While the Causeway Cup is about a third of the way completed, UC Davis currently leads Sacramento State 17.5 – 15.0 in the overall standings.

The season continues until the end of the upcoming spring semester. As anticipation about which school will claim the cup continues to grow, plenty of action is still to come.

Since 1954, Sac State and Davis have been rivals. The 2009-10 athletic year marked the return of the Causeway Cup to UC Davis and tying the series 3-3. This year Sac State is eager to take back the cup.

“I think Davis is a good team,” said men’s assistant soccer coach Matt McDougall. “We always put a lot of emphasis on the game because they are our local rivals, and the game is what we call a derby game. The game is played with a tremendous amount of energy and passion.”

When the cup was born in 2004-05, Sac State and UC Davis have continued to compete ever since. The cup is awarded annually to the school which accumulates the highest point total in regular-season meetings.

“Since its inception, we are tied 3 to 3,” said Kathleen Raske, director of track and field/cross-country. “This means that we are a good match up and it makes it even more exciting.”

The competition between the two schools include 18 sports. Each sport is assigned a point value and when the teams play just once, the winner of that game is awarded all the points. In sports where there are multiple meetings, the points are awarded based on each game.

For example, if baseball plays twice, each game is worth 2.5 points. If the games are played three times, each game would be worth 1.67. Each game has an impact on the scoring system no matter how many times the schools compete.

Aug. 20 marked the kickoff of the cup between the two schools, women’s soccer ended up losing to Davis 1-0.

This year, there are nine women’s sports worth a total of 55 points and seven men’s sports totaling 45 points.

“It’s always nice to beat Davis,” said Michael Linenberger, men’s soccer head coach. “We were pleased with the results. It was the first win of the season for us, and the first win against Davis in a few years.”

On Sept. 10, the men’s soccer team was the first to defeat Davis, winning 2-1 and obtaining the first five points for the Hornets.

“I felt we played very well for the majority of the game. We were able to maintain possession throughout the match, and come out with the win,” McDougall said. “I was very happy to see the boys get a well deserved win over our Causeway friends.”

A day later on Sept. 11, the men’s and women’s cross country teams battled at the Hornet’s stadium. Davis took the lead for the cup 15.0-5.0, after they beat the women’s team 2nd-3rd and the men’s team 1st-2nd. Track and field will compete against Davis on April 2, 2011.

“Track and field/cross-country are a part of the cup and we take it seriously,” Raske said. “We look forward to the Causeway Classic track and field dual meet each year.”

The women’s volleyball team walked away victorious on Davis’ home turf after a 3-2 win on Sept. 14, tying the Causeway score at 15.0. The women’s golf teams played in Vail, Colo., a few weeks later during a three day challenge on Sept. 26-28. The women fell to Davis giving them the lead at 17.5, to Sac State’s 15.0.

In preparation for basketball season, the rivalry continues as the Sac State men’s basketball team begins their season on Nov. 12.

“The Causeway Cup is always a big deal,” said Brian Katz, men’s basketball head coach. “The last two years we have been able to beat them.”

The team hopes to expand the two-game winning streak against Davis on Nov. 23 at home. Since the beginning of the Cup, Sac State’s overall record against Davis is 4-2.

When asked about making a prediction on the season coach Katz had no comment, but said the team is constantly improving. The men shoot better, are more athletic and are playing smarter basketball. Where that leads the team, Katz does not know, but he said he looks forward to the upcoming season.

Sac State football had a victory last season as it beat Davis in the Causeway Classic 31-28. The final attainable Causeway Cup points for fall are up for grabs when football plays on Nov. 20 at Davis.

Alyssa Huskinson can be reached at [email protected]