DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis women's soccer opens Big West play with a pair of home matches, hosting UC Santa Barbara on Thursday afternoon and Cal Poly on Sunday at Aggie Soccer Field.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Sept. 25 — vs. UC Santa Barbara  | ESPN+ | Live Stats | @ucdaviswsoc (X/Instagram)
Sept. 28 — vs. Cal Poly | ESPN+ | Live Stats | @ucdaviswsoc (X/Instagram)

GAME NOTES

• UC Davis enters with a 2-4-3 record following a 2-0 Causeway Cup victory at Sacramento State on Thursday night
• Redshirt freshman Lakelee Perkins netted her first career goal in the 51st minute, the eventual game-winner, and was named Big West Freshman of the Week
• Genavieve Fontes added her third goal of the season in the 82nd minute, assisted by Sarah Canavan, to seal the win
• Goalkeeper Cat Pieper made two saves to record her third shutout of the season and now ranks fourth in the Big West with a 0.857 goals-against average and third with a .824 save percentage
• Pieper also sits tied for third in the conference with three clean sheets
• Fontes leads the Aggies in scoring with three goals on the season, while Canavan has contributed multiple assists
• UC Davis ranks fifth in the Big West in saves per game (4.00) and sixth in shutout percentage (.333)
• The Aggies are averaging 11.9 shots per game, ranking eighth in the league, with a season-best 20 at Loyola Marymount
• Nationally, UC Davis sits 94th in goals-against average (1.00), 91st in save percentage (.800), and 202nd in shots per game (11.89)
• Offensively, UC Davis averages 0.89 goals per game and 2.33 points per game, ranking 10th in the Big West in both categories

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

• UC Santa Barbara enters with an 8-2-1 record, most recently falling 2-0 to Weber State after opening Big West play with a 3-1 win over Cal Poly
• The Gauchos' victory over Cal Poly extended their winning streak to seven and their unbeaten streak to nine before the Weber State setback
• UCSB ranks among the national leaders in goals-against average (0.636, T-38 nationally), save percentage (.833, T-52), shutout percentage (.545, T-42), and won-lost-tied percentage (.773, T-34)
• Offensively, the Gauchos average 1.73 goals per game and 15.45 shots per game
• Cal Poly enters with a 2-1-7 record, most recently dropping a 3-1 decision at UC Santa Barbara
• The Mustangs have played to seven draws already this season
• Cal Poly ranks 47th nationally in shots per game (16.3) and averages 1.70 goals per game
• Defensively, the Mustangs hold a goals-against average of 1.60 while posting a .719 save percentage
• Cal Poly's victories have come against UNLV and San Jose State, with the latter a 3-1 road result

SEASON NOTES

• New Era: First win of the Kat Mertz era came in a 2-1 win on the road at Pacific on Aug. 17.
• Season Opener: The Aggies opened the year with a 1-1 draw against Fresno State, behind a first-career goal from Sydney Bushman
• 2024 Recap: UC Davis went 13-5-2 and finished second in the Big West.
• 2025 Poll: Aggies picked eighth in the Big West preseason coaches' poll (37 points).
• The 2025 season marks the start of a new era for UC Davis women's soccer under head coach Kat Mertz, who brings 26 years of collegiate coaching experience
• Mertz's coaching philosophy centers on creating a competitive environment and embracing the program-wide standard to "find joy" in the work.
• The staff features two new assistants: Emilee Tominovich, a member of the 2024 NCAA Division II National Championship staff at Cal Poly Pomona who leads recruiting and scouting, and Abbie Faingold, a former Portland State and professional goalkeeper who oversees the goalkeeper group and player mentorship.
• All eyes on Genavieve Fontes: The redshirt senior was named to the 2025 Big West Preseason Coaches' Team; United Soccer Coaches Player to Watch; led Big West with 11 goals in 2024 (four game-winners).
• The roster blends a strong returning core highlighted by players such as Fontes, Sarah Canavan, Ashleigh Garcia, Ava Coverdale, Livi Lewis, and Sydney Bushman.
• In addition, Mertz's 2025 squad is highlighted by several newcomers, including transfers Shayna Ross (Colorado State), Courtney Wagner (Cal Poly), Lisette Gregoris (Arizona State), and Kiley Fehrenbacher (Oregon). While Mertz's first incoming freshmen class consists of Jordan Perry, Sierra Cordola, Ava Peterson, Brooklyn Tanon, and Bailey Rakela.
• This is UC Davis' final season in the Big West before joining the Mountain West in 2026.