Women’s soccer now holds its second three-match win streak of the season, freshman goalkeeper Alexis Smith set a new single-season shutout record, and UC Davis won the second Big West home opener in its Division I era after senior forward Haley Hughesscored the game-winning goal against Cal Poly with two minutes and 30 seconds remaining, in overtime, during Thursday’s league match at Aggie Soccer Field.

The Aggies will cap their season-long four-match homestand Sunday afternoon against CSUN, and will enter that contest with an 8-3-1 overall and 1-0 Big West record. Cal Poly, the preseason favorite to win the 2015 women’s soccer title, will continue its road trip with respective records of 4-3-5 and 0-1.

“I am so proud of this team for the way it played today and successfully handled the different types adversity, and challenges faced throughout the match,” said UC Davis head coach Twila Kaufman.

“Especially against a talented team like Cal Poly.”

Thursday’s result also marks the first time, since its inaugural head-to-head meeting in 1992, that UC Davis downed its Central Coast foe in consecutive seasons.

Both victories took place with Kaufman at the helm of the program.

By preventing Cal Poly to score in the inaugural conference match of the season for both teams, Smith, a redshirt freshman, collected her third straight shutout and eighth of the year to set a new single-season record.

Entering Thursday’s match, Smith sat alongside former netminders Kelly Parker and Megan Daws — Aggies who recorded seven shutouts each in 1998 and 2006 respectively — as holders of a single-season all-time mark that became the second-highest total once Hughes’ shot immediately ended play.

With just under three minutes remaining in a hard-fought contest, Kristina Sola generated an Aggie scoring opportunity when she dribbled down the far sideline and found Hughes in the far corner. Once Hughes received Sola’s pass, she spun around her defender, maintained possession of the ball and dribbled alongside the end line towards the far post.

“Once I beat my defender, I wanted to see what the goalie would do. Once she stepped outside the goal and cheated to her left, I saw an opening and took a shot,” said Hughes.

And what a shot it was.

After taking a step towards the middle of the field to create a better shooting angle, Hughes kicked a shot that curled over, and around the outstretched hands of Cal Poly’s goalkeeper before kissing the back of the net.

Five days after helping her team record its most successful non-conference record as a Division I program, Hughes provided another memorable highlight for the Aggie faithful.

“I could not be happier for Haley, she put this game on her shoulders,” said Kaufman. When she has that look in her eyes, there is nothing that can stop her.”

“Since this is my senior year, I want to savor every moment that takes place. To score the game-winning goal, against a team that was ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, is something that excites me and gives this team confidence.

“[UC Davis] was ranked No. 9 in that same poll; we are a much better team than our ranking shows, that motivates this team to work as hard as possible,” added Hughes.

By setting up her teammate’s game-winning opportunity, Sola earned her first point as an Aggie.

“I thought Kristina played the game of her life, she was the most influential substitute today.

“Our entire backline played great today; it was neat to see [Kristina] play so close to her sister (senior defender Ana Marija).

“The sky is the limit for Kristina,” added Kaufman.

Standing between UC Davis and an undefeated homestand is CSUN, another formidable league opponent. Sunday’s league match against the Matadors will start at 1 p.m.; live stats of this matchup are available at ucdavisaggies.com.