DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis begins its Big West Conference journey this week with a pair of road matches, beginning with the opener at Cal Poly for a midweek contest before wrapping up the week with Cal State Fullerton on the weekend.
Sept. 27 at Cal Poly | 7 p.m. Kickoff (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)
Live Stats
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Sept. 30 at Cal State Fullerton | 7 p.m. Kickoff (Fullerton, Calif.)
AGGIES GRAB FIRST HOME WIN
UC Davis was dominant from start-to-finish in its 3-0 win over San Jose State, earning its first home victory of the season at Aggie Soccer Field.
Two first-half goals gave the Aggies an early advantage before a second-half goal confirmed the result, cruising to its first win since Aug. 27 when they picked up a 2-1 victory over Ohio State.
Ethan Hoard stepped into a defensive role, pairing with fellow center back
Luke Goodman to anchor a defense that did not allow a single shot on target. Full backs
Sean Bilter and
Cole Pond were excellent with their defensive duties but also got involved in the attack, playing a crucial role in each of the first two goals.
SERIES NOTES
It will a compelling matchup to open conference play as the UC Davis-Cal Poly rivalry has always been hotly contested. The Mustangs hold a narrow 15-14-3 advantage in the all-time series. Last season, the spoils were shared in a 1-1 draw at Aggie Soccer Field.
The weekend matchup will also be a cagey affair, as the Aggies bring a slight series advantage (11-10-6) into Saturday's game. The series has proven to be low-scoring in recent years with last year's contest being a perfect example as it finished in a scoreless draw in Davis.
ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
Cal Poly finished second to bottom of the Big West table a season ago, posting a 2-11-4 overall record and earned just 10 points from its nine conference matches. The Mustangs have already matched last season's win total and bring a 2-4-1 overall record into Wednesday. Jackson Kestler is the team's leading goal-scorer with three to his name through the first seven games of the year.
ABOUT THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton currently boasts the best out-of-conference record in the Big West, roaring to a 6-2-2 start to the season. The Titans finished in a tie for seventh place in the conference table last season but bring a brilliant attacking trio into their 2023 campaign.
Roberto Ordonez has scored a team-high five goals while Sulamin Bah has tallied four on the year. Mario Carlos has also been dangerous in the attacking third with three goals and three assists heading into conference action.
FIRST START, FIRST GOAL, FIRST WEEKLY AWARD
Ian Ngonethong enjoyed a game to remember on Sunday afternoon, scoring his first collegiate goal in his first career start to earn Big West Conference Freshman of the Week recognition.
The winger from Honolulu, Hawai'i was lively on the attack in UC Davis' 3-0 win over San Jose State and netted the first goal of his career in the 10th minute of the contest. Ngonethong made a well-timed run on the back post and finished his chance to double the Aggies' advantage, helping his team cruise to their its home win of the year.
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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