By ARTHUR WILKIE
UCSB SPORTS WRITER
The UCSB women’s soccer team (6-6-3, 4-1-1) continued its strong start to conference play, earning its second consecutive 2-0 win on Sunday evening over Cal State Bakersfield (1-10-2, 0-3-1).
The Gauchos opened the scoring in the 15th minute, when a left wing cross from junior forward Elise Ziem found freshman midfielder Shaye Douglas near the penalty spot. The Corona native rose high above her defender and sent a perfectly placed, looping header just inside the left post to beat Roadrunner goalkeeper Flavia Burrell.
In the 78th minute, the Gauchos doubled their lead. A cross sent into the box from the right side led to a push in the back and a penalty for defender Emma Vanderhyden. The senior fired away with pace and precision, beating Burrell again to the left post even though she guessed right.
With their second straight 2-0 shutout at UCSB Harder Stadium, the Gauchos have come away with four consecutive clean sheets. They have not allowed a goal over the last six hours, 44 minutes and 35 seconds of game time.
Here are some other notable facts:
— With their second goals of the season, both Douglas and Vanderhyden find themselves in a four-way tie for the team-lead alongside Lauren Helwig and Alyssa O’Brien.
— Ziem’s assist in the 15th minute was her first of the year and her third as a Gaucho.
— Vanderhyden’s goal was UCSB’s first from the penalty spot since Sept. 6, 2018 (Shaelan Murison).
— Santa Barbara recorded nine shots for the fifth straight outing. They had no more than eight shots in each of their five previous contests.
On Thursday, UCSB heads back on the road to face UC San Diego at 6 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium. Live stats will be available at ucsdtritons.com, and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Arthur Wilkie is a sports writer based at UCSB.
email: dmason@newspress.com
