Teams: No. 11 UC Davis vs. No. 17 UC Santa Barbara
Records: Aggies, 12-3-3 (4-2-3); Gauchos, 10-5-3 (5-2-2)
Where: Aggie Soccer Stadium
When: Saturday at 11 a.m.
Who to watch: After leading the nation in goals for most of the season, senior forward Quincy Amarikwa has not scored a goal since the Oct. 22 matchup at home against Cal State Northridge.
That funk could end tomorrow.
In UC Davis‘ first contest with UCSB this season on Oct. 11, Amarikwa scored both Aggie goals – one coming by way of a bicycle kick – in a 2-0 victory.
Did you know? UC Davis is the only team that has earned a shutout victory over UCSB in its past 37 games. The Aggies ended the Gauchos‘ 31-game scoring streak the last time the two teams took the field.
Preview: The season comes down to one game for the UC Davis men’s soccer team.
Following Wednesday’s tie between Cal Poly (18 points) and UCSB (17 points), the Aggies (15 points) could clinch a share of the Big West Conference regular season title with a win over the Gauchos on Saturday.
With a loss, however, UC Davis – which has been ranked in the top 15 nationally since early October – could very well miss out on the conference tournament entirely.
“I expect my team to be prepared to play,” Shaffer said. “We have proved that we can beat them. My guys are jacked up and know what’s at stake.“
UC Davis is undefeated at home this season, having posted a 6-0-2 record within the friendly confines of Aggie Soccer Stadium.
Keeping the unbeaten streak alive for the Aggies will be no small feat, as the Gauchos have left the field with either a win or tie in nine of their past 11 games.
UCSB is led by standout forward Chris Pontius. The senior leads the Gauchos with 13 goals and four assists on the season.
As if this game needed any more drama, it will also serve as UC Davis‘ Senior Day. Nine seniors will be honored prior to the game.
– Adam Loberstein and Max Rosenblum
