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Game 17
 
Sacramento State Hornets (7-8-2, 2-3-1 BWC)
at
UC Davis Aggies (10-4-2, 4-1-1 BWC)

Saturday, Nov. 2 – 3 p.m.
Aggie Soccer Field (1,000) – Davis, Calif.  

Tickets
Video
Live Stats
 
 
DAVIS, Calif. – Three conference points are earned by a Big West team during league play, and one point is earned for a tie. With UC Davis and UC Irvine entering Saturday's round of games tied for first, here is another piece of information every soccer fan needs to know: The Aggies will earn a share of this year's Big West regular season title with a win, and earn the title outright if they finish with more points than the Anteaters.
 
What makes Saturday's match even more meaningful is the fact that Sacramento State will visit Aggie Soccer Field on UC Davis' Senior Day. Soccer fans are encouraged to arrive early to help the men's soccer program honor its five seniors: Marte Formico, Kristian Heptner, Wallis Lapsley, Adam Mickelson and Dylan Wood.
 
Live stream and live stats links for this weekend's Causeway match are available at UCDavisAggies.com.
 
MORE THAN JUST A RIVALRY GAME
Any game against Sacramento State is a competitive one, but this weekend's rivalry match is even more important since postseason berths and a league title are at stake.
 
Entering this weekend's game in fifth place, the Hornets need a win to extend their season. Another outcome means they would need a combination of results to take place in order to compete in the postseason or miss the playoffs entirely.
 
Depending on the results from two games in particular, CSUN at UC Irvine (7 p.m. kickoff) and UC Santa Barbara at Cal Poly (5 p.m.), UC Davis can end the season as the top, second- or third-seeded team in next week's conference playoff.
 
By finishing first or second, the Aggies will earn a bye in the opening round of the league's tournament (Nov. 6), and earn extra rest before hosting a semifinal on Nov. 9. If UC Davis finishes third, it will host one a First Round match.  
 
The two semifinal winners will square off at the site of the higher seed, compete for a Big West Tournament title and automatic berth at the NCAA Tournament.

HOW DOES THE BIG WEST BREAK A TIE?
Regarding Big West Tournament seedings, in any two-way tie for a position in the standings, the first tiebreaker boils down to the winner of the regular season conference game between the two teams. Since UC Irvine defeated UC Davis on Oct. 16, the Anteaters hold the edge for the No. 1 tournament seed should they finish with identical points (either 13, 14, or 16) with the Aggies.

However, a loss by both UC Davis (to Sacramento State) and UCI  (to CSUN), combined with a UC Santa Barbara win (against Cal Poly) would give the Gauchos the top seed as well as the outright regular season title.

The possibility of a three-way tie at 14 points exists, and would occur if UCI and UC Davis tie, and UCSB wins. UCI has head-to-head wins against both foes and earns the No. 1 seed on that basis.

UC Santa Barbara's game at Cal Poly will start at 5 p.m., a 7 p.m. kickoff is scheduled for UC Irvine's home match vs. CSUN.
 
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 SACRAMENTO STATE
Saturday's contest will feature two teams who are extremely familiar with one another since they already faced one another on Oct. 5 at Hornet Field.
 
In this designated non-conference match that was the final tune-up before the start of BWC play for both teams, UC Davis left Sacramento State with a 2-1 win in overtime by scoring on the final shot recorded by either team in regulation, and the first shot taken once play resumed.
 
Thanks to goals from Nabi Kibunguchy and Kristian Heptner, respectively, that result extended the Aggies' head-to-head win streak to five matches.
 
Since that meeting, Sacramento State lost to UCSB in the team's Big West opener, but finished with a 2-2 tied against UC Irvine — the only BWC team to defeat UC Davis this year. Following its first league win at CSUN, the Hornets dropped the next two home games before rebounding with an OT win at UC Riverside last Saturday.
 
Three Hornets are responsible for nearly half of their team's 23 goals, a trio that includes senior midfielder Matt Carnefix, sophomore midfielder Oscar Govea and sophomore forward Benji Kiknovic Each enter Saturday's rivalry contest with four goals apiece.
 
Series Record: UC Davis leads 18-9-2
Last Sacramento State Win: 10/22/16 — 2-1 at Aggie Soccer Field
Last UC Davis Win: 10/5/19 — 2-1 (OT) at Sacramento State
Last Five Results: L, W, W, W, L (OT)
 
MOVIN' ON UP
That is what UC Davis senior goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley is experiencing within the league's records book, thanks to last Saturday's OT victory at Cal State Fullerton.
 
The school's Division I record holder in wins – he earned the 32nd of his career against the Titans — now sits in sole possession of the No. 7 spot on the Big West's career wins list, and needs one more to advance another position.  
 
