DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis (4-7-2, 2-2 MW) continued its winning ways Wednesday night, blanking Grand Canyon (5-3-4, 1-1-1 MW), 3-0, for their second straight victory at Aggie Soccer Field. Reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Week Kaya Herndon picked up where she left off, recording her first collegiate brace to guide the Aggies to the shutout win.
Courtney Wagner logged the first shot (and first shot on target) for UC Davis at 6:21 into regulation but could not find the back of the net to start things off.
Ashley Brewer recorded her first shot of the evening a few minutes later at 11:41, before setting up Herndon for his first goal at 13:13 to give the Aggies a 1-0 lead.
The two teams traded opportunities for the remainder of the opening period, but neither side added to the scoreboard. Lakelee Perkins tallied a shot of her own for UC Davis, in addition to more shots on frame from Herndon and Wagner.
Heading into the locker room, the Aggies maintained their one-goal lead, having outshot the Lopes 6-5 in the first 45 minutes of action.
Perkins gathered the momentum from the opening half and carried it into the second period, this time scoring a goal herself following an assist from Lisette Gregoris to double up Grand Canyon (GCU), 2-0, at 45:39.
The Aggie defense held steady for the next 20-plus minutes, allowing just one shot from the Lopes. Herndon then broke out once again, using an assist from Chloe Keating to net her second strike of the match at 67:25 and push the advantage to 3-0 for UC Davis.
GCU did not go down without a fight, continuing to fire on goal down the stretch. The Aggies dug deep when it mattered most, holding off final attacks from their opponent to secure the 3-0 victory.
With the win, UC Davis won its second straight Mountain West match at home and recorded its fourth clean sheet of the season – the second at Aggie Soccer Field.
In goal, Cat Pieper picked up her second consecutive victory, tying her career-high and setting a new season-high with seven saves on 10 shots faced. It also marked her second shutout in just three appearances this season. UC Davis is now 2-0-1 in matches started by Pieper this year, with victories over Wyoming (Oct. 2) and Grand Canyon (Oct. 7) as well as a draw against LMU (Sept. 10).
Herndon led the UC Davis offense with three shots while Perkins and Wagner were second with two. Brewer, Gregories, and Keating all logged their first collegiate assists against the Lopes.
As a team, seven of UC Davis' 9 shots came on frame. Both sides were even with three corner kicks each.
UC Davis will hit the road for its first match away from home as Mountain West members, with the Aggies scheduled to return to the pitch this Sunday, Oct. 11 at New Mexico. Game time from UNM Soccer Complex is scheduled for 12:00 pm PT/1:00 pm MT.
Single-game tickets for all UC Davis home games are $10 for youth (3-13 years old) and $13 for general admission. Flexbooks - packs of 10 tickets redeemable in any combination - are $85. Discounted group tickets are available for groups of 10 or more. For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit ucdavisaggies.evenue.net/, contact the Aggie Ticket Office at (530) 752-2471 or email aggietickets@ucdavis.edu.
Event parking will be honored in Lot 25 and the Pavilion Parking Structure for all home matches. The cost for weekday games is $5.50, while weekends are free, but both require parking permits. There is construction work in the area, and fans should follow posted signage around the Pavilion Parking Structure, Lot 25, and Aggie Soccer Field to enter the venue.
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.
