Teams: No. 16 UC Davis at No. 18 UC Irvine
Records: Aggies, 8-1-0 (0-0); Anteaters, 7-0-2 (0-0)
Where: Anteater Stadium – Irvine, Calif.
When: Today at 7 p.m.
Who to watch: Playing midfield instead of his listed forward position, Sule Anibaba recorded his first two assists of the season Saturday at home against Air Force.
Known for his physicality on the field and offensive mentality, the Davis High graduate Anibaba dropped back against the Falcons and gave UC Davis the added boost they needed to overcome Air Force.
Did you know? The last five men’s soccer matchups between UC Davis and UC Irvine have rendered two Aggie wins, two Aggie losses and a tie with neither team scoring more than two goals in any contest.
With both teams ranked among the nation’s elite in goals allowed and goals scored, the outcome of tonight’s game might be determined by the first score.
Preview: After finishing their non-conference schedule with a 4-1 victory over Air Force, the Aggies begin Big West Conference play.
Now the games really matter, as the team with the best record will get to host the first Big West Tournament.
UC Davis will open league play against nationally ranked UC Irvine on the road.
The Anteaters have yet to lose a match this year, while the Aggies only have one blemish on their record.
Like UC Davis, UC Irvine is fresh off of a victory – a 2-1 win at home versus Cal State Bakersfield. Freshman midfielder Brett Berman scored his first goal of his career – a game winner.
The Anteaters are led by senior midfielder Matt Murphy, who has a team-high five goals on the season and is third all-time at UC Irvine with 68 career points.
The Aggies are powered by the goal-assist duo of seniors Quincy Amarikwa and Dylan Curtis – each of whom leads the nation in his respective category.
–Max Rosenblum
