UC Davis splits first two games of home stand

For the second straight week of Big West conference play, UC Davis won its Wednesday match and lost its game on Saturday.

This week the Aggies were at home in Aggie Soccer Stadium to take on two Southern California foes.

First, the Aggies were able to get the win in dramatic fashion against UC Riverside on Wednesday.

Then UC Davis was out done as Cal State Fullerton pulled out the 3-2 double overtime victory.

The Aggies are now 5-8 on the season and 2-2 in Big West Conference play.

Wednesday – UC Davis 2, UC Riverside 1

The Aggies opened up their three-game home stand Wednesday against the Highlanders of UC Riverside.

The first half was relatively calm until the 42nd minute of play.

UC Davis junior defender Nate Javadi misplayed a floating UC Riverside cross, scoring an own goal and giving UC Riverside a 1-0 edge.

UC Davis limped into the half down by one goal having only taken four shots.

It was a tale of two halves though as a different Aggies team came out in the second period and applied the pressure to the Highlander defense.

“In the second half it was our game,” coach Dwayne Shaffer said.

Redshirt freshman striker John Joslin got off two shots in the 68th minute but was unable to get UC Davis on the board but the ball took a bounce in the Aggies favor in the 83rd minute.

After sophomore defender Lance Patterson was fouled, Joslin took the free kick from about 30 yards out from the UC Riverside goal close to the middle of the pitch.

Joslin fired his shot on a low line moving left into the wall. The ball caromed off of a Highlander defender, changing the direction of the shot and taking the UC Riverside keeper out of the play. The ball found the back of the net and the game was back to even at 1-1.

“Once we scored the first goal, I could see that the [UC] Riverside kids’ heads went down,” Shaffer said.

Three minutes later, co-captain Paul Marcoux worked his way into the left side of the Highlander box, sliding a pass across the face of goal. Freshman Dan Reese held of his mark and was able to finish from just three yards out.

“I saw Dan in the middle and Dan’s a big boy,” Marcoux said. “All I had to do was play it into him.”

The Aggies held on in the final for the 2-1 win.

Saturday – Cal State Fullerton 3, UC Davis 2 (2OT)

Almost right from the start, Cal State Fullerton had the Aggies playing catch-up.

It began with a Titan goal in the 15th minute.

The Aggies would have their answer eight minutes later in the form of a Marcoux volley. The teams went into the half all square at 1-1.

The Titans would strike first in the second half as well, scoring on a shot from the top of the 18-yard box in the 67th minute

Three minutes later the Aggies would answer again, in similar fashion to Wednesday’s game winner. Marcoux again got into the box on a run down the left side.

This time his cross found the feet of sophomore Rene Cuellar, who finished in front of goal, bringing the game back to even yet again.

Regular time wouldn’t be enough to settle the match as the game entered overtime and eventually double overtime. With just five minutes remaining in the second extra session of play, Cal State Fullerton was able to beat UC Davis keeper Ryan McCown with the game’s golden goal.

“Our team showed a lot of character by going down twice and coming back twice,” Shaffer said. “We had our chances and they had theirs. Unfortunately we couldn’t get the win, but it was a great team effort overall.”

The Aggies will look to rebound with their third straight match at Aggie Soccer Stadium when they take on UC Santa Barbara Wednesday at 3 p.m.

JOHN S. HELLER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.