9-3-5 / 4-1-4
UC Davis
7-8-3 / 3-3-3
Mustangs Draw UC Davis, Clinch Big West Tournament Spot
10/28/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Senior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton (top) chalked up three saves and the No. 20 Cal Poly men's soccer team clinched a spot in the Big West Conference Tournament and cemented the program's first unbeaten regular season in the program's nine-year tenure inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium with a scoreless draw versus UC Davis Wednesday evening.
With Wednesday's result, Cal Poly (9-3-5, 4-1-4) – which outshot UC Davis, 18-3 – improved to 16 points in the Big West North Division standings and, in staying four points ahead of the Aggies, secured no worse than a top-two finish. The Mustangs trail division leader UC Santa Barbara (11-5-2, 6-2-1) by three points, but can still clinch a share of first place in the North Division and an opening-round bye for the Nov. 7, 11 and 14 Big West Tournament by defeating Sacramento State during Saturday's regular season finale and having the Gauchos fall at UC Davis the same day. Both of those matches kick off at 2 p.m.
Should Cal Poly remain second in the Big West North Division, the Mustangs will host a Big West Tournament opening round game versus the third-place team from the South Division – currently UC Irvine – on Saturday, Nov. 7. Match time is still to be determined.
With Wednesday's draw, Cal Poly finished its regular season schedule 6-0-2 inside Spanos Stadium.
Mustang senior midfielder Matt LaGrassa produced a 10th minute shot on target, but the save by UC Davis goalkeeper Armando Quezada was the only one he was forced in to by the Mustangs until the second overtime period.
UC Davis, meanwhile, was kept without a shot attempt by Cal Poly until Hamilton turned away Aggie forward Kristian Heptner in the 64th minute. Hamilton made a second save six minutes later to preserve the tie.
At the other end of Spanos Stadium, Mustang junior midfielder Bjorn Sandberg's header went high in the 72nd minute, junior forward Justin Dhillon hit the left side netting a minute later and senior defender Kip Colvey lifted an attempt over the crossbar on 75 minutes.
Into the first overtime period, Hamilton was called on in the 92nd minute to record his third save before senior midfielder Chase Minter scraped the cross bar in the 94th.
During the second overtime period, Cal Poly produced seven shot attempts, forced Quezada into two more saves and compiled six corner kick opportunities, but failed to secure the decisive goal.
