DAVIS, Calif. — Coming off its first Mountain West victory and first win of the season, UC Davis men's soccer returns to Aggie Soccer Field to host Grand Canyon at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10. The Aggies (1-6-4, 1-1-1 MW) earned a 2-0 win at Utah Tech on Sunday and now face a Lopes team unbeaten through its first three conference matches. Saturday's match will stream on MW+.
THE SEASON SO FAR
- UC Davis earned its first Mountain West win Oct. 4 at Utah Tech, scoring twice after halftime for a 2-0 victory and its first shutout of the season.
- Kota Brown scored his first collegiate goal just 54 seconds into the second half, finishing at 45:54 with assists from Nami Banks and Ronaldo Melgoza. Rafael Matiello added a penalty kick at 70:22 for his second goal of the season.
- Talin Morgan made three saves against the Trailblazers to record his first collegiate win and shutout. UC Davis limited Utah Tech to three shots on goal despite facing 14 total shots and 15 corner kicks.
- The victory followed a 2-0 loss to Air Force in UC Davis' Mountain West home debut Sept. 30. The Aggies outshot the Falcons 15-14 and held a 6-4 advantage in corner kicks.
- Through 11 matches, UC Davis has scored 13 goals on 127 shots, with 44 shots on goal and 48 corner kicks.
- Gabe Sanchez leads UC Davis with three goals and six points. Luke Castagnola has two goals and one assist for five points, while Matiello and Diego Orosco have two goals apiece. Josh Gault and Jake Hobbs lead the team with two assists each.
- Matiello leads the Aggies with 16 shots and shares the team lead with Tristan Wouters at six shots on goal. Morgan has made 36 saves in 907 minutes, 7 seconds across 11 starts.
- Eight players have scored for UC Davis. Eleven of the Aggies' 13 goals have come after halftime, including both goals at Utah Tech.
ABOUT GRAND CANYON
Grand Canyon enters Saturday at 6-5 overall and 3-0 in Mountain West play, carrying a four-match winning streak. The Lopes have opened conference action with victories over UNLV, Utah Tech and San José State.
Grand Canyon defeated San José State 2-1 on Oct. 4 to remain unbeaten in league play. Arnau Camaño has scored seven goals, while Jorge Lopez has recorded eight assists. Jamie Davies is in his first season as head coach.
UC Davis leads the all-time series 6-4-1. Saturday marks the programs' first meeting since a 1-1 double-overtime draw in 2014.
MATCH INFORMATION
THE SCHEDULE
Following Saturday's match, UC Davis heads back on the road to face UNLV on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and Air Force on Sunday, Oct. 18. The Aggies return to Aggie Soccer Field on Friday, Oct. 23, to host Utah Tech.
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.
