Score: UC Davis 4, Sacramento State 2
Location: Sacramento, Calif.
Records: UC Davis 8-5-5 (4-3-2), Sacramento State 6-10-2 (3-6)
The short story: UC Davis men's soccer rose to the occasion when it mattered most, winning their third straight game by defeating Causeway rivals Sacramento State 4-2 to clinch a spot in the Big West Championship.
PITCH SIDE
- UC Davis secured a spot in the Big West Championship with the victory, concluding the regular season with a 4-3-2 mark in Big West action, highlighted by a three-game win streak to close the regular season
- Cason Goodman was the man of the match with a brace, his second of the season, as the Santa Barbara native raised his season goal total to nine, most among Aggie teammates and fourth in the Big West
- Carson Hammond recorded his first career goal with a shot from outside the box, serving as the game-winner
- Scott Buie rounded out the scoring with his first goal of the season, extending the Aggie advantage late to seal the deal
- In goal for UC Davis, Noah Schwengeler stood tall, recording five saves and conceding his first goals since Oct. 19, after having back-to-back shutouts the previous week
- While the scoring was the highlight, it was an entire team effort from the Aggie lineup, with Luke Goodman, Zack Lillington, Cole Pond, Jason Hsu, and Cason Goodman all playing the full 90 minutes
HOW IT HAPPENED
- C. Goodman didn't wait long to get going, scoring the game's first goal in the second minute with Hammond assisting
- Sacramento State responded shortly after, scoring in the eighth minute, capitalizing on a penalty kick to level it at 1-1
- The Hornets took the lead in the 17th minute with their second goal
- Despite the Hornet lead, the Aggies rose to the occasion and responded with three unanswered goals
- The first of these three goals came from C. Goodman, recording his brace in the 26th minute after a flurry of Aggie shots just missed finding the back of the net
- Hammond provided the game-winner in the 35th minute, hitting a powerful shot from outside the box to take a 3-2 lead into the halftime break
- After the break, UC Davis continued to attack, punishing the Hornets for their advancement with a perfect counterattack initiated by Tanon and Walwyn-Bent, culminating in Buie's goal to double the advantage
- UC Davis then focused on defense, shutting down four separate shot attempts from the Hornets to hang on to the two-goal lead and leave Sacramento with a 4-2 win
NEXT UP: With the regular season now concluded, the Aggies will turn their focus towards the Big West Championship. They will await the results of tonight's Big West matchups to determine their next game.
