Big time conferences don’t scare the Aggies.

In their first meet of the 2010-2011 season, the swim team traveled down to Southern California to take on the best that Los Angeles had to offer.

The Aggies squared up against Pacific 10 Conference powerhouse UCLA and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation newcomer Loyola Marymount on Friday and came home satisfied.

“I was very pleased with our performance,” said coach Barbara Jahn. “It was a great start to the new season.”

Coming off of an outstanding 2009-2010 season in which the Aggies won the Big West Conference Championship, the bar was set high for new faces on the team as well as the returning upperclassmen looking to repeat their success.

“We got an opportunity to look at the new freshmen talent and no one was afraid to race against a good team like UCLA,” Jahn said.

Senior Heidi Kucera won the 200-meter breaststroke and freshman Lily Alvarez was close behind, taking second place in the event.

Alvarez’s strong swimming was not an abnormal sight for the Aggies. New team members made big contributions for the Aggies in the pool on Friday, including freshman Joann Liang who took fourth place with a time of 59.68 in the 100-meter backstroke.

Junior Kayliegh Foley continued her dominance with two second-place finishes. She missed wins by fractions of a second in both races, falling to a UCLA swimmer who also competes on the USA National team.

Foley’s races included the 100 meter freestyle, finishing in 52.15, and the 200 meter medley relay. Foley partnered with Linda Hermann, Lily Alvarez, and Megan Leung in the relay as the group combined for a time of 1:45.32, good enough to take second place.

Sophomores Grace Benefield and Bridget Bugbee had another tandem finish for the Aggies, coming in second and third with times of 10:39.50 and 10:42.94 , respectively, in the 1000-meter freestyle.

The 50-meter freestyle, an all-out sprint for one length of the pool, was the closest race of the day.

Foley again was barely outmatched as she finished fourth in 24.26 – only .03 seconds behind the fist place finisher from UCLA.

In the end, UC Davis trounced Loyola Marymount by a score of 217-76 but was edged out by UCLA 165-121, putting the Aggies at 1-1 on the new season.

“I’m very proud of the way we opened up,” said Jahn. “We took advantage of the great competition and thrived on it.”

UC Davis will compete in the Toshiba Classic this weekend in Long Beach, Calif.

JOHNNY PARSONS can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Entering the second half of Big West Conference play, the Aggies wanted a big win to gain much needed momentum.

That’s exactly what UC Davis got in their powerful three set sweep of UC Riverside Saturday night.

“We executed very well on all sides of the ball,” coach Jamie Holmes said. “We took smart shots and made big plays when we needed to.”

From the opening serve, one knew it would be UC Davis’ night. In front of a packed house at Hickey Gym, the Aggies cruised to a first set victory, 25-16.

Junior Betsy Sedlak was a dominating force in the middle as the Pleasanton, Calif. native had seven blocks in the opening game. The Highlanders were unable to sustain any positive momentum, committing nine errors in the first game.

Sedlak’s intimidating performance didn’t stop in the first set. The middle blocker finished the game hitting .600 with 10 kills.

Holmes believes Sedlak’s strong play will be key for the Aggies down the stretch.

“[Sedlak] had a very good night,” Holmes said. “She settled down nicely and connected on all the chances she had.”

The second set was more of the same for the Aggies as they continued to capitalize off UC Riverside errors en route to a 25-11 victory. Whether it was by ace, block or kill, UC Davis was finding a way to score.

Like the previous two games, the third set belonged to the Aggies. With the 25-17 win, UC Davis took the match.

Sophomore Allison Whitson led UC Davis with 11 kills on the night. The smaller UC Riverside line-up had no match for senior Melanie Adams at opposite as she secured eight kills for the game.

The Highlanders were missing one of their strongest players due to a torn ACL. Holmes was still impressed with her team’s performance.

“It’s always nice to start the second half of conference play with a win and gain some confidence,” Holmes said. “We stayed focused all match and played very well.”

UC Davis currently sits in fifth place in the Big West, but just one game separates the Aggies from the first place UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.

The Aggies travel to south next weekend to take on UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton. UC Davis topped both teams somewhat easily earlier in the season at home. Nonetheless, Holmes isn’t going to take either game lightly.

“We’re going to take each match one point at a time,” Holmes said. “We’ll continue to play tough matches the rest of the season.”

JASON ALPERT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

UC Davis needed a goal-scorer.

The Aggies lost their two top forwards to graduation and were in need of a replacement.

Coach Dwayne Shaffer found that different scorer by converting defender Lance Patterson into a goal threat.

After not scoring in the 2009 season, the 6-foot-4 junior has adapted to his new role, leading the team with five goals.

Patterson sat down with Aggie sports writer Trevor Cramer to talk about changing positions, his early career and playing in Aggie Stadium.

