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Game 20 – NCAA Tournament (Second Round)
 
Louisville Cardinals (9-7-2)
at
No. 14 UC Davis Aggies (13-4-2)

Sunday, Nov. 24 – 1 p.m.
Aggie Soccer Field – Davis, Calif.  
 
Tickets 
 
NCAA Tournament Bracket
Video
Live Stats
 
 
DAVIS, Calif. – For the first time in program history, UC Davis will host a Second Round NCAA Tournament game when the Louisville Cardinals visit Aggie Soccer Field on Sunday. The Aggies, ranked No. 14 in this year's national playoff by the NCAA's selection committee, will return to action for the first time since winning their inaugural Big West Tournament title on Nov. 15 after earning an opening round bye.
 
Guarantee your seats for Sunday's NCAA Tournament game by purchasing your tickets online, by phone at (530) 752-AGS1 (2471) or in person at the Athletics Ticket Office, located at UC Davis Health Stadium, Monday-Friday between the hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
 
Will Wyman will provide play-by-play commentary for this game's video stream; live stats are also available at UCDavisLiveStats.com.
 
THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM FOR THE AGGIES
For the third consecutive season, UC Davis men's soccer team played in the championship match of the Big West Conference Tournament, twice denied a trip to the postseason on penalty kicks.

On Nov. 15, in front of a raucous standing-room only crowd of 1,308 fans at Aggie Soccer Field (a new record), the Aggies would not be denied a third time.

Sophomore Andy Velasquez broke a scoreless tie with the game-winner in the 55th minute and senior Kristian Heptner added an empty net score off a feed from Tournament Most Valuable Player Adam Mickelson with 15 seconds remaining in regulation, lifting top-seeded and host UC Davis to a 2-0 shutout of second-seeded UC Santa Barbara to claim its first Big West Tournament crown.
 
With that win, UC Davis advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2007 and 2008 squads made back-to-back appearances in the program's first two years at the Division I level.
 
4… 3… 2… 1… THE AGGIES RETURN TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Sunday's home game is the fourth overall national postseason appearance for UC Davis men's soccer, and its third berth in the Division I NCAA Tournament.
 
In 2007, the Aggies faced Cal in a First Round road game; they returned to the playoffs the following season, hosted Denver in the opening round and faced No. 14 Michigan in a Second Round match that took place in Ann Arbor.
 
This is the second time UC Davis advanced to this round of the NCAA Tournament, and the first time it hosted a Second Round match.
 
UC DAVIS DOMINATES ALL-BIG WEST HONOR ROLL
Ten members from UC Davis men's soccer earned All-Big West honors, as voted by the conference's head coaches, when league officials announced its 2019 All-Big West honor roll.
 
For the second time in the last three years, and the third time in his career, head coach Dwayne Shaffer was named Big West Coach of the Year. Shaffer earned this award in 2007 and 2017.
 
Senior Wallis Lapsley also earned one of the league's major awards and became the second Aggie in program history named Goalkeeper of the Year. He and Omar Zeenni, who was selected in 2013, comprise this exclusive list.
 
Senior forward Adam Mickelson, junior defender Nabi Kibunguchy and Lapsley each earned First Team recognition; senior midfielder Marte Formico, junior defender Jake Haupt and sophomore midfielder Andy Velasquez earned spots on the Second Team; senior forward Kristian Heptner and sophomore defender Max Glasser earned Honorable Mention; Max Arfsten was named to the All-Freshman Team.
 
This is the second time in as many seasons that the conference bestowed an All-Big West award to Lapsley. After earning All-Big West Second Team status in each of the last two seasons, Mickelson was selected to the First Team for the first time in his career on Tuesday. As is the case with Mickelson, Kibunguchy collected his third all-conference honor; he was named to the First Team and All-Freshman Team in 2017.
 
Haupt and Formico received all-conference recognition for the first time in their respective careers; named to the All-Freshman Team last year, Velasquez has now earned All-Big West status in each of his seasons at UC Davis.
 
Heptner is now a two-time All-Big West selection; this is the first all-conference award for Glasser and Arfsten.
 
