Aggie tennis hosts Aggie Invitational, looks ahead to Northwest Regionals

The Aggie Invitational took place the weekend of Sept. 29, 2017 and had the UC Davis men’s tennis team hard at work. During a midday practice prior to the tournament at the Marya Welch Tennis Center, head coach Eric Steidlmayer was heard reminding his players to stay aggressive and complimenting them on their serves.

The Aggie Invitational, the first competition of the season for UC Davis men’s tennis, hosts 72 players from 10 universities. All Northern California Division I teams, Gonzaga University, Portland University and the University of Nevada, Reno will be represented.

“It’s a great event to jump start our season,” Steidlmayer said. “It’s just going to be great tennis all weekend.”

With five new players on the roster, as well as a new assistant coach, Nathan Robinson, this is the first opportunity for the Aggies to compete as a new team. Senior Tommy Lam, who played both singles and doubles in the tournament, is looking forward to his last season on the team.

“I’m feeling excited,” Lam said. “This is my last season and I want to do my best in it. My goal right now is to just try to stay healthy. I can’t really hit my two-handed backhand, which is one of my best shots, so I’m just trying to recover from [my wrist injury].”

On day one of the tournament, senior Everett Maltby and sophomore Mitchell Iwahiro won their first singles tournaments, with Maltby advancing to the Flight “A” round of 16 singles and Iwahiro the Flight “B” round of 16 singles. Doubles team sophomore transfer Jonathan Star and freshman Ivan Thamma qualified for the Flight “A” semifinals after defeating both Sacramento State and St. Mary’s University. Despite a loss to Portland University, doubles duo Maltby and sophomore David Goulak came back with an 8-2 win against Gonzaga University, advancing to the semifinals.

Saturday saw the Aggies kick it into gear, with Maltby qualifying for the Flight “A” main draw semifinals after winning his matches against Nevada and Santa Clara. Goulak, Thamma and Star all won their matches in the first round of singles consolation play. Despite his injury, Lam and freshman Arjith Jayaraman were victorious in their singles matches against Saint Mary’s. Doubles team Goulak and Maltby continued to sweep the competition with a win against Santa Clara in the consolation draw. Duo Star and Thamma fell to Nevada in the main draw.

For Flight “B,” Iwahiro won his match against Gonzaga, but fell short in his quarterfinal match against Cal. In the first round of singles consolation play, Jayaraman, freshman Chethan Swanson and freshman Dariush Jalali all won their respective matches. Swanson also won his quarterfinals match against St. Mary’s. In the doubles consolations matches, the Aggies were victorious, with Iwahiro and Jayaraman winning their match against Santa Clara and duo Lam and Swanson defeating Stanford.

On the third and final day of the Aggie Invitational, Aggies Lam, Goulak, Thamma, Swanson, Jayaraman and Jalali earned victories in their consolation play matches. Maltby fell to Cal’s freshman Paul Barreto in the singles Flight “A” semifinals.

Following the Aggie Invitational, the Aggies will travel to Pacific University for the ITA Northwest Regional Championships at the end of October. The competition will include Top-20 teams.

“Every tournament in the fall is something to learn from,” Steidlmayer said. “I expect our guys to compete at their best and then review, whether they win or lose, figure out how to get better.”

Written by: Liz Jacobson — sports@theaggie.org

UC Davis men’s soccer defeated the UC Irvine Anteaters 2-0 in their first game of conference play

The sun was out and shining last Thursday, Sept. 28, when the UC Davis men’s soccer team took on the UC Irvine Anteaters in its first conference game of the 2017 season.Coming out of last season, the Aggies went 8-9-3 overall and 4-6 in conference play, making it to the Big West Conference Tournament, where they took a hard fought loss in the first game to Cal State Fullerton in penalty kicks. The team is looking to improve on their efforts this season.

“The biggest thing we have been training and working on is our defense,” said head coach Dwayne Shaffer. “The second thing would probably be getting more of our players back and healthy to add more depth for our games.”

The Aggies went into the game possessing a 3-5-1 record overall on the year, and were looking to add a win to that record.

