grove native, who opened the season by earning Preseason All-Big West accolades for the second year in a row.
 
Kibunguchy is the anchor of the Aggies' backline, a unit that has only allowed a league-low 10 goals to opponents throughout the team's first 14 games. Entering its Oct. 23 home matchup versus UC Santa Barbara, the Aggies 0.80 goals against average is the 25th-lowest in the nation, with the managerial economics major playing a key role since he is matched up against opponents' top scorers each game.
 
Kibunguchy showcased his defensive prowess in a recent game against CSUN, and limited the league's top two scorers to a combined two shots.
 
The third-year Aggie is known for making clutch plays on a consistent basis, but that is not limited to the defensive third of the field. In UC Davis' rivalry road game at Sacramento State (10/5), the team's final designated non-conference clash since both compete in the Big West Conference, it was Kibunguchy that tied the score at 1-1, thanks to a clutch header in the 86th minute, that eventually led to a 2-1 overtime victory.
 
KIBUNGUCHY EARNS BIG WEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
UC Davis earned consecutive shutout victories and extended its win streak to five games — this is the longest streak since 2008 and the longest current streak for any Big West team — thanks to a backline anchored by Big West Defensive Player of the Week Nabi Kibunguchy, as announced by league officials on Oct. 14.
 
In Sunday's game vs. CSUN, he matched up against Johnny Rodriguez and Daniel Trejo, the league's top two scorers, and limited each to one shot. In the Aggies' Big West opener at Cal Poly, it was he who drew the Mustangs' top scorer as a defensive assignment; thanks to Kibunguchy and his teammates' defensive effort, last week's opponents only mustered one combined shot on goal.
 
Monday's selection marked the second time in the Elk Grove native's career that he earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
 
THAT SOUND YOU HEAR ARE STREAKS SNAPPING
When UC Davis visited Saint Mary's Stadium to face the #6 Gaels on Sept. 26, it competed against a team that held a 31-game overall unbeaten streak — the ninth-longest all-time in NCAA Division I history.
 
Thanks to four goals after halftime — the Aggies' offensive outburst started with Whalen Shinn's goal in the 51st minute, continued with Kristian Heptner's brace when he scored in 70th and 81st minutes, and Andy Velasquez' game-winner in the 76th minute — UC Davis snapped SMC's overall streak, and its 26-game unbeaten streak at home with a 4-2 victory.
 
In defeating then-No. 6 Saint Mary's by a 4-2 score, the result matched the highest-ranked opponent the Aggies defeated in the program's Division I history (No. 6 UCLA, Sept. 4, 2011).
 
TRUE STUDENT-ATHLETES
As ambassadors for the No. 5-ranked public school in the nation, UC Davis student-athletes take great pride in succeeding in the classroom, on the field and in the community. Majors for this year's roster include:
 
Biological Sciences: Max Glasser, Kaleb Schirmacher
Biomedical Engineering: Kristian Heptner
Chemical Engineering: Wumi Aladetimi, Grant Fidler
Civil Engineering: Jacob Rudolph
Design: Kameron Carey
Environmental Science & Management: Whalen Shinn
Global Disease Biology: Wallis Lapsley
Human Development: Sean Cooper
Managerial Economics: Jye Citizen, Marte Formico, Nabi Kibunguchy, Connor Tipton
Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior: Emmanuel Doherty, Jake Haupt
Political Science: Luke Hazel
Sociology: Adam Mickelson
Sociology – Organizational Studies: Luke Giusto
Statistics: Dylan Wood
Undeclared: Max Arfsten, Sean Bilter, Derrek Chan, Ryan Dieter, Turner Humphrey, Charles Janssen, Robert Mejia, Andy Velasquez, Tim Weidinger
 
THE GREAT WALL OF DAVIS
That is what the Aggies' defense should be called, and rightfully so, for the way it frustrated opponents all season long. Entering this week's schedule, UC Davis allowed a league-low 10 goals throughout its 14 games played.
 
