You see, the visiting Matadors (10-5-3) aren't just any other team. They're good, and entered that matchup in first place; when the UC Davis crew handled their guests, West Coast observers took notice. These Aggies are getting it together.
While it's a little late to make a run at playoffs this fall (Davis meets Hawaii in Thursday's 2 p.m. season finale at Aggie Soccer Field), UC Davis head coach
Tracy Hamm is liking the progress.
"We had some really good pieces, some really good foundation," Hamm said of her women's grit in the win over CSUN. "I'm seeing good things for next year."
The Aggies stand at 7-10, 2-5 in Big West play. They've been up and down: wins over formidable schools, disappointing losses to folks the coach thought were beatable.
Hamm, in her first year on campus after four successful campaigns at San Francisco State, talked about the new-wave Aggies:
"The most important thing I focused on a lot was building the culture that I want to create, going forward; what our standard is and what the expectations are — not just our results, but our training sessions on a daily basis.
"I want to normalize winning. Focus on those training sessions so there's an expectation of winning.
"We showed we play really well against the top teams. Again, that's something to build on."
Hamm knows the knowledgeable local crowds understand good soccer, and she urges fans to give her senior players a big sendoff on Halloween. In fact, kids in costume will be admitted free as the Aggies hope to fashion another, ahem, monster game.
"Moving forward, hopefully we can carry over that kind of standard and how we approach games," Hamm told me.
On Thursday, Aggie Nation will say farewell to those five veterans —
Janae Gonzalez, Roisin Allaeddini,
Olivia Jones,
Hailey Rittershofer and
Courtney Van Winkle. It was Gonzalez penalty kick against CSUN that tied the game and put UC Davis in position for Fregoso's heroics.
Hamm has a returning arsenal that includes four of her former players who transferred from San Francisco State when their old coach got the Davis gig. And Hamm will get a chance to bring in her inaugural start-to-finish Aggie recruiting class.
Hamm was asked what she looks for in a ready-for-prime-time player ...
"It's a variety of things you're looking for," says the former Cal standout. "For me, the No. 1 thing is finding players who know how to compete. Wanting to win and learning how to compete is something very innate with some individuals. But it's also something that can be trained."
Hamm wants women who keep their motors running not only in games, but through workouts and the off-season.
"As a coach, and as a person, I always want to be the best at everything I do — and I hope that that is something that trickles down to the players that I coach."
Entering UC Davis, coaches know they'll get student-athletes who are dedicated to the classroom and to their selected sport, but Hamm says the fiber of being a champion should extend off the pitch. And she and her staff promise to assist in that regard, too:
"Being a good student, being a good teammates, being a good daughter … it's all part of it," says Hamm, adding, "And it's important to take a holistic look at areas that are strengths. But again, one of their biggest strengths has to be able to compete and enjoy doing it. Playing with passion and with joy."
Sporting a legendary last name in soccer, Hamm is no relation to pitch legend Mia Hamm. But since childhood, soccer has been Hamm's go-to sport and with her namesake's idol etched in her psyche.
"She was such an inspiration, and it's been funny because looking back … sharing the last name with the best soccer player in the world at the time, for me, that came with tremendous pressure and notoriety," Davis' Hamm recalls.
"But it was so fun, having referees check us in and everyone kind of whispering to each other, 'Is that Mia's sister?' It was really fun. She was the most inspirational figure in my life, outside of family and friends. To share a last name with Mia was so inspiring and so motivating.
"I remember in junior high and high school coming up with different headlines about Mia and I playing on the national team together. Having role models in your life — whether you know them or not — is pretty incredible."
The two met for the first time last spring at a US Soccer Team fundraiser.
"I knew she was going to be there and I was going to keep it very cool, very professional. But when I saw her, I couldn't contain myself. I was so excited …
"She was so funny, because I was like 'Hi! My name's Tracy and we have the same last name — and you've been an inspiration my whole life!' And she was so sweet …"
Mia asked if Tracy wanted to take a picture with her, which they did. Upon the occasion, Mia said, "Oh, look at the Hamm sandwich!"
"It was so fun. She was wonderful. It was great finally meeting her, a dream come true," the UC Davis coach continued.
While Mia Hamm inspired
Tracy Hamm, Tracy had a hand in the development of today's top national star, Alex Morgan. Hamm coached Morgan at Cal in 2009-10.
"It was very apparent that Alex was on the road to greatness and what's she's become," Hamm says. "She worked so hard. Very, very driven and passionate about what she was doing, wanting to be the best … and she definitely proved that.
"It was really great to work with her."
Now it's
Tracy Hamm's charge to see if another Morganesque protégé emerges, this time from Aggie Soccer Stadium.
Game time on Thursday is 2 p.m.
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.
