DAVIS, Calif. — For the second time this season, UC Davis global disease biology major
Wallis Lapsley has been named the Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week after allowing just one goal in 180 minutes during a record-setting week for the nationally ranked men's soccer team.
Lapsley, who earned his first career award back on Aug. 27, became only the eighth UC Davis player in the history of the program to earn multiple Big West player of the week honors and became the sixth consecutive Aggie defensive player to win the league's weekly award dating back to last season.
In fact, 11 of the last 14 UC Davis weekly award winners have been on the defensive side of the ball dating back to 2014, and 15 of 23 overall since the Big West began awarding separate offensive and defensive players of the week beginning with the 2010 season.
The last line of defense for an Aggies squad that is ranked No. 31 in the latest NCAA RPI released on Sept. 23, Lapsley opened the week by recording his fourth shutout of the year — and the eighth of his career — in a 1-0 victory on the road against Utah Valley, equalling his total from all of 2017 just nine matches into this year's campaign.
Then, the Seattle, Wash., native shined on one of the biggest stages in a battle between nationally ranked foes, setting a new school Division I single-game record with nine stops against No. 17-ranked Saint Mary's in a 1-0 loss, breaking his own record set a week earlier in a, 3-1, victory over Santa Clara.
The previous record of seven was shared by four other players and was most recently accomplished by Armando Quezada against UC Irvine on Oct. 10, 2015.
For the week, Lapsley posted a 0.50 GAA and a .929 save percentage, allowing only one goal or fewer in eight of the team's nine contests this year while helping UC Davis to an unbeaten start. The junior entered the week leading the Big West in goals against average (0.53), save percentage (.889), saves (40), and shutouts (4), while standing second in saves per game (4.44).
Nationally, Lapsley also ranks No. 5 in save percentage, No. 8 in minutes played (845:48), No. 10 in saves, No. 11 in both goals against average and shutouts, and No. 33 in saves per game.
In its only match of the week, UC Davis hosts the first of two Causeway Cup matches against rival Sacramento State on Saturday (Sept. 29) at 4 p.m. at Aggie Soccer Field. The contest concludes the Aggies' non-conference schedule as they then open Big West play at home against Cal Poly on Oct. 3.
UC Davis enters the week ranked No. 25 in the latest
College Soccer News poll released on Monday (Sept. 24), with the updated United Soccer Coaches rankings — which had the Aggies at No. 13 in the nation last week — released on Tuesday (Sept. 25) morning.
UC DAVIS BIG WEST PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
9/17/07 - Sule Anibaba*
11/12/07 - Juan Hernandez
11/19/07 - Paul Marcoux
9/1/08 - Quincy Amarikwa
9/22/08 - Dylan Curtis*
10/6/08 - Paul Marcoux
10/13/08 - Quincy Amarikwa
10/27/08 - Dylan Curtis
9/28/09 - Chris Beville
10/18/10 - Omar Zeenni (D)
10/17/11 - Matt Sheldon (O); Omar Zeenni (D)
10/24/11 - Kevin Schulte (O); Omar Zeenni (D)
9/3/12 - Omar Zeenni (D)
10/8/12 - Alex Henry (O)
10/15/12 - Alex Henry (O)
10/29/12 - Matt Sheldon (O)
9/30/13 - Omar Zeenni (D)
9/1/14 - Kris Schultz (D)
9/29/14 - Ramon Martin Del Campo (D)
10/20/14 - Lucas Mohageg (O); Brian Ford (D)
8/29/16 -
Roy Boateng (D)
10/31/16 -
Noah Wilson (O)
9/11/17 -
Lizandro Torres (O)
10/2/17 -
Nabi Kibunguchy (D)
10/16/17 -
Roy Boateng (D)
10/30/17 -
Onah Power (D)
8/27/18 - Wallis Lapsley (D)
9/10/18 - Roy Boateng (D)
9/24/18 - Wallis Lapsley (D)
* denotes co-player of the week
ED NOTE: The Big West began awarding an offensive (O) and defensive (D) player of the week beginning with the 2010 season
DON'T MISS OUT!
The ninth-annual UC Davis Athletics Brewfest takes place as part of the October 13 Homecoming football game against Idaho State... Tickets for the Brewfest plus the Aggies-Bengals game are now on sale by clicking here... The Brewfest celebrates UC Davis as the No. 1 academic brewing program in North America... The ticket package includes unlimited tastings at the UC Davis Brewfest, a commemorative tasting mug, and a ticket to the game.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Launched in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