The next lowest total, held by Cal Poly, is 14 goals.
 
QUICK KICKS
  • UC Davis' recent five-game win streak is the longest since the 2008 season when it won six straight before opening league play
  • That season also featured a program-record 11-game unbeaten streak, which included the team's final six non-conference matches and the first five Big West games
  • Senior goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley earned his sixth shutout of the season when the Aggies defeated UC Riverside on Oct. 19
  • With his next clean sheet, Lapsley will set a new program and Division I-era record for the most career shutouts with 19
  • UC Davis received votes in this week's United Soccer Coaches National Poll for the third time this season.
  • The Aggies also received votes on Sept. 10 and Oct.15
  • No Big West active player has more career assists than senior forward Adam Mickelson and his 18
  • Those 18 assists are a new D-I era record, and the second-highest total in program history, trailing Matt DeJong (1997-00) and his 26
  • Mickelson will enter this week's games ranked No. 6 in the league with five assists
  • Lapsley leads all league netminders with 30 career wins and is No. 2 with 183 career saves
  • Lapsley's 18 career shutouts is also the second-highest total among all active BWC goalkeepers
  • Lapsley leads all Big West goalkeepers with his 0.71 GAA, and is No. 2 with his .811 save percentage
  • He is also ranked No. 2 with six shutouts this season
  • Senior forward Kristian Heptner is playing outstanding soccer by scoring five goals throughout his first nine games
  • That goal total ranks the senior forward No. 6 among all league players
  • Following his brace at No. 6 Saint Mary's, which helped the Aggies snap the Gaels' overall and home unbeaten streaks, his free kick in overtime, at Sacramento State, was the game-winning shot
  • That game-winner was Heptner's first since the 2016 season, and the fourth of his career; his second game-winning goal took place two matches later when he scored the only goal of the game vs. CSUN (10/13)
  • Men's soccer's originally scheduled eight-game road trip is the longest in program history, and the most consecutive road games since the team played five in a row early in the 2016 season
  • That streak of consecutive road matches was cut to seven when severe thunderstorms forced game officials to cancel the Aggies' Sept. 29 game at Oregon State
  • The previous record for the most consecutive road games was five games, which took place in 2016 and 2010
  • UC Davis played more road games on that month-long swing than Cal State Fullerton (6) for the ENTIRE season, and matches Cal Poly's total for the year (7)
  • CSUN, UC Riverside and UC Santa Barbara each have eight road games on their 2019 schedules
  • By posting back-to-back shutouts against CSU Bakersfield and No. 25 Air Force, on Sept. 6 and Sept. 8 respectively, senior goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley earned Big West Defensive Player of the Week for the third time in his career, as announced on Sept. 9 by league officials
  • In addition to receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, the Aggies were one of five teams in the country that received votes in Top Drawer Soccer's national poll following the Aggies' home sweep against then-No. 25 Air Force and CSU Bakersfield
  • Thanks to victories collected against the Roadrunners and Falcons, UC Davis won this year's Copa de Causeway — a yearly tournament that features the Aggies, Sacramento State, and two visiting teams
  • Earning all-tournament honors were four Aggies: senior goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley, senior midfielder Marte Formico, junior midfielder/defender Nabi Kibunguchy and sophomore defender Max Glasser
  • Talk about making a memorable first impression: In his first home game an Aggie, redshirt freshman forward Wumi Aladetimi scored his first collegiate goal, a game-winner, against CSU Bakersfield
  • Results earned during the opening week of the 2019 season, combined with the team's last five results of the '18 campaign, means that UC Davis entered its home opener on a seven-game unbeaten streak — one that extended to nine matches before San Diego ended that run on Sept. 13
  • By opening the 2019 season with a 2-0 win at Wisconsin, the Aggies now sport a 2-0 head-to-head record against the Badgers
  • As one of a handful of teams that received votes, Wisconsin opened the season among the teams featured in the United Soccer Coaches' inaugural national poll of the season
  • The Aggies 2015 result against Wisconsin, which took place at Aggie Soccer Field, marked the team's last win versus a Power Five opponent
  • UC Davis also opened 2018 with a win in its season opener (at Omaha) following by a scoreless tie two days later (at Creighton)
  • In his 13th season as the Aggies' head coach, Dwayne Shaffer's tenure is the second-longest in the Big West, trailing only Terry Davila (CSUN) and Tim Vom Steeg — two coaches that spent the last 21 and 20 years at their respective schools
  • No Big West team won more overall games throughout the last two seasons (2017 and '18) than UC Davis
  • The Aggies advanced to the championship game of the Big West Tournament in each of the last two years
 
