DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis advances to the semifinal round of the Big West Conference Championship to take on top-seeded Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night.
 
This is the fifth time in the last six seasons the Aggies have reached the semifinal round of the tournament. UC Davis finished as the runners-up in the 2017 and 2018 season before finally breaking through to win its first Big West Conference Tournament title in 2019.
 
Nov. 4 vs. Cal State Fullerton | 7 p.m. Kickoff (Fullerton, Calif.)
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TANON'S LATE GOAL SENDS AGGIES TO SEMIFINAL
Chase Tanon was the hero for UC Davis in the first round of the Big West Conference Championship as his late goal proved to be the winning moment for the Aggies in their 1-0 victory over five-seed Cal Poly. 
In a season where wins at home have been hard to come by, UC Davis put in an excellent performance and finally got the goal they deserved in the end. The defensive backline of Ethan Hoard, Luke Goodman, Sean Bilter, and Cole Pond were fantastic in their efforts to preserve a clean sheet, holding the Mustangs to just one shot on target over 90 minutes.
Tanon started the second half after playing just four of the first 45 minutes and the Lincoln native would show why he has proven to be a super sub in the 2023 season. His hold up play and smooth dribbling in the final third brought a new dynamic to the UC Davis attack and opened up new pathways to goal.
 
His brilliance was rewarded in the 81^st minute when the striker netted the winning goal. Cole Pond started the move by playing a switching ball to Ryan Dieter on the right wing. Dieter controlled the ball well before slipping a pass to Tanon just outside the six-yard box. With defenders draped all around him, Tanon managed to wriggle away from the man marking him before thrusting his shot through the crowd, and into the back of the net, to provide the winning moment to send his team to the semifinal round.
 
ABOUT THE TITANS
This season's regular season champions have been impressive in 2023, posting a 12-4-3 (6-2-1 Big West) record heading into the postseason. 
Earlier this season, UC Davis was unlucky to find itself on the losing end of a tight 1-0 contest in Southern California. The Aggies held more possession and created considerably more scoring chances, but the hosts would take the points. The Aggies fired 18 shots on the night but were unable to be clinical with their chances, placing just four attempts on target over the 90 minutes. The league leaders broke the deadlock with a penalty kick in the first half, and managed to hold strong defensively to keep a clean sheet and grab the points.
Against the run of play, the Titans were awarded a penalty in the 24^th minute following a foul in the box. Roberto Ordonez finished off the spot kick as the Big West's leading scorer gave his team an early advantage with Cal State Fullerton's lone shot of the half.
 
Cal State Fullerton claimed five of the six major awards with junior forward Roberto Ordonez as the Offensive Player of the Year, junior midfielder Erick Serrano as the Midfielder of the Year, junior defender Giovanni Calderon as the Defensive Player of the Year, senior goalkeeper Tetsuya Kadono as the Goalkeeper of the Year and head coach George Kuntz as the Coach of the Year.
 
SERIES NOTES
The Titans evened up the all-time series win their win in late September, which now stands at 11-11-6. UC Davis has not defeated Cal State Fullerton since 2019 during its title-winning season. 
 
SUPER SUB
Chase Tanon has now scored three goals in his last four games as the striker has been terrific in the business end of the season. His four goals on the year is second-best on the team despite all 14 of his appearances coming off the bench and playing just 366 total minutes.
 
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORS
UC Davis men's soccer sees three Aggies receive All-Big West accolades as Cason Goodman and Ethan Hoard were named Second Team while Ryan Dieter was tabbed Honorable Mention.
 
With a team-high six goals and 15 total points, Cason Goodman receives Second Team All-Big West recognition. The striker ranks fifth in the conference in goals and has been the man to provide the big moment for his team with his conference-best four game-winners. The Santa Barbara native scored in each of the first three contests, leading the Aggies to a pair of impressive wins in the Buckeye state which earned himself Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors. 
 
C. Goodman continued his excellent run of form with a goal and an assist in UC Davis' win over San Jose State on Sept. 24 before delivering an assist for the winning goal against Cal Poly just three days later. He is one of six Aggies to start all 17 contests and will be poised to find the back of the net in the first round of the conference tournament on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Ethan Hoard was one of the most versatile players in the Big West and was tabbed Second Team All-Conference for his efforts both in the attack and the defense. Also starting all 17 matches, Hoard began his season at the striker position before transitioning to a center back role where he proved to be one of the best defenders in the conference. 
 
He anchored a backline that preserved five clean sheets but also got forward to display his goal-scoring prowess, finishing third on the team with two goals. The fifth-year senior scored a stunning free kick in the match against UC Santa Barbara and brought immense leadership to the pitch in 2023.
 
Receiving Honorable Mention honors is one of the most technical players in the Big West, Ryan Dieter. He was one of the conference's most dangerous attackers during his senior season, as his six assists ranks third in the Big West. The Santa Rosa native shined in the Aggies' recent win over Cal State Bakersfield, assisting both goals in the 2-0 victory over the Roadrunners. His lone goal of the season wrapped up a 3-0 victory over San Jose State, a match where the midfield both scored and assisted.
 
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Charles Janssen was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week following his incredible goalkeeping display during the opening weekend. Against Ohio State, he was likely the man of the match after his sparkling display between the posts. His six saves were vital in the effort to maintain the lead, flashing a couple tremendous saves in the closing minutes to keep the hosts at bay. The redshirt junior also unbelievably provided an assist for the game-winning goal, launching a beautiful goal kick to spark an attack.
 
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