Team: UC Davis at Sacramento State
Records: Aggies 6-8-3 (2-4-2); Hornets 3-10-3 (1-7-0)
Where: Hornet Soccer Field — Sacramento, Calif.
When: Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m.
Who to Watch:
With the devastating double overtime loss several weeks ago at the hands of UC Santa Barbara still fresh in the minds of UC Davis fans and players alike, a rematch on Nov. 2 was just what the team needed to snap out of their three-game losing streak.
UC Davis’ first game against No. 7 ranked UCSB this season was at home on Oct. 19. In front of a packed crowd the Aggies forced the Gauchos into double overtime, but with less than a minute left Santa Barbara scored the coveted golden goal, taking the match 3-2. Although the Aggies played hard, they could not wait for a rematch, which finally came this past weekend.
The Aggies recently traveled for a rematch with top-ranked Santa Barbara on Saturday, Nov. 2. Leading up to what ultimately ended in a double overtime 1-1 draw, junior forward Matt Sheldon found the back of the net midway through the second half of regulation play. UCSB then answered back with a late goal to even it up 1-1 and take the game into overtime. The game remained tied at 1-1 until the game finished.
Matt Sheldon has been a pivotal part of this team all year long and leads the team with five goals this season. His talent was on display once again with the clutch goal he scored on the Nov. 2 matchup with the Gauchos.
Another key player who played well against the Gauchos on Nov. 2 was redshirt freshman forward Dashiell MacNamara, who teed up a clean cross to the waiting Sheldon in the box. MacNamara has one assist and two goals on the season and is expected to do big things for the Aggies in the upcoming years.
Although the rematch between the Gauchos and Aggies ended in a double overtime tie, the players still feel that there is plenty of room for improvement and are eager to finally get a breakout win.
Another player who has been solid for the Aggies all season is junior forward Matt Wiesenfarth.
“We should have won but we just couldn’t hold onto the win again,” Wiesenfarth said. “We played really well for 89 minutes though and definitely deserved a victory.”
However, that victory remained once again just out of reach. With the two final games of the regular season fast approaching, Wiesenfarth and the rest of the team only have a few opportunities left to get those wins and finish the season on a high note.
Preview:
The Aggies travel to Sacramento for the much-anticipated final game of the regular season and a huge redemption match for the Aggies.
After an upsetting loss to Sac State on Oct. 26 at home, the UC Davis men’s soccer team is hungry to prove once again that they are the best team in the area.
“We are all a little embarrassed of our previous performance against them and are looking to make up for it with a big win,” Wiesenfarth said.
With two wins this week, Davis finally snapped their losing streak and set themselves up well points wise for the upcoming Big West tournament quarterfinals.
“If we play these last two games like we did against Santa Barbara, we will come away with six points,” Wiesenfarth said.
– Sloan Boettcher