WHERE UC DAVIS RANKS
As of Oct. 20, the Aggies held the following top-50 NCAA rankings:

Penalty Kicks: 1st, 1.000
Save Percentage: 9th, .837
Saves Per Game: 50th, 4.35
Shutout Percentage: 37th, .400
Team Goals Against Average: 25th, .802
Total Assists: 48th, 28
Won-Loss-Tied Percentage: 26th, .675
 
Individuals
Goalie Minutes: Wallis Lapsley – 19th, 1858:31
Goals Against Average: Wallis Lapsley – 22nd, .726
Penalty Kicks: Dylan Wood – 1st, 1.000
Save Percentage: Wallis Lapsley – 8th, .845
Saves Per Game: Wallis Lapsley – 49th, 4.10
Shutouts: Wallis Lapsley – 16th, 8
Total Saves: Wallis Lapsley – 13th, 43
 
UC DAVIS VS. THE BIG WEST
Entering this week's schedule, UC Davis holds the following league rankings:

Team
Shots: 5th, 186
Points: 7th, 50
Goals: T6th, 19
Goals Per Game: 6th, 1.36
Assists: 8th, 12
Assists Per Game: 8th, 0.86
Goals Allowed: 1st, 10
Goals Against Average: 1st, 0.70
Saves: T-5th, 45
Shutouts: 2nd, 6
Fouls: 6th, 176
Corners: 4th, 64
Offsides: 1st, 40
 
Individuals
Shots: Adam Mickelson – T-7th, 36
Shots Per Game: Adam Mickelson — 7th, 2.57; Kristian Heptner – 9th, 2.33
Goals: Kristian Heptner – T-6th, 5
Goals Per Game: Kristian Heptner – 4th, 0.56
Assists: Adam Mickelson – T-6th, 5
Assists Per Game: Adam Mickelson – T-9th, 0.36
Game-Winning Goals: Kristian Heptner – T-2nd, 3
Goals Against Average: Wallis Lapsley — 1st, 0.71
Save Percentage: Wallis Lapsley – 1st, .811
Saves: Wallis Lapsley – 4th, 43
Saves Per Game: Wallis Lapsley — 5th, 3.07
Shutouts: Wallis Lapsley — 2nd, 6
Shutouts Per Game: Wallis Lapsley — 2nd, 0.43

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS
This season, UC Davis holds the following records when broken down by the following categories:
 
9-4-1 overall
3-1 vs. Big West teams

4-0 at home
5-4-1 on the road
0-0 in neutral site matches

3-1 against ranked opponents/opponents receiving votes

5-4-1 in shutouts

4-3 in games decided by one goal
5-1 in games decided by two goals
0-0 in games decided by three or more goals

1-0 in overtime
0-0-1 in double overtime

6-0 when UC Davis scores first
3-4 when opponents score first

3-0 leading at halftime
2-2 trailing at halftime
4-2-1 tied at halftime

7-3-1 when the Aggies outshoot opponents
1-1 when opponents outshoot the Aggies
1-0 equal number of shots

3-2-1 when the Aggies record more saves
4-2 when opponents record more saves
2-0 equal number of saves

5-1 when the Aggies take more corner kicks
3-2-1 when opponents take more corner kicks
1-1 equal number of corner kicks

7-1 when the Aggies commit more fouls
2-3-1 when opponents commit more fouls
0-0 equal number of fouls committed
 
AGGIES SEEK THIRD-STRAIGHT TRIP TO BIG WEST TOURNAMENT'S TITLE GAME
UC Davis soccer is one of the top teams in the Big West Conference, as evident by the amount of success the program enjoyed in recent seasons. Entering the 2019 season, no league team won more games throughout the last two seasons than the Aggies and their 22.
 
