UCSB women’s soccer (2-6-4, 1-1-1) was on the road today as the team took on the Matadors of Cal State-Northridge (2-10-1, 0-3-1). Following these 90 minutes of play, the Gauchos were the ones to come out on top, earning their first Big West win of the season against the Matadors.
In just the second minute, the Gauchos scored its first goal thanks to Gia Cimring. The sophomore from Los Altos kicked the ball into the top right corner of the net off a free kick from Krysten Vasquez to put her team up 1-0 from the start.
With the Matadors chasing and the Gauchos having control for most of the game, UCSB was able to grow its lead by one more. Sophomore Meg Burling headed the ball into the net off a great ball from Shaye Douglas. With this goal, Burling registered her fourth goal of the season and put her team up by two heading into the half.
Once both teams returned to the field for the final 45 minutes, UCSB kept its foot on the gas. Although they did not score any other goals, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. They put tremendous pressure on CSUN’s defense while earning six corner kicks in the second half alone. This aggressive style of play and the momentum from the first half gave the Gauchos the push they needed to win as they took their first Big West win of the season with a score of 2-0 over CSUN.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
– Cimring’s goal happened with just 1:33 on the clock. This is the fastest the Gauchos have scored a goal so far this season.
– Evann Smith made two saves during this match to record her second straight shutout with the help of the Gauchos’ defensive line.
– UC Santa Barbara showed its dominance on offense over its opponent. The Gauchos ended the game with 14 shots compared to the Matadors’ four. UCSB had control of the ball 55 percent of the game compared to CSUN’s 45 percent possession while also registering five more corner kicks than the Matadors.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will have one more road trip at Cal State-Bakersfield before making their way back to Harder Stadium next week. Sunday’s game against the Roadrunners will kick off at 5 p.m. with live stats and a live stream through ESPN+ available.
Kristen Keller is the associate athletic director for communications and digital strategy at UCSB.
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