SANTA CLARA, Calif. — UC Davis (1-3) knocked on the doorstep in the final seconds before dropping a 1-0 decision in a nonconference match at Santa Clara (2-0-3) on Thursday at Stevens Stadium-Buck Shaw Field. The Aggies drew a foul just outside the penalty box on their final possession but Sydney Bushman's free kick failed to reach the goal and the Broncos escaped with a one-goal win.
"I was proud of our effort tonight," head coach Kat Mertz said. "I thought we battled hard, executed the game plan and created some solid scoring chances."
Santa Clara's Lexie Douglass had the game's lone goal in the ninth minute on assists from Adee Goulden and Addie Whitehouse.
UC Davis goalkeeper Piper Wilkison had four saves in her Aggies' debut including a spectacular one in the 49th minute to keep UC Davis within a goal. Wilkison is a first-year transfer from Butler.
Santa Clara outshot UC Davis, 18-6, but had just five shots on goal while the Aggies managed a pair. The Aggies' best chance to come up with the equalizer was in the match's final seconds. Lisette Gregoris and Lakelee Perkins also each had one shot on goal.
Santa Clara won the corner kick battle, 11-0.
Broncos' goalkeeper Ally Harrison had two saves in her shutout performance.
The Aggies return home to host UC Santa Barbara (3-0) for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Sunday. The match will be streamed live on MW+ and live stats are available via Stat Broadcast.
"I'm looking forward to watching us play on Sunday night," Metz said.
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.
GAME NOTES
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/.
