UC Davis cools off Anteaters

IRVINE — The slight chill in the fall air was no match for the warmth of a golden goal for the visiting UC Davis men’s soccer players in their Big West Conference opener Wednesday night.

So, a handful of celebrating, sweat-soaked Aggies shed their jerseys and cavorted in front of some of their traveling fans, as well as a pocket of less-than-hospitable home rooters, after producing the game-winner with 3:45 left in the second 10-minute, sudden-death overtime period of a 2-1 decision over defending conference champion UC Irvine.

It was, in fact, the suddenly sullen Anteaters, now 0-2 in conference, who likely were more susceptible to a chill, after losing to a conference rival at home for the first time in nearly two years.

UCI (6-4), which came in ranked No. 23 in the national coaches poll, lost just one conference game all of last season and was 6-0-2 against Big West foes at Anteater Stadium, including two conference tournament triumphs and a second-round NCAA tournament win.

The last Big West team to defeat the ’Eaters at home was UC Davis, which claimed a 2-1 overtime verdict on Nov. 18, 2007.

The Aggies (4-6, 1-0 in conference), with only three starters back from last season, repeated that outcome by capitalizing on some fatal defensive leakage by UCI, as well as some inopportune misfires by the hosts on several scoring chances.

Included in those opportunities was a penalty kick by junior Amani Walker that junior goalie Ryan McCowan dived to his left to stop in the 63rd minute. Walker came in leading the team with four goals and 10 points.

The hosts had an 11-3 advantage in shots, until senior Paul Marcoux, sprinting unchecked toward charging UCI keeper Victor Chinchilla, drove in an assist from freshman Michael Garrick to spark the emotional revelry.

Senior Irving Garcia, a preseason All-American, had five shots for the Anteaters, the most dangerous of which he booted wide to squander a well-placed pass from senior co-captain Kevin Santora about 10 yards out from the right goal post late in the first overtime.

Garcia prompted nearly half of McGowan’s five saves on the night, while Chinchilla was credited with none.

“We have to finish a PK and we had sitters [attackers near the net with chances],” UCI Coach George Kuntz said.

UCI opened the scoring in the 11th minute, as junior Corey Attaway produced his first goal of the season.

Attaway took a pass from Garcia about 15 yards beyond the right post and drilled it into the net to help UCI notch its first conference goal this season.

UCI, which opened conference play Sunday with a 1-0 loss at UC Santa Barbara to end an 11-match unbeaten streak against Big West foes, held the lead for less than 18 minutes.

Davis knotted the score on a header by junior Nathan Javadi, on a play that began with a free kick from Julian Godinez.

Santora, Garcia, Walker and junior Spencer Thompson helped UCI continually pressure Aggies defenders.

But finishing proved problematic.

“It’s a matter of performance,” Kuntz said. “We have to finish better as a group.

“And the goals we gave up are something we’ll have a lot of discussion about.

“We’ve made it difficult for ourselves right now. Our next two games are away, so we’ve got to regroup a little bit and make it better.”