Lapsley also registered his 18th career shutout when UC Riverside visited Aggie Soccer Field on Oct. 19, which pushed him into a tie alongside Omar Zeenni (2010-13) for the school record.
 
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.
 
By topping then-No. 6 Saint Mary's by a 4-2 score, that 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 Saturday's regular season finale, UC Davis allowed a league-low 12 goals throughout its 16 games played.
 
Cal Poly holds the next lowest total, and allowed more goals (16) in fewer games (15).
 
QUICK KICKS

• If the Aggies end Saturday's action as Big West Conference champions, this will mark the third title won by the Aggies since joining the league in 2007
• UC Davis has not lost a game at home this year, and will post its first undefeated home record since 2008 when that squad finished 8-0-3 at Aggie Soccer Field
• UC Davis won a North Division crown in 2012 and 2017
• Wallis Lapsley's 18 career shutouts ties an all-time program record also held by Omar Zeenni
• UC Davis' mid-season five-game win streak (Sept. 21-Oct. 12) is the longest since the 2008 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 the United Soccer Coaches National Poll, released on Sept. 10, Oct.15, 22 and 29
• 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 only Matt DeJong (1997-00) and his 26
• Mickelson will enter this week's games ranked No. 6 in the league with six assists
• Lapsley leads all league netminders with 32 career wins and is No. 2 with 197 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 0.73 GAA, and .803 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 played this season
• That goal total ranks the senior forward tied for No. 9 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
• Heptner's 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, which took place in 2010 and 2016
• 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
• Thanks to victories collected against CSU Bakersfield and Air Force, 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, meant 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. 28, the Aggies hold the following top-50 NCAA rankings:

Team
Penalty Kicks: 1st, 1.000
Save Percentage: 16th, .810
Shots Per Game: 39th, 14.00
Team Goals Against Average: 17th, .767
Won-Loss-Tied Percentage: 31st, .688
 
Individuals
Game-Winning Goals: Kristian Heptner – 31st, 3
Goalie Minutes: Wallis Lapsley – 29th, 1392:11
Goals Against Average: Wallis Lapsley – 14th, .711
Penalty Kicks: Dylan Wood, Kristian Heptner – 1st, 1.000
Save Percentage: Wallis Lapsley – 17th, .807
Shutouts: Wallis Lapsley – 23rd, 6
 
UC DAVIS VS. THE BIG WEST
Entering this week's regular season finale, UC Davis holds the following league rankings:

Team
Shots: 3rd, 224
Points: 6th, 58
Goals: 6th, 22
Goals Per Game: 4th, 1.38
Assists: T-7th, 14
Assists Per Game: 7th, 0.88
Goals Allowed: 1st, 12
Goals Against Average: 1st, 0.71
Saves: 6th, 51
Shutouts: 2nd, 6
Fouls: 5th, 207
Corners: 3rd, 80
Offsides: 1st, 42
 
Individuals
Shots: Adam Mickelson – 8th, 40
Shots Per Game: Kristian Heptner – 7th, 2.73; Adam Mickelson – 9th, 2.50
Points Per Game: Kristian Heptner – 10th, 0.91
Goals: Kristian Heptner – T-9th, 5
Goals Per Game: Kristian Heptner – 5th, 0.45
Assists: Adam Mickelson – T-6th, 5
Assists Per Game: Adam Mickelson – T-7th, 0.31
Game-Winning Goals: Kristian Heptner – T-2nd, 3
Goals Against Average: Wallis Lapsley — 1st, 0.73
Save Percentage: Wallis Lapsley – 1st, .803
Saves: Wallis Lapsley – 5th, 49
Saves Per Game: Wallis Lapsley — 6th, 3.06
Shutouts: Wallis Lapsley — 2nd, 6
Shutouts Per Game: Wallis Lapsley — 2nd, 0.38

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS
This season, UC Davis holds the following records when broken down by the following categories:
 
10-4-2 overall
4-1-1 vs. Big West teams

4-0-1 at home
6-4-1 on the road
0-0 in neutral site matches

3-1-1 against ranked opponents/opponents receiving votes

5-4-1 in shutouts

5-3 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
1-0-2 in double overtime

7-0-1 when UC Davis scores first
3-4 when opponents score first

3-0 leading at halftime
2-2 trailing at halftime
5-2-2 tied at halftime

8-3-2 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
5-2-1 when opponents record more saves
2-0 equal number of saves

6-1-1 when the Aggies take more corner kicks
3-2-1 when opponents take more corner kicks
1-1 equal number of corner kicks

8-1-1 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.
 


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.