PHOENIX, Ariz. — Ronaldo Melgoza curled in an 81st-minute free kick for his first goal as an Aggie, completing a two-goal UC Davis comeback in a 2-2 draw at Grand Canyon on Sunday night.
Declan Horio sparked the rally with a goal in the 72nd minute before Melgoza brought the Aggies level with 9:54 remaining. UC Davis after coming away with a season-saving win this past Wednesday night against UNLV, came through again with another season-saving result, erasing a 2-0 halftime deficit to earn a road point against the Mountain West leaders and keep their postseason hopes alive.
The Aggies moved to 2-10-5 overall and 2-5-2 in conference play, while Grand Canyon remained unbeaten in the Mountain West at 7-0-2 and moved to 10-5-2 overall.
GCU built its lead with two goals in a span of 1:40 midway through the first half. Jorge Lopez opened the scoring at 25:00, then assisted Bradley De Jesus at 26:40 to give the Lopes a two-goal advantage.
The Aggies however responded with a different energy in the second half, and seemingly had cut into the lead in the 57th minute. Melgoza who would serve as the hero late, served the ball into the box promptly off a corner kick finding Rafael Matiello, who headed it centrally to DD Egorerua, who appeared to score on the ensuing loose ball, but the goal was disallowed following video review.
UC Davis' efforts and opportunities would keep coming in the following minutes with this added pressure on the GCU backline. Nami Banks forced a save from GCU goalkeeper Owen Moore in the 68th minute, and Egorerua and Ben Elkins followed with attempts as the Aggies searched for their opener.
Horio delivered the much-needed first goal for the Aggies at 71:52, scoring his second goal in as many matches off an assist from Egorerua to cut the deficit in half.
Just over eight minutes later, Melgoza bent his free kick into the net from outside the penalty area to complete the comeback.
Mekhai Wilson protected the tie by denying Lopez at 88:04, the last of his four second-half saves. Wilson finished with five stops as UC Davis held GCU scoreless over the final 63 minutes.
Grand Canyon held an 18-12 advantage in shots and a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. UC Davis earned four corner kicks to GCU's three, while Horio and Melgoza shared the Aggies' lead with three shots apiece.
MATCH NOTES
- Melgoza scored his first collegiate goal.
- Horio scored in consecutive matches after also finding the net in Wednesday's 2-1 win over UNLV.
- Egorerua in just his third career-game, recorded his first collegiate assist.
UP NEXT
UC Davis closes the regular season against San José State at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, at Aggie Soccer Field, needing a win to secure a berth to the Mountain West Championship. The match will stream on MW+.
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.