The first half belonged to the Aggies. UC Davis took an impressive seven shots in the half, three being on goal, while its defense limited the Anteaters to just two shots in the entire half, one of those being on goal. Out of the seven shots taken by the Aggies, two were taken by senior forwards Kyle Higgins and Noah Wilson, and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley had one save in the first half of play. However, none of the shots by either team were enough to put a goal on the board, bringing the score to 0-0 at the half.  

UC Davis did not slow down the energy going into the second half, as junior midfielder Justin Wright made an incredible run in the 18-yard box, putting the ball in the back of the net and giving the Aggies the 1-0 lead at the 46th minute. Redshirt sophomore forward Adam Mickelson earned an equally impressive, no look assist on the goal. At the 59th minute of play, UC Irvine nearly equalized with a short cross into the box — the only thing stopping them was an incredible save from Lapsley. The Aggies were not done scoring goals, and in the 74th minute of play, Mickelson put one in the back of the net on a header assisted by senior midfielder Miguel Acevedo, bringing the score to 2-0.

“I just heard him come over my shoulder and call for the ball, so I played it to him and he was there with a great touch,” Mickelson said. “I think we [the team] need to continue with our defense and continue to get shutouts.”

The Aggies’ lead proved to be too much for UC Irvine, and UC Davis took home the 2-0 win. Overall, the Aggies produced 13 shots, half of them on goal, and limited the Anteaters to only 8 shots in the entire game. Lapsley had four saves in the game.

“It’s [soccer] a tough game to win, so anytime we get a win it’s huge,” Shaffer said. “I am extremely happy and pleased with my team, and I think I have a really good team. It was a good game for us to get a victory, and that is our first shutout of the year so that was awesome to get that result.”

The Saturday following the double header UC Davis took on California State Northridge and went into double overtime. However, the extra time was not enough for either team to secure a victory, leaving the game a tie and pushing UC Davis’ overall record to 4-5-2, going 1-0-1 in conference play.

Written by: Ryan Bugsch — sports@theaggie.org

How coach Dan Hawkins is reinvigorating Aggie football

You’ve probably heard already, but a new era of UC Davis football is unfolding. The Aggies are competing this season under the leadership of head coach Dan Hawkins, who was hired following the completion of the 2016 football season. After six straight losing campaigns, the UC Davis football program desperately needed something to change for it to veer from the unsuccessful course it had been charting. Now, with the first half of the 2017 season nearly complete, the program seems to have found a new captain who is capable of steering the ship in the right direction.

The Aggies currently sport a .600 record through their first five contests — three of which were on the road — and have already matched last season’s win total of three. No matter the result, the team’s style of play with Hawkins influence is gutsy and entertaining. The Aggies play an up-tempo, pass-heavy attack, coupled with an aggressive defense, that has resulted in some impressive statistics and solid performances against big-time teams. So far this year, UC Davis averages one-and-a-half sacks, 343.6 yards passing, 469.4 yards of total offense and two fourth down conversion attempts per game. Hawkins knows the value of having the Aggies play what he coins as a “visually stimulating” brand of football. Moving the ball, making plays and scoring points not only gives this team a better chance at winning ball games, but also serves as entertainment, drawing much-needed attention from a UC Davis fan-base that has had little to cheer for in recent years.

But the impressive numbers and flashy game-play are still only a small part of what a coach like Hawkins brings to the table for a collegiate program. Hawkins is a well-spoken and well-traveled man who possesses a truly unique, incredibly diverse resumé that highlights his vast wealth of experience when it comes to football and life. He began his college football career at College of the Siskiyous in Weed, Calif. and soon transferred to UC Davis to play ball for legendary coach Jim Sochor. UC Davis became the birthplace of Hawkins’ coaching career, as he worked as an assistant under Sochor for a number of years after his playing days ended. Those years under Sochor still remain an influential part of Hawkins’ life. Sochor’s winning philosophy is ingrained in Hawkins’ mentality as he now coaches the Aggies generations later.

“I always tell people, [UC Davis] is my baptism of excellence,” Hawkins said. “I was on some good teams in high school and in junior college, but there was just some things here [at UC Davis] – some subtle and some not-so-subtle – that you just figure out. If you want a perpetual upward cycle, this is what you do. If you want perpetual excellence, there’s certain things you gotta do.”

