ST. GEORGE, Utah — UC Davis men's soccer earned its first Mountain West victory in program history and first win of the season Sunday afternoon, scoring twice after halftime to shut out Utah Tech 2-0 at Greater Zion Stadium.
Kota Brown and Rafael Matiello supplied the goals for the Aggies (1-6-4, 1-1-1 MW), while Talin Morgan made three saves to record his first collegiate win and shutout. Utah Tech fell to 1-8-2 overall and 0-2-1 in conference play.
Morgan made two saves during a scoreless first half, stopping attempts from Seth Powder and Mitch Williams to keep the teams even at the break.
Brown put UC Davis ahead just 54 seconds into the second half, scoring his first collegiate goal at 45:54 with assists from Nami Banks and Ronaldo Melgoza.
The Trailblazers threatened to answer when Alex Polyukh hit the crossbar at 47:36. Morgan then denied Ben Joyner at 54:07 to preserve the one-goal lead.
Matiello doubled the advantage at 70:22, converting a penalty kick for his second goal of the season. Brown put another attempt on target in the 87th minute, forcing Utah Tech goalkeeper Luca Campoli into his lone save.
UC Davis held the Trailblazers to three shots on goal despite Utah Tech's 14-7 advantage in shots and 15-1 edge in corner kicks. The Aggies matched Utah Tech with three attempts on target and closed out their first clean sheet of the season.
The Aggies return to Aggie Soccer Field to host Grand Canyon at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.
GAME NOTES
- Brown, Matiello and Diego Orosco led UC Davis with two shots apiece. Brown put both of his attempts on goal.
- Banks and Melgoza each recorded their first assist of the season.
- Morgan raised his season save total to 36.
- Josh Gault and Gabe Sanchez joined Morgan in playing all 90 minutes.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis Athletics represents one of the nation's premier public universities on the NCAA Division I stage, with more than 650 student-athletes competing across 25 sports, including 16 programs in the Mountain West Conference. Located in California's quintessential college town, UC Davis combines championship-level athletics with the academic excellence of the nation's #8 public research university and is home to the nation's No. 1 programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine and sustainability. With a growing national media presence, bold investments in facilities and the student-athlete experience, and a tradition of developing champions in competition, in the classroom and beyond, the Aggies are elevating UC Davis on a national stage.