DÉJÀ VU, BUT IN A GOOD WAY
For the third straight season, UC Davis advanced to the championship match of the Big West Tournament. This is the latest accomplishment for a program that has enjoyed nothing but success the last three seasons.

After hosting the Tournament's title game in 2017, the Aggies traveled to UC Riverside for last season's championship match.
 
ALL THEY DO IS WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN, WIN
No Big West team collected more overall victories throughout the last three years than the Aggies and their 35. The second-highest total belongs to Cal State Fullerton (29), the team UC Davis knocked out of the Big West Tournament's semifinal round with its 2-0 victory. UC Santa Barbara, the Aggies' BWC Tournament championship opponent, holds the third-highest total (28).
 
SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
By hosting a First Round match and defeating South Florida in Thursday night's rematch by a 4-1 score, Louisville will now experience a quick turnaround and head to Davis for Sunday's Second Round matchup.
 
Earlier this season, USF topped fifth-ranked Louisville 2-0 on its home turf.
 
The Cardinals qualified for its fourth-consecutive national postseason appearance by earning one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's 10 berths, the most for a conference in a single year in NCAA Tournament history.
 
Ranked No. 23 in the NCAA's RPI, Louisville holds a 2-3-1 road record. However, it was on the road when the Cardinals earned their biggest victory of the season when they handed Georgetown, ranked No. 2 in the country at the time of their meeting, its only loss of the season.
 
Against South Florida, a season-high four goals were scored by as many players, a list that includes freshman midfielder Bradley Sample, sophomore Pedro Fonseca, junior forward Izaiah Jennings and senior midfielder Cherif Dieye. Entering Sunday's match, Dieye leads all Cardinals with seven goals, six assists, 20 points, 76 shots, 35 shots on goal and three-game winners.
 
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Louisville Win: 10/17/18 — 1-0 (N) at Albuquerque, N.M.
Last UC Davis Win: N/A
Last Five UC Davis Results: L
 
UC DAVIS EARNS ADDITIONAL HARDWARE BY WINNING PAIR OF LEAGUE TITLES
By defeating Sacramento State in front of a packed Aggie Soccer Field, UC Davis won its third Big West championship in program history. Men's soccer's first two titles were earned in 2012 and 2017 when it captured a North Division crown.
 
The following week, the Aggies added more hardware to their trophy case by defeating UC Santa Barbara, 2-0, in the Big West Tournament's final. That shutout, the second in as many league playoff games and the third in a row for the Aggies, showcased a defense that allowed only three goals in conference play to finish 5-1-1 for 16 points.
 
This season, UC Davis posted four shutouts in Big West play and recorded a clean sheet against six of its last nine opponents. UC Davis also became the eighth team to win a regular season and tournament title in the same year.
 
AGGIE FANS LOVE NOTHING
UC Davis' defense currently holds a shutout streak of 365:35, dating back to an Oct. 26 double OT win at Cal State Fullerton.
 
THIS YEAR'S ROSTER RANKS AMONG THE BEST IN PROGRAM HISTORY
UC Davis tied the school's Division I record for wins in last Friday's 2-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara to capture the Big West Tournament championship. The Aggies improved to 13-4-2 overall, matching the 2008 squad which finished 13-5-4.
 
LAPSLEY RANKS AMONG THE BIG WEST'S BEST IN CONFERENCE HISTORY
UC Davis senior goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley won his 35th career game in net in last Friday's Big West Tournament final, and ranks No. 5 in the Big West career record book with the 35 victories. He also recorded his 21st career shutout, an all-time program record that is one short of entering the conference's top 10, and UC Davis all-time record.
 
Lapsley's career 0.89 goal against average currently ranks No. 8 on the Big West all-time list. He has allowed just 27 goals over the last two seasons.
 
AGGIES RANK HIGH WITH THEIR RPI
UC Davis earned a spot among the top teams in the nation all season long with its RPI, and that trend continued when the NCAA released its final RPI listing of the season on Nov. 17. When released, UC Davis ranked No. 18 – the highest in program history.
 
The rating percentage index, commonly known as the RPI, is a quantity used to rank sports teams based upon a team's wins and losses and its strength of schedule. This is a factor the NCAA uses when determining at-large teams to complete the field for its annual College Cup.
 
