DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis (1-2-0) returns from a week out of game action with a nonconference match at Santa Clara (1-0-3) this Thursday, August 27. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+ and live stats will be available via Stat Broadcast. Tickets for the UC Davis-Santa Clara matchup can be purchased online or on gameday at Stevens Stadium-Buck Shaw Field.

UC Davis opened the 2026 season on August 12 with a 2-0 victory at Fresno State before dropping back-to-back matches to Sacramento State (1-0) and at Saint Mary's (3-0) in its last two contests. 

"We've had a good week of practice that has allowed us to work on the areas we need to compete for 90 minutes," head coach Kat Mertz said. "We are looking forward to getting back into action Thursday against a strong Santa Clara squad. Playing against good opponents like Santa Clara in nonconference matches will pay dividends for us during Mountain West play."

Santa Clara was a 2-0 winner at San Jose State in its season opener before three consecutive 1-1 ties in home matches against California, Oregon and Pitt. Thursday's match against UC Davis will be the Broncos' fourth in a seven-match homestand.

UC DAVIS AT SANTA CLARA - AUGUST 27, 2026
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NOTES
UC DAVIS-SANTA CLARA SERIES

• Santa Clara leads the all-time series, 11-3-1. 
• UC Davis snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series the last time the Aggies visited then No. 5 Santa Clara with a 1-0 win over the Broncos on Aug. 21, 2022. The victory was UC Davis' first-ever over a nationally ranked team. The game's lone score came on a Santa Clara own goal in the 65th minute. UC Davis goalkeeper Caeley Goldstein, a first-year transfer from Washington, recorded seven saves and a shutout in her second career game with the Aggies.
• Santa Clara returned to the win ledger in the most recent meeting between the clubs and the only times they have met since with a 2-0 road victory in Davis on Sept. 1, 2024.
• The teams have played only four matches since 1990. The other two meetings over the last 35 years was a home-and-home series in 2014 and 2015 with the Broncos winning 3-1 in Santa Clara and 2-0 in Davis.
• UC Davis and Santa Clara met on 11 occasions from 1980-90 with a match each year other than 1984 and two in 1982.
• The Aggies were an 8-0 winner the first time the teams met in 1980, while the teams tied 2-2 the first time they met in Davis in 1981.

2026 SEASON

• ON THE ROAD AGAIN: UC Davis plays on the road for the third time in its first four matches of 2026 on Thursday at Santa Clara as part of a 10-game road slate. The Aggies are 1-1 on the road this season with a 2-0 victory at Fresno State in their season-opener on Aug. 12 followed by a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Saint Mary's eight days later. The loss ended the Aggies' two-match road win streak dating back to a 1-0 victory at UC Riverside in their final road game last season on Oct. 30, 2025.
• HEAD COACH KAT MERTZ: Mertz is in her second season at the helm of the Aggies' and 20th campaign as a head coach 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. She has also been an assistant coach at Virginia (1999), UCLA (2000-04) and Texas (2010-11). In addition, Mertz has held various roles with the U.S. Women's National Team and Olympic Development Program.
• ROSTER MAKEUP: The 28-player roster is a nearly equal mix of returnees (15) and newcomers (13), including six first-year transfers in F Ashley Brewer (Cal Poly), F Jaycee DeFazio (Cal Poly), D Sydney Fong (San Diego/Nevada), GK Dina Frenkel (Purdue), D Stella Villalta (Santa Clara) and GK Piper Wilkison (Butler).
• STARTERS: UC Davis has had 13 players make starts over its first three matches including nine that have started all three contests in M Savannah Cordero, F Jaycee DeFazio, D Kiley Fehrenbacher, D Sydnie Fong, GK Dina Frenkel, M Payton Henry, D Livi Lewis, F Lakelee Perkins and D Courtney Wagner. F Ashley Brewer (at Fresno State, at Saint Mary's) and D Stella Villalta (at Fresno State, Sacramento State) have started two matches each, while F Lisette Gregoris (Sacramento State) and D Summer Humphreys (at Saint Mary's) have started one apiece. Brewer, Gregoris, Humphreys and Villalta have each appeared in all three matches.
• OFF THE BENCH: Four others have played off the bench in all three matches (M Sydney Bushman, F McKayla Farrell, F Presley Henry, M Karla Sandoval), while M Kaya Herndon and F Chloe Keating have been in two matches each. M Charlotte Henness and D Ava Peterson have played in one match apiece to give the Aggies a total of 21 participants.
• NEWCOMERS IMPACT: UC Davis has had nine newcomers see action, including five first-year transfers (F Ashley Brewer, F Jaycee DeFazio, D Sydney Fong, GK Dina Frenkel, D Stella Villalta) and four true freshmen (M Payton Henry, F Presley Henry, F/M Kaya Herndon, F Chloe Keating). The newcomers have combined for 16 starts with three each from DeFazio, Fong, Frenkel and Henry, while Brewer and Villalta have started two apiece.
• 90 MINUTES: GK Dina Frenkel is the lone UC Davis player to be on the field for all 90 minutes in each of the team's first three matches. D Livi Lewis and D Kiley Fehrenbacher each played 90 minutes in each of the first two contests (at Fresno State, Sacramento State), while M Payton Henry did not come out of the opener at Fresno State.
• FEHRENBACHER STREAK: D Kiley Fehrenbacher has started all 22 matches possible since transferring from Oregon prior to the 2025 campaign.
• CAPTAINS: The team captains are M Savannah Cordero, M Ashleigh Garcia and D Livi Lewis.
• MOUNTAIN WEST: UC Davis is playing as a member of the Mountain West for the first season after most recently being part of the Big West in 2025. The Aggies' first Mountain West match is scheduled to be played at Air Force on Sept. 24, while UC Davis will host Wyoming in its first home conference match.
• PRESEASON WATCH LIST: Three Aggies - F Ashley Brewer, M Savannah Cordero and D Courtney Wagner - were named to the preseason Mountain West women's soccer watch list.
• MOUNTAIN WEST POLL: UC Davis was selected to finish eighth in the Mountain West in the league's preseason poll.
• ASSISTANT COACHES: Aggie assistant coaches Emilee Tominovich and Abbie Faingold are back for a second season, while Travis Clarke is in his first. Clarke has 14 seasons of experience as a collegiate head coach with stints at Hawai'i-Hilo (2006-08), Cal State San Bernardino (2009-13) and Saint Mary's (2014-19).

