DAVIS, Calif. — The Aggies travel for two crucial Big West matchups, visiting UC Irvine on Wednesday before facing Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Oct. 22 — at UC Irvine | Watch | Live Stats | @ucdavismsoc (X/Instagram)
Oct. 25 — at Cal State Fullerton | Watch | Live Stats | @ucdavismsoc (X/Instagram)

GAME NOTES

• UC Davis enters the week 2-7-5 overall and 2-2-2 in Big West play after a 3-2 Senior Night win over UC Riverside. The Aggies erupted for three goals in the opening 25 minutes to secure the victory and move into sixth place in the Big West standings with eight points
• Nami Banks delivered the best performance of his young career, scoring his first two collegiate goals in the 5th and 23rd minutes to give UC Davis early control. With his efforts, he was named Big West Freshman of the Week, giving UC Davis back-to-back weekly honors after Gavin House's Defensive Player of the Week nod two weeks ago
• Zack Lillington tallied what proved to be the game-winner with his second goal of the season in the 25th minute, assisted by Andrew Dutra
• Cason Goodman and Zachary Neuls each added assists, combining with Banks and Lillington to drive all three scoring sequences
• Goalkeeper Noah Schwengeler totaled five saves, including three in the second half to preserve the lead as UC Riverside produced 20 total shots
• The win followed a tough 3-2 loss against Cal State Bakersfield, but the week prior, the Aggies had back-to-back shutouts against UC Santa Barbara and CSUN, marking a strong late-season push that has UC Davis climbing the Big West table
• Cason Goodman leads the Aggies with 11 points on four goals and three assists, starting all 14 matches. He ranks fifth in the Big West in shots per game (2.14) and fourth in shots on goal per game (1.00)
• Zack Lillington leads UC Davis with 37 shots, ranking second in the Big West in shots per game (2.85) and first in shots on goal per game (1.23). He has two goals and two assists on the season
• Chase Tanon has scored two goals and ranks among the top four in the Big West in shot accuracy (.417)
• Gavin House, named Big West Defensive Player of the Week earlier this month, has added a goal and two assists from his center-back position and continues to anchor the Aggie back line
• Gabriel Haggerty has registered a goal and an assist, including the game-winning goal in the 1-0 victory over CSUN
• UC Davis ranks second in the Big West and 45th nationally in shots per game (13.93) and second in shots on goal per game (5.21).
• The Aggies also sit second in the Big West and 64th nationally in corner kicks per game (5.29).
• Noah Schwengeler has started 13 matches, ranking fourth in the Big West with a .737 save percentage, fourth with 42 total saves, and a 1.30 goals-against average.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

• UC Irvine holds a 7-3-5 overall record and sits fourth in the Big West at 2-0-4 with 10 points
• The Anteaters rank third in the Big West in scoring offense (1.40 goals per game) and fourth in points per game (4.07)
• UC Irvine is among the league's top defensive teams, ranking second in goals-against average (0.80) and shutout percentage (0.467)
• Misael Gonzalez Lopez leads the Anteaters with six goals and 12 points, ranking second in the conference in goals per game (0.40)
• Goalkeeper Joe O'Shaughnessy ranks second in the Big West with a 0.828 goals-against average and six shutouts
• Cal State Fullerton enters the week 7-4-5 overall and sits first in the Big West with a 4-1-1 record and 13 points
• The Titans lead the Big West in scoring offense (1.75 goals per game), shots per game (16.63), and shots on goal per game (6.06)
• Mario Carlos paces the conference with seven goals, 14 points, and a .486 shot accuracy
• Jose de la Torre leads the Big West in shots per game (3.25) and adds five assists and two game-winning goals
• Goalkeeper Emanuel Padilla owns a 1.41 goals-against average and a .720 save percentage, both top-five marks in the Big West