As you made the transition from defense to a more attacking offensive role, did you expect to start the season as fast as you did?

It came as a surprise to me. I just tried to help our team out as much as I could and good things happened. I figured if the goals come then they come.

You’ve played both as an attacking midfielder and a striker this season, which position do you prefer?

I like playing striker better. I really like being able to make runs behind the defense. That’s harder to do from the midfield.

In the world of professional soccer, strikers are probably the most well known athletes. Is there a professional player that you model your game after?

I’ve always liked [New York Red Bulls striker] Thierry Henry. I love the way he goes straight at the goal. He makes really great runs through the defense. I think if I can play like him I’ll be doing pretty well.

You’ve said your grandmother is your non-sports hero. Why is that?

Well, she’s lived a tough life, but she always keeps a positive outlook. Nothing seems to get her down. When I talk to her she keeps me in a positive mind-set. She keeps me on-track.

You’ve been on track sneaking through defenses this year while teamed up with several freshmen. How have you been able to create chemistry with them so fast?

We bonded pretty quickly. They came up [to Davis] early on and we got together before the preseason and played together. They’ve gotten so much solid experience this year it doesn’t even feel like they’re freshmen anymore. Gaining that chemistry has been key for us.

Speaking of freshman, your first career goal came as a first year in an NCAA tournament game. What was that like?

It was crazy. It definitely meant something to me and I’ll never forget it. Not only was it a big game, but we were playing the University of Denver in Colorado and being from that area I knew some of the guys on the other team. It seemed ironic that I would score my first goal there.

It must have been difficult to leave Colorado for California to play soccer. You were the first UC Davis soccer player to come from outside California in 12 years. What brought you to Davis?

I really wanted to play Division I soccer and there weren’t very many options in Colorado. UC Davis has a great program. Dwayne [Shaffer] has created a solid team here, so it was good choice for me.

This is the first year soccer has played games in Aggie Stadium. Do you prefer Aggie Stadium to Aggie Soccer Field?

I prefer Aggie Stadium, mostly because I’ve always liked playing night games. It’s a different atmosphere and it usually means better crowds. I think the energy of playing in a bigger stadium contributes to the way we play.

You’ve played a couple overtime games here at home. Is there one goal you’ve scored this season that stands out in your mind?

The [game-winner] against San Jose State was big, because it was an important home game with a really good atmosphere. The crowd was into it, so it was nice. My goal against UC Santa Barbara was pretty big too, because it was a huge game on the road in front of a big crowd and the score kept us in the game.

With the way your defense has played at points this year, it seems like if you score just one goal you have a good chance to win. How does that make you feel as a striker?

Everyone says defense wins games and it’s true a lot of the time. If they hold the other team scoreless and we just need one goal it takes a lot of pressure off us as attacking players. They’ve done a great job this year.

The strong play of the defense has kept you in the race for a Big West Conference Tournament bid this season. How do you feel about your team’s chances to make the tournament and ultimately the NCAA Championships?

I think we have an excellent chance to make the Big West Tournament. We have some big games coming up against Cal Poly and [Cal State] Fullerton, but we’ve put ourselves in a good spot. We control our destiny and once you make the Big West Tournament, who knows what can happen.

TREVOR CRAMER can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

South Alabama just doesn’t know how to lose.

The Aggies held a 21-17 lead into the fourth quarter until a dynamic Jaguar offense erupted for a 45-yard touchdown pass with just over five minutes left in the game.

With that play, the visiting team would take the 24-21 victory Saturday afternoon, dropping UC Davis to 3-4 on the season.

“We knew [South Alabama] had a lot of speed,” said Aggie wide receiver Sean Creadick. “Their defense was able to fly around and their offense was explosive. All in all, they’re a good football team.”

The Jaguars’ talent was evident, but coach Bob Biggs was mostly stunned by their control throughout the game.

“They showed good composure,” Biggs said. “You’re not sure how a team that hasn’t been challenged is going to handle adversity. They stuck to their game plan and they didn’t get rattled, and it worked out for them.”

South Alabama came out strong with a score on a 74-yard opening drive, followed by another touchdown in its following possession for the 14-0 lead.

UC Davis responded with a glint of brilliance late in the first quarter when it strung together a series of first downs, highlighted by a 26-yard pass to Creadick from freshman quarterback Randy Wright.

The drive was capped by a 3-yard touchdown run by running back Corbin Cutshaw to put UC Davis within seven.

The Aggies took advantage of their strong two-minute offense, which came alive at the end of the half, tying the game at 14 with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Wright to Creadick.

Wright completed 23 of 42 passes, throwing for 238 yards, including 12 for 147 to Creadick.

While the passing game was successful against the Jaguars, Biggs said implementing a new wrinkle in the wildcat offense during the bye week would also help develop a run game and keep the opposing defense honest.