GAME RECAPS
GAME 1 - UC DAVIS 2, AT FRESNO STATE 0 - AUGUST 12, 2026
Cal extended its unbeaten string in season openers to seven (6-0-1) with a 2-0 win at Fresno State. F Jaycee DeFazio and F Ashley Brewer, both first-year transfers from Cal Poly, accounted for Cal's first goal of the match when DeFazio rebounded Brewer's shot off the post and placed it into the back of the net. Brewer was credited with an assist on the play. UC Davis' second goal came on a corner kick when M Payton Henry came out of a pile with the ball and fed D KIley Fehrenbacher for a goal. GK Dina Frenkel played all 90 minutes in goal and recorded a shutout. 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. 

GAME 2 - SACRAMENTO STATE 1, AT UC DAVIS 0 - AUGUST 16, 2026
UC Davis took Causeway rival Sacramento State down to the wire before falling, 1-0, in its home opener. The Aggies had a pair of scoring chances to tie the game while trailing 1-0 but a pair of shots in the 84th minute from M Savannah Cordero and F Ashley Brewer were off the right post and just left of the goal, respectively. The teams were scoreless into the 74th minute before Sacramento State M Ellie Farber tallied the game's only goal when she converted a penalty kick into the lower right section of the net after she was fouled by Aggies' M Stella Villalta in the penalty box.

GAME 3 - AT SAINT MARY'S 3, UC DAVIS 0 - AUGUST 20, 2026
Saint Mary's scored twice in the first half before adding another goal late in the second in a 3-0 victory over UC Davis In a nonconference match. The Gaels' first-half goals by Zoe Maikai (12:49) and Ashlyn Vaughn (31:17) were both unassisted. Lexi Chatterton fed Brooke Fairbanks for Saint Mary's third and final tally (79:15). UC Davis had a limited number of chances with five shots (one each by five different players) and two on goal from M Presley Henry and D Stella Villalta. Both of the Aggies' shots on goal were saved by Saint Mary's goalkeeper Soraya Souvanaphong en route to a solo shutout. Souvanaphong and Aggies' keeper Dina Frenkel (3 GA, 4 SV) both played all 90 minutes in goal.

