The Schedule
Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
[1] UC Santa Barbara (11-4-4, 6-1-2 Big West) vs. [2] UC Irvine (8-7-4, 6-1-2 Big West)
All-time record vs. the Anteaters (W-L-T): 37-18-7
Last meeting in regular season: Oct. 6, 2021: UC Irvine 1, at UCSB 1 (2OT)
Record vs. the Anteaters in the Big West Championships: 0-4-0
Last meeting in Big West Championships: 2014 Big West Tournament Semifinal - Nov. 12, 2014: [South-2] UC Irvine 3, at [North-1] UCSB 2
UC Irvine record in Big West Championship: 11-3-2
UC Irvine record in Big West Championship Finals: 4-0-1
UCSB record in Big West Championship: 7-9-2
UCSB record in Big West Championship Finals: 1-5-0
Video (ESPN+, Play-by-play: Tim Neverett, analyst: Danielle Malagari) | Live Stats
• Last Time Out
In a hotly contested semifinal vs. UC Davis that was deadlocked all the way into a second overtime period, sophomore forward Nemo Philipp was the one that got UCSB across the finish line with a brilliant run into the penalty area and perfectly weighted left-footed finish to defeat the Aggies 1-0 and advance to the Big West Championship final.
The last time the Gauchos and Anteaters faced off, it was a 1-1 double-overtime draw as Thaabit Baartman's sixth goal of the year was cancelled out by a Jake Means header with 15 seconds left in regulation.
• Adversity to Overcome
The Gauchos have traditionally performed below expectations in the Big West Championship, winning it just once, in 2010, since its inception in 2008. However, the Gauchos have a golden opportunity on Saturday to change the narrative, especially after making back-to-back finals in 2019 and now 2021. In order to do that, UCSB will have to get past the most successful side in the Championship's history, UC Irvine. The Anteaters have won the tournament title in four of their five appearances in the final, only falling in 2014 on penalty kicks to Cal State Fullerton.
The Anteaters have particularly found great success against the Gauchos in the tournament, winning all four of their games against the blue and gold, including title victories in 2008, 2009, and 2011 and a semifinal win in 2014.
• All-Conference Accolades
The Gauchos were all over the Big West 2021 Men's Soccer All-Conference announcement, claiming a total of 10 spots across the All-Big West First and Second Teams and the All-Freshman Team, with senior center back Henry Davies laying claim to the Defensive Player of the Year title.
Thaabit Baartman, Finn Ballard McBride, and Ameyawu Muntari fired their way onto the All-Conference First Team, combining for a total of 21 goals and 15 assists between the three of them, good for over half of the team's offensive output this season.
Davies and center back partner William Gillingham made the Gauchos a solid defensive unit, anchoring the backline to seven clean sheets in the regular season and another in the Big West Championship semifinal vs. UC Davis. The two have come up big on the other end as well – Davies' lone goal on the season was the game-winner at UC San Diego on Oct. 13, and two of Gillingham's goal involvements have resulted in the Gauchos earning a draw vs. Cal on Aug. 29 (goal) and at Oregon State on Sept. 21 (assist).
Davies' Defensive Player of the Year award marks the 11th time (2001, 2004-07, 2009-11, 2014, 2019) that a Gaucho has won the top defensive honor, the most in the Big West.
Freshman forward Salvador Aguilar earned a spot on the All-Big West Second Team and All-Freshman Team after scoring five goals in the regular season, four of which came in conference play. The San Simeon native scored three goals in four games from the league opener at Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 29 to the Oct. 9 home game against CSU Bakersfield.
Senior defensive midfielder Sam Fletcher was named to an all-conference list for the first time in his career, making the second team after making 12 starts in the regular season and playing a massive role in shutting out seven opponents. His experience and grit helped lead the Gauchos to results in several tough games, such as the 1-1 draw at Pac-12 winners Oregon State on Sept. 21 and the 0-0 draw at Cal Poly on Oct. 16.
The final Gaucho on the All-Big West Second Team was sophomore goalkeeper Leroy Zeller, a rock in goal for UCSB this season as he led the Big West Conference with 75 saves and seven shutouts in the regular season. He picked up his eighth on the year in UCSB's 1-0 win over UC Davis on Nov. 6. The German consistently made major saves in important points of matches, averaging 3.95 saves per contest prior to the postseason.
Freshman forward Ramses Martinez was selected to the Big West All-Freshman Team alongside Aguilar after starting in five games for UCSB in the regular season, including each of the last three games as he worked his way into becoming a key player in the buildup, and the Big West Championship semifinal vs. UC Davis on Nov. 6. The Montebello native had an assist in the Gauchos' 3-0 win over CSU Bakersfield on Oct. 9, the first of his career. He has also had a shot in three other games.
• Attack-Minded Synopsis
Whereas UCSB has four players inside the top 10 in goals, the Anteaters have just one. The Gauchos' Finn Ballard McBride shares the conference lead with eight goals, UCSB's Thaabit Baartman is tied for third with seven goals, while Ameyawu Muntari shares fifth place with six goals. Salvador Aguilar ties with eight other players, one of which is Irvine's Kevin Neumetzler, for seventh with five goals each. Ashish Chattha is the only other Anteater inside the top 20, tying for 16th with four goals on the season.
• Defensive Showdown
The second-best defense in the Big West clashes with the third-best as Goalkeeper of the Year Gordon Botterill and UC Irvine take on All-Big West Second Team netminder Leroy Zeller and UCSB. The Anteaters allowed six goals in conference play this season and the Gauchos allowed eight. The last four games between the two have gone into overtime and four of the last five saw less than two goals in regulation. Both teams' current form and the element of it being a tournament final point to another tightly contested game between the two.
• 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 284-128-56 (as of Nov. 12, 2021).
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