The Aggies saw some benefit from the new offensive formation as they gained 138 rushing yards on the night, with running back Nick Aprile’s 44 yards leading the way.

The power on offense was enough to take the lead and put the Aggies ahead 21-14 in the third quarter when Wright linked up with wide receiver Tom Hemmingsen for a 17-yard touchdown pass.

376 offensive yards just weren’t enough to win the game.

South Alabama shocked everyone late in the fourth quarter with a 45-yard touchdown pass to take the lead for the final time.

“They don’t know what losing is,” Aprile said. “They came in with a whole bunch of confidence. They’re an athletic bunch – undisciplined at times, but they play really hard.”

The resilient Aggies pushed the ball to within field goal range on their final possession. Unfortunately, formerly perfect kicker Sean Kelley missed the possible game-tying field goal as time expired to give the Jaguars the 24-21 win.

Wright believes one problem was the Aggies’ inability on offense to build upon the momentum created by the defense.

“Our defense kept stopping them,” Wright said. “We couldn’t put another field goal or touchdown on the board to help them out.”

The Aggie defense forced four punts out of the Jaguars and three sacks, while also recovering two South Alabama fumbles.

The UC Davis offense simply missed too many scoring chances.

“We didn’t take advantage of some to the opportunities we had,” Biggs said. “Defensively we bent a little bit, but we didn’t bend too much. The defense did a nice job getting the ball back to the offense, but we just didn’t capitalize.”

The stinging upset left the Jaguars unbeaten with a 7-0 record on the season.

The Aggies, however, plan to keep up the fight.

“It was just one of those games,” Biggs said. “We have to continue to show resilience. That’s who we are. This is going to be another situation where we put our backs against the wall and we’ve got to come out fighting.”

GRACE SPRAGUE can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past 48 hours, the San Francisco Giants have won the National League Pennant.

The Giants have won the pennant. Just let that stew for a couple minutes.

Throughout this magical season in the city by the bay, there was a saying that went around: “Giants Baseball: Torture.” The phrase was coined by San Francisco commentator Duane Kuiper due the magnitude of close games and heart wrenching moments throughout the season.

There’s a team at UC Davis that’s going through a similar season.

The men’s soccer squad has seven wins on the year (as of press time) – six of which have been decided by one goal. Six of the Aggies’ 10 losses were by one goal. Five of UC Davis’ matches had to be decided in overtime – the Aggies have won three of them.

Just by looking at those stats, you’d expect coach Dwayne Schaffer to have no hair. After 13 seasons coaching the Aggies, Schaffer almost expects these kinds of outcomes.

“Soccer is always a competitive sport,” he said. “In the Big West [Conference] especially, all the teams are so close so all the games are really tight.

“I always hear the same comments from the audience about how close and competitive the games are. To me, they’re all like that and it’s become common place to watch one-goal games.”

Aside from UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara, who are running away atop the Big West conference, there is a lot of parity in the league. Only six points separate the next six teams in the Big West.

Therefore, as much as Schaffer wants to watch his team jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes, he knows that’s probably not going to happen in this conference – so he prepares for a one-goal affair.

“When we see the game get close entering the later parts of it, we say ‘here we go again,'” Schaffer said. “We can chuckle about how almost all the games are this close, but you have to accept it because it is just part of the game.”

As much as the fans cringe at the thought of another game going down to the final kick, there is good that comes from one-goal games.

For starters, it keeps all 11 players in the game for at least 90 minutes.

“I keep telling the guys how much experience they gain from the close games,” Schaffer said. “It’s a huge benefit for the young guys to fight through the entire game. It helps them all learn and grow as players.”

This experience can do wonders for any team at any level of athletics, whether it’s recreational, bunch-ball soccer played by 5-year-olds or the fast paced game played at the FIFA World Cup. The more the Aggies play in tight games, the more they will accept it as part of the game. When it gets to crunch time, UC Davis will be so used to the situation, they won’t buckle under the pressure.

Schaffer believes if there is one group of people on the pitch that seems impartial to the excitement, however, it’s the player’s themselves.

“The players don’t feel the same way the coaches or fans when it gets to crunch time,” Schaffer said. “The players are way more calm and relaxed to play the game they’ve been training to do.”

As for the question of if the games are torture or not, Schaffer doesn’t believe so.

“These games are definitely not torture,” Schaffer laughed. “I love it when games are tight. It’s more exciting for the coaching staff, players and the fans.”

JASON ALPERT would like to congratulate The California Aggie for its exciting 1-0 victory over ASUCD Saturday afternoon. We couldn’t have done it without the amazing play of one Adam Loberstein. To talk Aggie Soccer, Giants baseball or the massacre that occurred Saturday afternoon, e-mail JASON ALPERT at sports@theaggie.org.