In each of the last two years, men's soccer advanced to the championship game of the conference's year-end tournament.
 
KIBUNGUCHY NAMED TO NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK
UC Davis enjoyed a strong start to the season, and the play of its backline was a key reason why men's soccer defeated Wisconsin, a team that was listed in the inaugural national poll of the year, and Marquette, a tough Big East team.
 
Anchoring the team's defense throughout those challenging tests was junior midfielder/defender Nabi Kibunguchy, which is why College Soccer News selected the Elk Grove native to its National Team of the Week on Sept. 2
 
Kibunguchy also posted a game-high four shots against the Golden Eagles, and generated the Aggies' most dangerous scoring opportunities that afternoon.

KIBUNGUCHY EARNS PRESEASON ACCOLADES ONCE AGAIN
Junior midfielder Nabi Kibunguchy earned preseason honored for the second year in a row when Big West head coaches selected the Elk Grove, Calif. native to the All-Big West Conference Preseason Team.
 
Kibunguchy was one of 11 players to earn this accolade.
 
The Aug. 22 announcement was the latest honor for Kibunguchy, who was named one of the top 100 upperclassmen by Top Drawer Soccer earlier this year.
 
SIX WILL ENTER, ONLY ONE WILL BECOME CHAMPION
The 2019 Big West Men's Soccer Tournament will take place from Nov. 6-16, with six teams battling for the league's postseason championship and automatic berth at the NCAA Tournament.
 
The top two seeds, based on the regular season standings, will earn a bye, with the remaining four teams squaring off in the opening round. The higher seeds for each matchup will host respective games.
 
First Round action is set for November 6; semifinal matchups will face one another on November 9. Semifinal winners will advance to the championship game, which is scheduled for November 16.
 


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.
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Players Mentioned

Jacob Rudolph

#17 Jacob Rudolph

D
6' 2"
Sophomore
Kameron Carey

#25 Kameron Carey

M
5' 8"
Junior
Derrek Chan

#0 Derrek Chan

GK
6' 3"
Sophomore
Jye Citizen

#16 Jye Citizen

F
6' 0"
Sophomore
Sean Cooper

#3 Sean Cooper

D
6' 0"
Sophomore
Emmanuel Doherty

#19 Emmanuel Doherty

M
6' 3"
Sophomore
Grant Fidler

#8 Grant Fidler

M
5' 9"
Sophomore
Marte Formico

#15 Marte Formico

M
6' 2"
Senior
Luke Giusto

#27 Luke Giusto

M/D
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Max Glasser

#4 Max Glasser

D
5' 10"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Jacob Rudolph

#17 Jacob Rudolph

6' 2"
Sophomore
D
Kameron Carey

#25 Kameron Carey

5' 8"
Junior
M
Derrek Chan

#0 Derrek Chan

6' 3"
Sophomore
GK
Jye Citizen

#16 Jye Citizen

6' 0"
Sophomore
F
Sean Cooper

#3 Sean Cooper

6' 0"
Sophomore
D
Emmanuel Doherty

#19 Emmanuel Doherty

6' 3"
Sophomore
M
Grant Fidler

#8 Grant Fidler

5' 9"
Sophomore
M
Marte Formico

#15 Marte Formico

6' 2"
Senior
M
Luke Giusto

#27 Luke Giusto

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
M/D
Max Glasser

#4 Max Glasser

5' 10"
Sophomore
D