DAVIS – UC Davis senior forward Chris Leer notched the eventual game-winning strike midway through the first half and a second goal three minutes after the restart to help the Aggies deal the Cal Poly men’s soccer team a 2-0 defeat Saturday afternoon at Aggie Soccer Stadium.

Junior goalkeeper Patrick McLain managed three saves in net for Cal Poly (8-9-1, 6-3-0; 18 points), which was outshot by UC Davis (6-12-1, 3-5-1), 18-7, and received just a solitary shot on goal by junior defender Daniel Gray in the 51st minute. Cal Poly, which entered the match as Big West Conference co-leaders along with UC Santa Barbara (12-3-1, 6-1-0; 18 points), will depart Saturday no worse than second place in the league table as the fourth-ranked Gauchos host No. 19 UC Irvine (12-4-0, 5-2-0; 15 points) at 7 p.m.

Leer tallied just his third goal of the season in the 25th minute as he received a feed from freshman midfielder Riley Newport and, following a single touch, deflected a shot off of McLain from 12 yards. Cal Poly, meanwhile, failed to record a shot until senior forward Daniel Cumming  (above) headed an attempt wide following a 38th-minute corner kick from sophomore midfielder Jacob Hustedt.

Leer doubled the Aggie advantage in the 48th, unleashing a goal into the lower right corner of the Mustang net from eight yards.

Cal Poly, whistled offside six times, contests its final regular season match against UC Santa Barbara Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium. Last year’s fixture between the two programs in San Luis Obispo drew 11,075 spectators – the third-largest crowd figure in NCAA Division I history. The match result versus the Gauchos will have direct influence upon not only the seeding for the Big West Tournament, but hosting rights for the semifinal phase and championship game.