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DAVIS, Calif. – Wednesday's Big West match featured two teams tied for second place when No. 20 UC Santa Barbara arrived to campus with the same conference record as the Aggies. For the first time this season, home fans witnessed an overtime contest after each team recorded a goal 32 seconds apart from one another in the final minutes of the first half.
 
That early 1-1 score ultimately became the day's final result since neither team scored after halftime.
 
By picking up a point in the league standings, combined with UC Irvine's loss at Cal State Fullerton, the Aggies are now part of a three-way tie for first place entering Saturday's round of games. Entering today's slate, UC Irvine stood alone in first place with 10 conference points, with UC Davis and UCSB holding a total of nine points, thanks to their three victories over BWC teams. 

With Wednesday's result, UC Davis will enter Saturday night's 7 p.m. game at Cal State Fullerton with a 9-4-2 overall and 3-1-1 league record. UCSB will continue its season-ending three-match road swing at 10-3-3 and 3-1-1.
 
By picking up a point, the Aggies remain undefeated at Aggie Soccer Field this year and still possess an undefeated record in overtime.
 
A heads-up play from Ryan Dieter led to the first goal of the afternoon when his blast from atop the near side of the 18-yard box ricocheted into the goal. Dieter's shot was taken with such force, it deflected off a defender's leg, bounced off the near post into the net.
 
That lead did not last long because when play resumed, the Gauchos evened the score thanks to a shot that was initially blocked, before landing in the right spot, at the right time (if you are a UCSB fan), and was redirected into the goal.
 
UC Davis out-shot the Gauchos 19-9 overall, with 10 of those shots on frame (compared to five for UCSB). Throughout overtime, the Aggies also took more shots than their opponent, and were responsible for three of the five attempts throughout the final 20 minutes of action.
 
"The guys are feeling good about themselves, we are playing well enough to compete in every game and give ourselves a chance to win," said head coach Dwayne Shaffer.
 
"Our backline — Andy Velasquez, Marte Formico, Jake Haupt, Nabi Kibunguchy, Max Glasser and (goalkeeper) Wallis Lapsley were outstanding again today. Sean Cooper and Kaleb Schirmacher each played well against one of the top teams in the country."
 
No Big West team allowed fewer goals this season than UC Davis; even after Wednesday's game, the Aggies' defense will remain No. 1 in the league when it heads to Orange County for another crucial conference clash.
 
In addition to an online video stream, live stats for Saturday's 7 p.m. match at Cal State Fullerton are available at UCDavisAggies.com.
 
 
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.