101410_sp_Wsoccerpreview
Headline: Women’s Soccer Preview
By MATT WANG
Aggie Sports Writer
Teams: UC Davis at UC Santa Barbara
Records: Aggies 5-7-1, (0-2-0); Gauchos 6-6-2 (2-2-0)
Where: Harder Stadium – Santa Barbara, Calif.
When: Friday at 5 p.m.
Who to watch: If the Aggies want to be competitive with conference teams, UC Davis will have to keep the game within reach.
Junior Aisha Lott will be central to this. The native of Milpitas, Calif. has been instrumental to the Aggies’ defense so far.
Lott has only taken five shots, but she has started every game and is the real reason why the Aggies have managed to stay strong in spite of a list of injuries.
“Aisha Lott and all of the captains have done well,” said coach Maryclaire Robinson. “It’s taken extraordinary leadership.”
Did you know? The women’s soccer squad isn’t the only UC Davis team that will play the Gauchos this weekend.
“We’re playing before the [men’s soccer] game,” Robinson said. “It creates a great atmosphere. Even if people come for the men’s game and see ours, it’s going to be really fun.”
Preview: The “easy” part is over.
Only conference games remain on the Aggies’ schedule, and as the season is nearing its end, the women’s squad has some work to do in order to be competitive within the Big West.
The Aggies are trying to find their winning touch as they are on a four-game skid. They have taken leads in the last two matches but lost them in the later minutes.
On the docket are the Gauchos, who took the No. 19 Anteaters to overtime in their last game. Though UC Santa Barbara played strong for 90 minutes, Tanya Taylor’s golden goal for UC Irvine would win the game and break the Gauchos’ hearts.
Though the Gauchos present problems for UC Davis because of their talent, Robinson emphasizes that this is just another conference game.
“They have some players with speed,” said Robinson. “Any team we play in conference is going to be tough to beat at home. But it’s just another conference game, and we’re going to try to squeeze out a win any way we can.”
– Matt Wang
