FRESNO, Calif. — UC Davis (1-0-0) opened its 2026 season with a convincing 2-0 win over Fresno State (0-1-0) in a non-conference match on Wednesday evening at Bulldog Soccer Stadium. The contest marked the first official UC Davis competition for the 2026-27 academic year and also its first as a member of the Mountain West Conference.
"I always say the first win of the season is the hardest one to get," head coach Kat Mertz said during a post-game interview. "Once you get that monkey off your back, you can breathe a little bit."
The Aggies took an early 1-0 lead 12:44 into the contest when Jaycee DeFazio rebounded a shot from Ashley Brewer and put it by Fresno State goalkeeper Jessica Reiss. DeFazio and Brewer are both first-year transfers from Cal Poly who were playing in their first match as Aggies.
"It feels amazing to get our first win, especially with it being my first game at UC Davis," DeFazio said. "We've put in so much work over the past couple of weeks, so seeing it all come together and pay off on the field was really exciting. I love this team and the energy we have, and I'm so exicted for the rest of the season."
UC Davis extended its single goal lead to 2-0 early in the second half at the game's 56:25 mark when Payton Henry gathered an Aggies' corner kick and pushed it over to Kiley Fehrenbacher, who knocked it in the net for her first career goal in her second season with the Aggies.
First-year Purdue transfer Dina Frenkel played all 90 minutes in goal for the Aggies and recorded a shutout. Frenkel had four saves with all coming in the first 47:05 of the match.
"We've been working really hard throughout the spring and preseason to get to this point," Frenkel said. "Getting this win is a great way to start and build toward where we want to be, especially heading into the Mountain West. I love playing with this group. Everyone comes in every day ready to work and compete, while always playing for and with each other. To get this win and shutout in my first game at Davis made it even more special, and I'm really excited for what's ahead."
Both teams had eight shots with one more by the Aggies on goal (5-4). Fresno State registered three corner kicks, while UC Davis finished with two.
"It was a little warm here, but we fought through the adversity," Mertz said. "Fresno State presented some great challenges for us, but I'm really proud of our effort tonight. Collectively, we were supportive of each other. It was fun to see some of the freshmen get out there, and it was fun to see some of the upper classmen be leaders."
The August 12 date was the earliest in the calendar year the Aggies have ever opened a campaign and the first day of the 2026 season for collegiate women's soccer across the nation.
UC Davis will host Causeway rival Sacramento State (0-0) in the Aggies' home opener in a nonconference game on Sunday at Aggie Soccer Field for an 8 p.m. kickoff. The visiting Hornets open their season Thursday at Pacific. Sunday night's match between the Aggies and Hornets will be streamed live on MW+ and live stats are available via Stat Broadcast.
Single-game tickets for all UC Davis home games including the exhibition 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 https://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 games through Sept. 11. The cost for weekday games is $5.50, while weekends including the upcoming Sacramento State game 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.
"I'm excited to come back home and play Sacramento State on Sunday night," Mertz said.
OTHER GAME NOTES
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UC Davis leads the all-time series against Fresno State, 5-3-1, including three of the four all-time meetings in Fresno.
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Mertz began her 20th season as a collegiate head coach and her second season at the helm of the Aggies' with previous stops at UNLV (2005-09), St. Louis (2012), Oregon (2013-19) and MSU Denver (2020-24) before taking over at UC Davis in 2025.
ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS
UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States in agriculture and forestry as well as No. 1 in veterinary medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27.
For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.
