The wind was howling and the Lions were roaring on Saturday night as FC Davis sunk Davis Legacy in the first round of US Open Cup qualifying.
It was the first time the two sides met, with FC Davis reigning victorious when the final whistle sounded.
The Lions, currently in off-season, sourced their players with up and coming local talent supported by long standing members of the team. 18 of the 25 players on the reigning Golden Gate Conference Champions US Open Cup roster currently attend or graduated from UC Davis. Also included on the roster is former MLS player Alec Sundly, who is the new assistant coach for the UC Davis Men's team. To no surprise, the teams local focus brought out almost the entire UC Davis Men's team, who were raucously supporting members of their soccer family.
Legacy had a notable roster of their own, bringing five ex-professionals to the game, including former USL and Jamaican national team player Anthony Grant, and padded their group with players from our rivals in Sacramento.
After a calm first half, FC Davis started off the scoring shortly after halftime when Wumi Aldetimi dashed through the Legacy back line and drew a PK. Captain Onah Power stepped up and slotted the ball home which sent the UC Davis Men's team charging down the touchline to celebrate with their former superstar midfielder.
The lead was short lived, as 10 minutes later Legacy equalized off a corner kick that found its way past FC Davis' stalwart goalkeeper John Laughlin.
With the score tied 1-1, the Lions sprang into action, netting two quick goals courtesy of Jorge Negrete and Wumi Aldetimi putting FC Davis up 3-1 with 20 minutes remaining.
All was under control until the final minute of the match, when the Lions uncharacteristically gave up two goals in quick succession to send the game to extra time.
In the first period of extra time, FC Davis regained control of the match when Jacob Rudolph found Ty Shikashio who scored the decisive goal, smashing the ball into the back of the net and putting the Lions up for good with a 4-3 scoreline.
FC Davis head coach Kris Hall had a masterful performance down the stretch, leading the team to victory in his first Open Cup game.
"I'm super proud of the team for working together for a well deserved win," said Hall. "It's a promising start on a long journey as we chase the cup for Davis!"
FC Davis will find out their second round opponent early next week. The win or go home qualifying tournament will run through December, with one match taking place each month.