Since then, Hawkins has coached at all different levels at programs across the nation and across the globe: high school ball in Sacramento, junior college ball in Weed, his first head coaching gig at Division II Willamette University in Oregon, then on to Boise State and the University of Colorado, Boulder. Hawkins has even coached in the Canadian Football League and overseas in the Austrian Football League, all packed around a two-year broadcasting stint with ESPN. Hawkins’ body of work, spanning over 30 years, gives him a worldly perspective that excellently reflects the eclectic UC Davis student body, including his football team.

“I’m into the Davis culture,” Hawkins said. “I’ve coached in 13 different countries and recognize all the international students — we have a nice international flavor on our team and on our staff, so I get that whole component and I want to be a part of that. I think football, when it’s done well, it’s marketing, it’s promotions, it’s branding. It represents the spirit of your school, the heart of your school. We want to be a vibrant part of [UC Davis], we want to be an interconnector.”

Much like his background, Hawkins possesses a mindset and personality that extends far beyond the realm of football. He recognizes the importance of a program that is “interconnected” with its school’s culture. In Hawkins’ eyes, the success of a college program is not simply measured in wins and losses. For him, it is more than just what occurs on the football field; it is building his players up to be top-tier students, teaching them to be men who work hard the right way and who will one day be “leaders in their industry and communities.” He envisions his program and his players as ambassadors of the UC Davis way of life. Hawkins embraces the high standard that UC Davis holds all of its students to, including its athletes.

“In our entire athletic department, there are 77 different majors,” Hawkins said. “This isn’t a bunch of lunk-heads. [The players on my team] are unbelievable dudes. They’re people you want to support. You come and cheer for those guys because they’re great people, they’re great Aggies.”

Underneath his obvious passion for football and for his team, Hawkins is a kind, charismatic, humorous and humble figure. It is not typical of Hawkins to talk about himself, and when he does it is often only for a brief moment. He has the ultimate trust in those around him, always knowing just how to show his appreciation for his coaching staff and players. He is cognizant of the fact that a successful program requires not just a capable head coach, but an outstanding supporting cast as well. While Hawkins admits that he still has a significant influence over his team, he claims that it is those in his supporting cast who perform the “vital components” on gameday.

“The best leader is the one where everybody says, ‘we could have done it without him,’” Hawkins said. “I really try to be that way. On gameday, if I were the one that missed the bus and didn’t make it to the game, I would probably be missed the least.”

It may sound like a joke, but Hawkins genuinely believes in his team. His players have bought into his humble leadership and, as a result, have come away with a fresh, fighting spirit that is palpable. The gritty effort, the confidence and the enjoyment displayed by this team is unlike previous years — and it all starts with Hawkins’ unrivaled allegiance to Aggie pride.

“One of our guys said, ‘Aggie pride is not just a song, it’s a way of life,’” Hawkins said. “I feel pressure to represent Aggie pride, and Aggie pride is not winning football games, it’s how you’re conducting business, how you’re responding and how you’re acting. I feel a deep responsibility to that, because I believe it is the success model for [the players] in life, it’s the success model for [the players] in football. And I know that seems corny, like it’s some movie, but it’s real to me. That’s the beauty of sport done well, because it’s a laboratory for life.”

Hopefully this re-establishment of the Aggie pride tradition will breed success, and ultimately culminate in motivated student-athletes, improved recruiting and a brighter future for this program. With four of the team’s last seven games at home, including a two game homestand,with North Dakota and Eastern Washington, UC Davis students will have plenty of opportunities to show their Aggie pride in person and to witness first-hand the new football culture that Hawkins is building.

“We need [the students’] energy and their emotion and their flavor to this thing,” Hawkins said. “Although it was in the dinosaur days, when we played at [Toomey Field] and we played big games, the students would come in there and just be crazy. It was awesome. It was a great environment, and [the students] add a lot to it. Hopefully we can get the students out here and get them engaged.”

This is a hungry, talented, and focused Aggie team that, despite two early losses to tough opponents, has the potential to finish out this season near the top of the conference. So roll through in numbers, Aggies; you won’t want to miss.

Written by: Dominic Faria — sports@theaggie.org