SEATTLE — Senior
Andy Velasquez scored his first goal of the season, cutting into a two-goal deficit with his 78th minute score, but the UC Davis men's soccer team was unable to complete the comeback, closing out its Pacific Northwest weekend with a 3-1 defeat at Seattle University on Saturday night.
The Aggies fell to 0-2 overall to start the year as Velasquez found the back of the net for the seventh time in his career after a pair of three-goal seasons in 2018 and 2019. The Redhawks, meanwhile, improved to 2-0, scoring twice in the first half and adding an insurance score with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
UC Davis finished with a 17-16 advantage in shots, putting 10 of its 17 attempts on frame, and finished with eight attempts from the corner to just three for Seattle.
The Redhawks were the first on the board in the 15th minute as Jesse Ortiz converted off a rebound of a shot by teammate Noe Meza that was initially stopped by Aggie keeper
Derrek Chan for the 1-0 lead. Declan McGlynn made it 2-0 in favorite of Seattle midway through the half off passes from Meza and Levonte Johnson and it stayed that way through the remainder of the half.
The Aggies came out firing to start the second half, taking the first five shots of the period over the course of the first 10 minutes and 11 of the first 13 overall — including an attempt by
Ryan Dieter that caught the crossbar in the 72nd minute.
Following pair of stops by
Charles Janssen at the other end of the field, Velasquez finally broke up the shutout six minutes later, converting a pass from Dieter to make it a 2-1 game. Senior
Robert Mejia hit the bar in the 81st minute, nearly tying the match before Seattle got the goal back on a James Morris score for the final 3-1 advantage.
Mejia finished with four of the team's 17 shots, followed by Velasquez and Maxilmilian Arfsten with three apiece. Janssen and Chan each finished with three saves apiece, splitting time in net.
UC Davis returns to Aggie Soccer Field for its home opener, welcoming Gonzaga to Northern California on Thursday (Sept. 2) at 4 p.m.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Centrally located between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, over 700 student-athletes across 25 teams enjoy an unrivaled undergraduate experience at the fifth-ranked public school in the country.
Ranked annually in the nation's top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis and its innovative Aggie EVO System helps student-athletes develop passions, connect with a comprehensive network of alums and industry leaders, gain real-world experience and thrive as a young professional following a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school.