SEASON NOTES

• Defending Big West Champions: UC Davis enters 2025 as the reigning Big West Tournament champions after defeating UC Santa Barbara in last year's final. The title marked the program's second in the last five season and the Aggies secured its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance.
• Preseason Honors: Seniors Cason Goodman and Zack Lillington headline the Aggies' preseason accolades. Both were named to the Big West Preseason Coaches' Team and United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch list. Goodman, the 2024 Big West Tournament MVP, scored 11 goals with 25 points, while Lillington anchored the Aggies with 18 starts, one goal, and four assists.
• Hermann Trophy Watchlist: Cason Goodman was named to the 2025 Hermann Trophy Watch List. The Hermann Trophy, presented annually by the Missouri Athletic Club, is considered the top individual award in college soccer and honors the National Player of the Year as voted on by Division I head coaches who are members of United Soccer Coaches. 
• 2025 Big West Poll: The Aggies were picked to finish third in the Big West preseason poll despite receiving the most first-place votes (69 points), narrowly behind UC Santa Barbara (73) and Cal Poly (71).
• National Spotlight: UC Davis will face Cal Poly in a primetime showdown on Oct. 1, live on ESPNU, marking a rematch of last season's Big West semifinal.
• Under the Lights: Aggie Soccer Field hosted its first-ever night matches this spring following the completion of a $4.4 million lighting project shared with Dobbins Baseball Stadium. The defending champions will now officially begin their title defense under permanent lights.
• Program Legacy: UC Davis men's soccer has established itself as one of the Big West's premier programs under head coach Dwayne Shaffer, who enters his 29th season in 2025. Shaffer has guided the Aggies through their transition from Division II to Division I, a period in which the program was not eligible for postseason competition, yet still has elevated the Aggies to national relevance. Under his leadership, UC Davis has made five NCAA Tournament appearances (1999, 2007, 2008, 2019, 2024) and reached five Big West Championship finals in the last seven years. A four-time conference coach of the year, Shaffer has amassed 258 wins at UC Davis and 317 career victories, ranking among the top 15 winningest active Division I coaches.
• Veteran Leadership: The 2025 squad features an experienced senior class led by captains Luke Goodman and Cason Goodman, along with Lillington, Andrew Dutra, Gavin House, Noah Schwengeler, Chase Tanon, and Jason Hsu.
• Rising Talent: Sophomore defender Carson Hammond, a 2024 Big West All-Freshman selection, headlines the strong group of underclassmen expected to play a big role.
• New Additions: UC Davis welcomes 10 newcomers in 2025, blending transfers and freshmen into a 29-man roster.
• Among the 10 newcomers, three of them are transfers in Saul Tecle (Las Positas JC), Ben Elkins (Gonzaga), and Gabriel Sanchez (Sonoma State).
• UC Davis' other newcomers include Derrick Green, Jackson Richardson, Nami Banks, Caelan Kellett, Josh Gault, Cole McLemore, and Kota Brown.
• Associate Head Coach Jason Hotaling returns for his 21st season, recognized nationally among the top assistants in collegiate soccer. He has been instrumental in recruiting, scouting, and goalkeeper development while helping UC Davis to four NCAA Tournament appearances and the program's first Big West double in 2019.
• Assistant Coach Cayden Hotaling joins the Aggies in 2025 after a playing career at Chico State.
• Columbus Crew Star: Former Aggie standout Max Arfsten has emerged as one of the top young American professionals, winning the 2023 MLS Cup with the Columbus Crew, earning a spot in the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, and starring for the U.S. Men's National Team at the Gold Cup.
• Continued Pipeline: Keegan Walwyn-Bent became the latest Aggie to sign professionally in 2025 with The Town FC of MLS Next Pro, continuing a recent pipeline that includes Arfsten, and Ethan Hoard, who recently signed with FK Jedinstvo Ub of the Serbian SuperLiga.
• Developing Professionals: UC Davis has now produced three consecutive classes with professional signees, continuing the program's strong reputation for developing talent that competes at the next level.