Box Score SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara women's soccer team struggled to a 0-3 start in 2012. After five matches, the Gauchos were still winless at 0-3-1.
On Sunday, in Sacramento, a neutral site, UCSB defeated Weber State 2-1, to win its third straight match and improve to 3-4-1. The Wildcats dropped to 2-7.
The Gauchos and Weber State battled to a scoreless tie at halftime. The weather in Sacramento, was sweltering, but neither team wilted in the first half and the game was scoreless.
In the second half, that changed.
Freshman Quinn McLaughlin gave the Gauchos a 1-0 lead at the 75:57 mark when she collected the ball after a corner kick and shoved it in from the middle of the goal box, about six yards out. The goal was the first of McLaughlin's UCSB career and it gave her team a 1-0 lead.
Santa Barbara pushed the lead to 2-0 when Mayra Almazan's free kick from near the corner flag was headed home by Ohio State transfer Madison Beckley. The score came at 78:05.
Weber State cut into the gap in the 86th minute when Mackenzie Harrison tucked home a through-ball from Chansi Crompton. The Wildcats, however, could get not closer.
Junior goalkeeper Makenna Henry had five saves and allowed just one goal for UCSB. The Gauchos faced 12 total shots from the Wildcats, six of which were on frame. Santa Barbara had 13 shots, six of which were on-goal.
The Gauchos will play at No. 3 Pepperdine on Friday, Sept. 21 in a 3:00 p.m. match. They will return home to host San Diego State on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2:00 p.m. The match against the Aztecs is part of a doubleheader. The UCSB men's team will play Harvard in a contest that is slated to kick-off at noon.
Tickets are available by calling 805-893-UCSB (8272), dropping by the ticket office in the Intercollegiate Athletics Building on campus, or by clicking here.
