Teams: UC Davis vs. UC Riverside
Records: Aggies, 6-4-1 (0-1-1); Highlanders, 5-5-1 (0-0)
Where: UCR Soccer Stadium – Riverside, Calif.
When: Today at 7 p.m.
Who to watch: Junior forward Allison Kelly leads the Aggies in goals this season with a total of four.
The Sacramento, Calif. native has started in 10 of UC Davis’ 11 games this season and has been one of the squad’s most productive players, tallying four assists to compliment her four goals.
Did you know? UC Davis has never defeated UC Riverside. The Highlanders hold a 5-0-2 record against the Aggies with the last match ending in a 0-0 tie.
Preview: The Aggies are hoping to earn their first Big West Conference win in Riverside this week.
Today’s match-up will be UC Riverside’s first league game and the Highlanders are fresh off a 1-0 overtime victory against Lamar.
UC Davis’ last game against Cal State Northridge featured a rough first half but the Aggies rebounded in the second frame, managing to score a goal and build some momentum in the last minutes of the game.
Coach MaryClaire Robinson was happy that her team managed to recover from the rough start to their last game saying, “I’m very proud of our second half.”
The Aggies are determined to make the Big West Conference Championship this year, which requires them to place top four in conference. They are currently ranked sixth, with UC Riverside ranked right below them.
If UC Davis hopes to achieve this goal they will need to win games against teams that have bested them in the past. The Aggies have never earned a conference win against the Highlanders so a win on Thursday would be a step in the right direction.
This year’s squad proved they have the talent to play with the Big West’s best last week when they tied the conference favorite, UC Irvine.
The Aggie defense, led by senior captain Aisha Lott and senior goalkeeper Maria Magana, has been impressive so far, earning five shutout victories and only allowing 11 goals through 11 games this season.
However, they face a real challenge this Thursday when they face the Highlander offense. Seven players have scored for UC Riverside this season, earning 12 goals to date.
UC Davis plans to start strong and keep the intensity high today. The Aggies want to improve their conference record and leave with UC Davis’ first ever win over UC Riverside.
– Kimberly Carr
