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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento State held a one-goal lead for more than an hour of Saturday's designated non-conference match between local rivals at Hornet Soccer Field, but it was UC Davis that held an advantage when it mattered the most because the first of two Causeway Cup matchups ended the moment Kristian Heptner scored the game-winning goal in OT, which capped 2-1 come-from-behind victory for the Aggies.

Heptner's shot originated from a free kick, five yards out on the top of the box. That kick was taken with such force, it drilled the left post before coming to a stop inside the Hornets' goal. 
 
UC Davis will now enter Wednesday's Big West opener at Cal Poly, the final game of the longest road swing in program history, with a 6-3-1 overall record. With this win, the Aggies will also bring a three-game win streak to San Luis Obispo.
 
Sacramento State drops to 5-5-1 with this result.
  
The second game of this Causeway rivalry will take place on Nov. 2 in each team's regular season finale. Until then, UC Davis will hold bragging rights for the season with its clutch road victory — its fifth in a row overall, sixth in the last seven played on the Hornets' home turf, and sixth in the last seven played between these teams.
 
With 4:08 remaining, it was Nabi Kibunguchy who scored the equalizer for the Aggies, which immediately gave them momentum heading into the final minutes of regulation. It was a heads-up play by Kibunguchy, literally, that evened the score since it was his header that found the top right-hand corner of the goal.

Not only was that the last of his two shots taken throughout the afternoon, that clutch kick was the final shot recorded by either team before overtime.
 
Talk about being efficient: Not only did UC Davis score in the final shot recorded by either team in regulation, Heptner scored in the first shot taken by either team in the extra period, which took place 52 seconds after action resumed.  
 
That shot was the fourth game-winner of Heptner's career.
 
UC Davis will look to open Big West action on a positive note when it heads to Cal Poly for Wednesday's 7 p.m. league opener. Links for live stats and a video stream 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.