BERKELEY, Calif. – Despite Boris Jovanovic's season-high four goals, No. 7 UCSB (7-4) dropped its rematch with No. 2 CAL (11-1) on Saturday after suffering a 13-9 defeat.
To go along with his team-leading goal figure, he also led the Gauchos with three drawn exclusions. He was the only multi-goal scorer for UCSB, as five of his teammates found the back of the cage once apiece.
Goalkeepers Liam Lenihan and Justyn Barrios split time in the cage with Lenihan earning the start and playing the first half while Barrios played the entire second half. Both finished with four saves each.
The first quarter started off slow until the 4:35 mark when the Bears fired off their first goal, triggering a 3-0 run. Looking to avoid the first quarter shutout, Jovanovic delivered UCSB's first score with just four seconds left on the clock, pushing the score to 3-1 at the break.
In the second quarter, Cal had total control, as they held the Gauchos to one goal while making six themselves ending the half with a 9-2 edge.
UCSB did not give up just yet though, as they busted out of the gates making five goals to lessen the gap while the Bears made three goals ending it 11-7. Santa Barbara opened the quarter with its first two goals, which ended up being a 3-1 run for the team.
However in the last quarter, the Gauchos had too much ground to cover despite two goals made by Jovanovic and Nick Wiley. On its part, Cal added an insurance goal to push the final tally to 13-9.
UCSB will continue its season on the road at Pepperdine on Thursday Oct. 6 with a scheduled 6:30 p.m. start time. The Gauchos will return the following week with a matchup against top-ranked UCLA at Campus Pool starting at 3:30 p.m.
