SAN DIEGO, Calif. — San Diego State's Blake Bowen took full advantage of a yellow card whistled against UC Davis with seven seconds remaining, poking home the game-winning score with one second left on the clock, lifting the host Aztecs to a 1-0 victory over the Aggies on Friday night at the SDSU Sports Deck.
Just one tick away from forcing overtime for the second time this season, UC Davis remained winless on the year despite a strong second half that saw the Aggies limit the Aztecs to just two shots — both coming in the final three and a half minutes — in the period, while taking five of their own.
Of the team's five defeats, three have come by a single goal, with two of those ending in 1-0 scores.
Having gone without a shot attempt since the 33:34 mark of the first half, the first SDSU attempt in the second half was stopped by senior goalkeeper
Derrek Chan in the middle of the box, one of four saves on the night for the Cowan Heights, Calif., native.
However, with seven seconds remaining, the Aggies were booked, setting San Diego State up with a free kick from about 25 yards out. The initial strike deflected off a player on the wall and fell into traffic in the front of the net. The ball then dribbled out to the left side where UC Davis wasn't able to clear it away and fell right to the waiting feet of Bowen, who tapped it in before time expired.
Sophomore
Maximilian Arfsten finished with a pair of shots on the night, forcing SDSU keeper Jacob Castro into a pair of saves late in the second half, while
Ryan Dieter tested Castro just minutes earlier. Senior
Jake Haupt also put a shot on frame, denied by Castro midway through the first period.
UC Davis wraps up its trip to Southern California with a match against San Diego on Sunday (Sept. 12) at 1 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.
