The Schedule
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 6:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara (7-3-3, 3-0-1 Big West) at UC San Diego (4-7-0, 1-3-0 Big West)
Video | Live Stats

Saturday, October 16, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara (7-3-3, 3-0-1 Big West) at Cal Poly (4-5-2, 2-1-1 Big West)
Video | Listen (Arthur Wilkie/Ben Callon) | Live Stats

PLEASE NOTE: For fans attending Cal Poly's Saturday, Oct. 16 home game versus UC Santa Barbara, a vaccination card or negative COVID test will be required for entrance into Alex G. Spanos Stadium. If you have already purchased tickets for the match and cannot comply with the COVID policies, please contact Cal Poly's ticket office at 805-756-4849.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. match versus UC Santa Barbara. Fans are urged to arrive early with the anticipation of longer than usual entrance. Cal Poly's Clear Bag Policy for football games will be enforced for the match.

For more information on Cal Poly's guidelines for Saturday's contest, click here.

• Muntari Named Big West Offensive Player of the Week for Second Time in 2021

Senior forward Ameyawu Muntari earned his second Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Week award of the 2021 season on Oct. 11. Muntari picked up the award after recording an assist in the Gauchos' 1-1 draw against UC Irvine on Oct. 6 and scoring the opening goal in UCSB's 3-0 win over CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 9.

• Aguilar Claims Big West Offensive Player, Freshman of the Week Honors

Freshman forward Salvador Aguilar earned his first career Big West Conference weekly honors, the Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week, after scoring a goal in each of UCSB's victories in the opening week of league play, the conference announced Oct. 4. Aguilar scored the first Gaucho goal in both of their games in the opening week of Big West Conference play, scoring a first time right-footed finish into the top right corner on Wednesday night at Cal State Fullerton, and tapping in a Nemo Philipp pass at UC Davis.

• Pacheco Becomes Second Gaucho to Pick Up Big West Weekly Honor in 2021

Freshman forward Rene Pacheco Big West Freshman Player of the Week honors after a goal and an assist in the Gauchos' pair of east coast games against Colgate and Cornell, the Big West Conference announced on Sept. 13. Pacheco scored the game-winning golden goal in double overtime at Colgate on Sept. 10, following up on a parried Henry Davies shot to give the Gauchos their third win of the season. In UCSB's 4-3 double overtime loss at Cornell on Sept. 12, Pacheco assisted on the third goal, finding sophomore attacker Finn Ballard McBride up the field with a long ball. The Santa Barbara native now has two goals and an assist on the year, with his previous goal coming in the season-opening 7-1 win against San Diego.

• Muntari Earns Pair of Awards in First Week of Play, Gillingham Named to Honorable Mention List
Senior forward Ameyawu Muntari was named the first Big West Offensive Player of the Week and UCSB Student-Athlete of the Week of the 2021 season on Aug. 30. Muntari scored scored back-to-back goals in the 66th and 73rd minutes of the Gauchos' season-opening contest against San Diego, first dancing around a USD defender in the penalty area before thumping it into the roof of the net on the right side of goal. His second goal came on a free kick that he fired into the top left corner.

Senior centerback William Gillingham was an Honorable Mention addition to the Top Drawer Soccer Week Two Team of the Week for his efforts in helping a defense that allowed just two goals in its opening two games and for scoring the equalizer in UCSB's 1-1 draw against Cal on Sunday night.

• Ballard McBride, Carson Vom Steeg Honored Among All-Big West Preseason Selections; Gauchos Share Top Spot in Coaches Poll
The UC Santa Barbara men's soccer team landed two players on the 2021 Big West Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference Team and tied with UC Davis for first place in the league's preseason coaches poll.

Finn Ballard McBride – 2021 Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference

Ballard McBride was UCSB's fourth-ever player to make it onto a freshman All-America list after Top Drawer Soccer listed him on its team at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. The Big West Conference recognized the newcomer as its freshman of the year, UCSB's ninth in the past 11 seasons, joining a long list that began with Michael David in 2009 and included Rodney Michael in 2017 and Ben Roach in 2018. The Australian tied for the Big West lead in goals with nine, seeing just under half of his 20 shots reach the back of the net. He ranked second in the conference with 20 points at the end of the season after tacking on two assists to his goal tally. Six of his nine goals came against Big West opponents, two of which were game-winners, and he also scored against then-No. 1 Stanford on Sept. 28.

Carson Vom Steeg – 2021 Men's Soccer Preseason All-Conference

In his UCSB career, Vom Steeg has played in 13 games, starting 11 and scoring one goal. The Santa Barbara, Calif. native sat out the 2019-20 season due to injury. This season, he will make the change from defensive midfielder to centerback for the blue and gold. Prior to UCSB, he was a member of Stanford's 2017 NCAA College Cup-winning squad.

In the preseason coaches poll, UC Santa Barbara finished in a tie atop the table with defending Big West Tournament champions UC Davis. Both teams finished on 89 points with three first-place votes.

• Caden Vom Steeg Recognized in Best XI
Freshman defender Caden Vom Steeg was recognized by US Youth Soccer as a member of the Best XI in the 18-and-under boys age group at the 2021 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Bradenton-Sarasota, Fla. The San Marcos HS product played at the club level for Santa Barbara Soccer Club.

• Top 100
Sophomore forward Finn Ballard McBride was ranked 93rd in the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Top 100 Players list. In the publication's freshman preseason rankings, Jared Vom Steeg was ranked 41st and Salvador Aguilar was ranked 90th.

• The Vom Steeg Files
Tim Vom Steeg is in his 23rd season of an illustrious career at the helm of the UCSB men's soccer program. After never having qualified for the NCAA Tournament prior to 2001, Vom Steeg has turned the Gauchos into contenders anually, taking UCSB to the dance 12 times since his hiring. He led the program to its first College Cup in 2004 and its first National Championship in 2006. He is a two-time NSCAA National Coach of the Year ('04, '06), and is tied for the most Big West Coach of the Year awards in league history with five, including the 2015 honor. He is the winningest coach in UCSB and Big West men's soccer history. Vom Steeg became UCSB's winngest coach in 2005, earned his 200th overall win in 2013, and triumphed for the 100th time in Big West action during the 2015 season. In 2018, UCSB's 3-1 win over UC Riverside was his 250th career win. His overall record currently stands at 280-127-55 (as of Oct. 12, 2021).

Install the new UCSB Gaucho Gameday app on your smartphone for exclusive UCSB coverage all season long. Now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

UCSB is moving to mobile ticketing beginning this season. For more information, click here.