THAT SOUND YOU HEAR ARE STREAKS SNAPPING
When UC Davis visited Saint Mary's Stadium to face the No. 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).

UC DAVIS VS. THE NATION
Entering Sunday's Second Round game, UC Davis holds the following top-50 NCAA rankings:

Team
Penalty Kicks: 1st, 1.000
Save Percentage: 8th, .826
Shots Per Game: 20th, 15.05
Shutout Percentage: 24th, .474
Team Goals Against Average: 11th, .0.61
Won-Loss-Tied Percentage: 21st, .737
 
Individuals
Game-Winning Goals: Kristian Heptner – 49th, 3
Goals Against Average: Wallis Lapsley – 11th, 0.61
Penalty Kicks: Dylan Wood, Kristian Heptner – 1st, 1.000
Save Percentage: Wallis Lapsley – 11th, .818
Shutouts: Wallis Lapsley – 9th, 9

BREAKING DOWN THE NUMBERS
This season, UC Davis holds the following records when broken down by the following categories:
 
13-4-2 overall
5-1-1 Big West record

7-0-1 at home
6-4-1 on the road
0-0 in neutral site matches

4-1-1 against ranked opponents/opponents receiving votes

8-4-1 in shutouts

6-3 in games decided by one goal
7-1 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

10-0-1 when UC Davis scores first
3-4 when opponents score first

4-0 leading at halftime
2-2 trailing at halftime
7-2-2 tied at halftime

11-3-2 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
7-2-1 when opponents record more saves
3-0 equal number of saves

8-1-1 when the Aggies take more corner kicks
3-2-1 when opponents take more corner kicks
2-1 equal number of corner kicks

10-1-1 when the Aggies commit more fouls
3-3-1 when opponents commit more fouls
0-0 equal number of fouls committed
 
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
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 by allowing a program-record, and league-low 12 goals this season.
 
QUICK KICKS – POSTSEASON EDITION

• UC Davis won its first Big West Tournament title after reaching the finals on three occasions: 2012, 2017 and 2018
• UC Davis won a North Division crown in 2012 and 2017
• Men's soccer was the first team to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament when UC Davis joined the Big West Conference before the start of the 2007-08 season
• The Aggies competed in the First Round of the 2007 College Cup and the Second Round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament
• UC Davis has not lost a game at home this year, and posted its first undefeated home record since 2008 when that squad finished 8-0-3 at Aggie Soccer Field
• Wallis Lapsley's 20 career shutouts are a new all-time program record
• UC Davis' midseason 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 ninth shutout of the season when the Aggies defeated UCSB in the Big West Tournament final
• That shutout total surpasses his single-season career high from last season (8) and doubles as a Division I-era single-season record
• Lapsley holds the Division I-era record for the most career shutouts with 21
• No Big West active player has more career assists than senior forward Adam Mickelson and his 19
• Those 19 assists are a D-I era record, and the second-highest total in program history, trailing only Matt DeJong (1997-00) and his 26
• Senior forward Kristian Heptner scored five goals throughout his first nine games played this season
• Following his brace at No. 6 Saint Mary's, which helped the Aggies snap the Gaels' overall and home unbeaten streaks, Heptner's 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 played eight road games throughout their respective 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
• In his 13th season as the Aggies' head coach, Dwayne Shaffer's tenure is the third-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 

JAKE HAUPT EARNS FIRST CAREER BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Junior defender Jake Haupt's first goal of the season propelled UC Davis to a regular season championship, which led to his first career Big West Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week accolade.
 
Haupt received a long throw-in from teammate Robert Mejia and punched in the game-winning shot in the 85th minute of last Saturday's regular season finale against Causeway rival Sacramento State. The 1-0 victory gave UC Davis 16 points and sole possession of first place in the Big West standings, marking their third title overall.
 
Haupt, who also scored a goal during his freshman season, became the 13th different Aggie to score this year.
 
The defender also played a key role in helping the Aggies record their seventh shutout of the year, as only three of Sacramento State's 10 shots were on frame.
 
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.
 
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.
 
 
 
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.