Posted: Aug 22, 2019
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara men's soccer could not overcome a three-goal deficit and fell to UC Davis, 3-2 in exhibition action on Wednesday night at Stevens Stadium.
The Aggies jumped on the Broncos early and often, scoring three goals in the first 23 minutes of play, two by Jye Citizen in the sixth and 23rd minutes sandwiching Marte Formico's goal in the 22nd minute.
Santa Clara had difficulties defending inside the box allowing UC Davis to score all its goals inside it.
"We didn't do a good enough job in the box but that's what exhibitions are for, to highlight where you need to spend your time," said Broncos head coach Cam Rast. "We interpret the fact that we want to be able to play the game and move the ball as a carte blanche in every situation and when teams are fresh in the new part of the season, they are going to come hard at you. And when they do, you have to be ready for that. It unsettled us to see the type of work the other team put in, so that put us on our heals in the beginning. "
Trailing by three goals, the Broncos got one back in the 35th minute when Javier Ruiz Duran slotted the ball with his left foot past goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley after receiving a pass from Eduardo Lopez Perez at the top of the box.
Five minutes later, Santa Clara cut the deficit to one goal when Presten Manthey calmly made the penalty kick after Lopez Perez was fouled inside the box. Playing his first match as a Bronco after being out with an injury last season, the redshirt freshman shot it low and left past Lapsley to make it a 3-2 game.
"We need to be the aggressor, whether we are up by three or its tied or we are down, it doesn't matter. That was the disappointing part of the start but the good part is to see that within us getting those two goals," said Rast.
The teams played a scoreless second half with the best scoring opportunity coming in the 87th minute when Sam Agosti's shot inside the 18 deflected off an Aggie defender and was saved by the diving Lapsley.
The Broncos close out exhibition action on Sunday playing at Sacramento State for a 5 p.m. kickoff.
