DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis senior
Grant Fidler found just enough room inside the left post for his third goal of the season, and the Aggies' defense held firm to turn away visiting Pacific for a 1-0 victory to close out the non-conference schedule on Saturday afternoon at Aggie Soccer Field.
After opening the year winless in its first five matches, UC Davis has found a groove, winning its fourth straight contest — three of those via the shutout — in improving to 4-5 overall on the year while outscoring the opposition by an 11-1 margin in that stretch.
The Aggies out-shot the Tigers by a 10-3 count in the opening 45 minutes, but neither team was able to find the back of the net, heading into the break locked in a scoreless draw.
Three quick shots by Pacific to start the second had the visiting side off to a quick start, but it was UC Davis' first shot of the period in the 59th minute that put the home team ahead for good. It was
Max Glasser that got the sequence started after a Pacific corner kick, taking a pass from teammate
Andy Velasquez and finding some room on the right side to send a ball into the box.
That pass was flicked on by
Maximilian Arfsten right to the head of an unmarked Fidler at the top of the six and the senior tucked the ball just inside the left post for the only goal of the match.
UC Davis almost made it 2-0 seven minutes later when a shot by Arfsten was cleared off the line by a Pacific defender, but the Aggies' defense made the lone goal stand as goalkeeper
Derrek Chan made three of his six saves after the UC Davis goal and the the senior keeper gathered in a dangerous corner as time expired to complete the shutout.
Big West Conference play begins with a pair of matches next week as the Aggies head to league newcomer UC San Diego on Wednesday (Sept. 29) for a 6 p.m. kickoff, before coming home to take on UC Santa Barbara on Saturday (Oct. 2) 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.
