Through two editions of the Blue-Green rivalry thus far this season, the UCSB men’s soccer team has yet to solve the Cal Poly defense.
The two teams renewed their rivalry on Sunday afternoon with 9,985 spectators in attendance, the largest crowd to watch an NCAA soccer match this season, and battled to a 0-0 draw.
The Gauchos dropped the previous matchup between the two team’s, which was technically a non-conference contest, 2-0 on September 27.
“I thought our guys played very well, and I say that because we knew they would come in, drop 10 guys, get behind the ball, and play off our mistakes,” said UC Santa Barbara coach Tim Vom Steeg. “The emphasis during the week was to have our back five players be committed to, at the end of the day, not giving up a goal.”
It was a physical defensive match, and the Gauchos lost their freshman standout Manu Duah to a leg injury early in the first half. Duah has played nearly every minute of every game thus far this season, and his absence had a ripple effect on the UC Santa Barbara’s substitution pattern.
Scoring chances were few and far between for both teams in the first half. The Gauchos’ only shot on goal in the first half came on a well-struck attempt by Alexis Ledoux from 27 yards out in the 22nd minute that required a diving save by Cal Poly goalkeeper Nicky McCune.
The action picked up significantly in the second half as Quinn Mahoney tested UC Santa Barbara goalkeeper David Mitzner with a shot on goal in the 57th minute.
The Gauchos had their best chance of the game in the 68th minute when Calle Mollerberg elevated for a header that clanged off the crossbar. Zac Siebenlist attacked the rebound, but his shot was saved from point-blank range by McCune.
UC Santa Barbara stayed on the attack until the bitter end when Kaden Standish’s shot was blocked away in the 90th minute, but the breakthrough never came. The Gauchos out-shot Cal Poly 10-6 overall and were by far the more dangerous team offensively.
“Coming here to Santa Barbara, you know that the team you want to beat is Cal Poly,” said UC Santa Barbara leading scorer Ledoux. “It’s always tough to tie at home in front of the fans and even over there, when you lose 2-0, it’s not what you want.”
The No. 22–ranked Gauchos (7-2-2 overall, 1-0-1 Big West) will play at Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday, October 9, beginning at 7 p.m.