DAVIS, Calif. – A conference title and ticket to the NCAA Tournament is on the line Saturday night when UC Davis heads to UC Irvine for the Big West Conference Championship.
 
The Aggies have been victorious in two of their four Big West final appearances as they arrive to their fifth championship appearance since joining the conference in 2007. 
 
Nov. 11 vs. UC Irvine | 6 p.m. Kickoff (Irvine, Calif.)
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AGGIES DOWN TOP-SEEDED TITANS TO REACH BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIP
UC Davis will be playing for its first Big West Conference Championship since 2019 after its 2-1 victory over top-seeded Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night.
 
Scott Buie provided the opening goal with his excellent finish in the early minutes of the second half and Cason Goodman delivered the winning moment in extra time to send the Aggies to the final.
 
After some well-orchestrated pressing from Dwayne Shaffer's side, Lucas Fernandez-Kim made the vital interception high up the pitch to start the attacking move. The midfielder played the ball into Ryan Dieter on the edge of the box before the Santa Rosa native slipped a short pass into a striding Buie, who smashed his chance into the back of the net to put his team out in front. This was Buie's first collegiate goal.

The Aggies were 17 seconds from the final but Cal State Fullerton broke their hearts with Jorge Quintero's headed goal to send the match to extra time.

However, UC Davis responded to the adversity when Cason Goodman scored in the first extra time period to restore the Aggies' lead. His brother playing in the defense, Luke Goodman, launched a beautiful long ball in behind the Fullerton defense and C. Goodman would run onto it before taking a touch and slotting his chance home to make the score 2-1.
 
ABOUT THE ANTEATERS
It's been an interesting run to the final for UC Irvine who have scored just 19 goals in 18 matches this season. While goals have been hard to come by, the Anteaters boast one of the nation's best defenses, conceding just 17 goals on the year as All-Big West First Team selections Ricardo Ibarra and Mathias Winum anchor a solid defensive backline. Goalkeeper Luke Pruter was tabbed Second Team All-Big West after his stellar junior season between the posts.
 
Agaton Pourshahidi is the team's leading goal-scorer with three on the season despite making just seven starts and logging just 602 minutes. 
UC Irvine conceded the opening goal to UC Santa Barbara in the semifinal matchup, but scored twice in the last 25 minutes to clinch a spot in the final. Earlier this season, the Aggies snagged a 1-0 victory in Irvine when Lucas Fernandez-Kim's strike in the 61^st minute earned his team the points in early October.
 
SERIES NOTES
It has always been a tight matchup against Saturday's opponents UC Irvine with UC Davis having a narrow 12-10-4 edge in the all-time series. The Aggies have rattled off back-to-back 1-0 victories over the Anteaters, grabbing a 1-0 win during the 2022 season before making it two straight with this season's win.
 
SUPER SUB
Chase Tanon has scored three goals in his last five 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 15 of his appearances coming off the bench and playing just 429 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 midfielder 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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