POSITION GROUP NOTES
FORWARDS (7)
The Aggies have used all seven forwards on their roster. Jaycee DeFazio and Lakelee Perkins have started all three games, while Ashley Brewer has been in the starting lineup twice (at Fresno State, at Saint Mary's) and Lisette Gregoris (Sacramento State) once with both seeing action in all three contests. McKayla Farrell and Presley Henry have played in all three contests off the bench, while Chloe Keating has played twice. DeFazio has the lone goal from the position group with the game-winner against Fresno State, while Brewer was credited with an assist on DeFazio's goal.

• Ashley Brewer (R-So., San Luis Obispo, Calif. / San Luis Obispo HS / Cal Poly)
• Jaycee DeFazio (R-So., El Dorado Hills, Calif. / St. Francis HS / Cal Poly)
• McKayla Farrell (R-Jr., Chino Hills, Calif. / Western Christian HS)
• Lisette Gregoris (R-Jr., Patterson, Calif. / Patterson HS / Arizona State)
• Presley Henry (Fr., Canyon Lake, Calif. / Murrieta Valley HS)
• Chloe Keating (Fr., Oakland, Calif. / Bishop O'Dowd HS)
• Lakelee Perkins (R-So., Rocklin, Calif. / Whitney HS)

MIDFIELDERS (10)
Savannah Cordero and Payton Henry have started each of the first three games, while Stella Villalta was in the opening lineup twice (at Fresno State, Sacramento State) and played off the bench in a third (at Saint Mary's). Sydney Bushman and Karla Sandoval have each played off the bench in all three contests, while Kaya Herndon has appeared in each of the last two. Henry's assist on the Aggies' second goal against Fresno State accounts for the lone point from the group, while Cordero is second on the team with three shot attempts including one that banged off the right post in the 84th minute against Sacramento State to just miss tying the contest. Bushman's two shots on goal tie her for the team' lead.

• Sydney Bushman (Jr., Manhattan Beach, Calif. / Mira Costa HS)
• Savannah Cordero (Sr., Tracy, Calif. / Tracy HS)
• Bella Fernandez (Fr., Napa, Calif. / Justin Siena HS)
• Charlotte Henness (R-Sr., Henderson, Nev. / Nevada State HS)
• Payton Henry (Fr., Canyon Lake, Calif. / Murrieta Valley HS)
• Kaya Herndon (Fr., Torrance, Calif. / Torrance HS)
• Ashleigh Garcia (R-Sr., Tracy, Calif. / Tracy HS)
• Karla Sandoval (R-Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. / Los Osos HS / Loyola Marymount)
• Viet-Thy Tran (Sr., Santa Clara, Calif. / Wilcox HS)
• Stella Villalta (R-So., Woodside, Calif. / The American International School in England / Santa Clara)

DEFENDERS (8)
Kiley Fehrenbacher, Sydnie Fong, Livi Lewis and Courtney Wagner have each started all three contests. Fehrenbacher has one of the team's two goals after converting after a scramble on a corner kick, while Wagner has a team-high four shots and a team-high-tying two shots on goal. In addition, Summer Humphrey has played off the bench in both contests. 

• Kiley Fehrenbacher (R-So., San Diego, Calif. / Point Loma HS / Oregon)
• Sydnie Fong (R-Sr., Novato, Calif. / San Marin HS / San Diego / Nevada)
• Loralei Heldreth (Fr., Barstow, Calif. / Excelsior Charter)
• Summer Humphreys (R-Jr., Carlsbad, Calif. / La Costa Canyon HS)
• Livi Lewis (R-Sr., Carlsbad, Calif. / Carlsbad HS)
• Samantha Murdin (Fr., Lafayette, Calif. / Acalanes HS)
• Ava Peterson (So., Las Vegas, Nev. / Palo Verde HS)
• Courtney Wagner (R-Jr., Rocklin, Calif. / Whitney HS)

GOALKEEPERS (3)
First-year Purdue transfer Dina Frenkel has played all 270 minutes in goal over the first three matches and allowed four goals. Frenkel has a 1.33 goals against average and 11 saves while facing 34 shots. She spent her first two collegiate seasons with the Boilermakers' in 2024 and 2025 but did not see any game action.

• Dina Frenkel (R-Fr., San Francisco, Calif. / St. Ignatius Prep / Purdue)
• Cat Pieper (R-Sr., Random Lake, Wis. / Random Lake HS)
• Piper Wllkison (R-So., Newport Beach, Calif. / Mater Dei HS / Butler)

HOME MATCH TICKETS
Single-game tickets for all UC Davis home matches including Sunday's contest against UC Santa Barbara 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 games through Sept. 11. 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, 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 ucdavisaggies.com.