• The Schedule
Wednesday, September 28, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara (5-2-2) vs. UC San Diego (4-3-2)
Teacher Appreciation Night
at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Saturday, October 1, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara (5-2-2) vs. CSUN (3-2-3)
Santa Barbara Soccer Club Night
at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
• No. 6 Stanford Comes Out on Top
UC Santa Barbara got out to a dream start in its non-conference finale against No. 6 Stanford last Saturday, as forward Salvador Aguilar struck on a 3rd minute counterattack to put the Gauchos ahead early. It was just the third goal the Cardinal had allowed through eight games this season and the first it has conceded in the first half. Unfortunately for UCSB, the visitors would equalize 13 minutes later and score the eventual game-winner early in the second half to take a 2-1 win.
• Big West Openers
The Gauchos are set to begin conference play with two games this week at Harder Stadium. On Wednesday, they welcome a UC San Diego (4-3-2) side that has been held scoreless in three straight games. When the two teams met last year, defender Henry Davies was the game's only goalscorer of a 1-0 UCSB win. Santa Barbara didn't have the same luck against CSUN in 2021, which ended the Gauchos' 10-game unbeaten run with a 2-0 home win in the final game of the regular season. It was the first time the Matadors had beaten UCSB since 2013. In the six most recent meetings prior to 2021, the Gauchos were 5-0-1 against CSUN.
• Air Aguilar
At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Salvador Aguilar is not only the Gauchos' tallest forward – he is their de facto target through the air, possessing a dangerous combination of aerial physicality and precision headers that continues to show up when UCSB needs it most. He has been on absolute fire of late, currently on a career-long three-game scoring streak that has led to two consecutive Big West Offensive Player of the Week awards. Aguilar leads the Gauchos with five goals this season, including two game-winners and two late second half equalizers.
His goalscoring resumé from this season includes a 75th minute goal to seal a season-opening tie at then-No. 19 Missouri State; another dramatic 88th minute equalizer against Grand Canyon; a 90th minute winner at Cal Poly to win a classic Blue-Green rivalry match, leaving just 12 seconds on the clock; and a 3rd-minute stunner against then-No. 5 Stanford to put the Gauchos ahead early.
The former San Jose Earthquakes Academy standout has won three of the five Big West Offensive Player of the Week awards given out in 2022, joining Nick DePuy (2015) and Luis Silva (2011) as the only Gauchos to win it three times in the same season. He is the fifth Gaucho ever to earn Big West PotW honors four different times, trailing only DePuy (6) for the program's all-time record. His current run has him in sole possession of second in the Big West in goals (5), goals per game (0.56) and shots on goal (12). He's also tied with teammate Finn Ballard McBride for the conference-lead in game-winning goals (2) and is third in points (11).
• Lucas Gonzalez Named to National Team of the Week (College Soccer News)
After being held out for UCSB's first two games of the season due to injury, redshirt sophomore Lucas Gonzalez has been outstanding wherever he has operated on the field. He recorded an assist in each of his first four games, and three weekends ago, the Long Beach, Calif. native contributed to three of UCSB's eight goals, and as a result earned National Team of the Week recognition from College Soccer News.
In his first four games, the talented midfielder already surpassed his offensive totals from last season. He is the first Gaucho to earn recognition on a national scale so far this year and is currently tied for second in the Big West with four assists.
• Henry Davies Earns First Career Big West Defensive Player of the Week Award
Reigning conference Defensive Player of the Year Henry Davies was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week for the first time on Monday, Sept. 12 after not only leading UCSB's back line to great success, but being responsible for starting many of the Gauchos' offensive attacks. In the Gauchos' 5-1 win over Utah Valley, Davies found himself in the right place to head in the game's opening goal off a set piece from the corner, giving him his first of the season. He is the only Gaucho other than Aguilar to earn conference Player of the Week honors and the first on the defensive end.
• McBride Hitting Stride
Australia native Finn Ballard McBride found paydirt in three consecutive outings from Sept. 4-11, doing so for the first time since scoring in four straight games midway through his 2019 freshman season. His three goals are currently second on the Gauchos and tied for fifth in the Big West.
• Nemo Finding Huge Success
UCSB's coaching staff has encouraged junior midfielder Nemo Philipp to go for goal when he has the chance, and the Hamburg, Germany native has done just that. His eight shots on goal are tied for second on the team and fifth in the conference.
Two weekends ago, the Gaucho faithful saw flashes of Philipp's unforgettable game-winning goal in last year's Big West Championship semifinals, as he scored twice from outside the box – first on a low, perfectly-struck curler against Utah Valley, and next on a cross from the right wing against Oregon State that ended up in the top left corner of the net. Philipp also notched his first two assists that weekend, which currently have him tied for 11th in the Big West.
• Stellar Zeller
At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, imposing junior Leroy Zeller is able to cover a lot of ground. Head coach Tim Vom Steeg has lauded the German goalkeeper for his increased maturity in handling the position over the past year, and the on-field results have been palpable. For the third time in the last two seasons, Zeller registered a career-best 11 saves over a two-game span, going for a season-high six against Cornell and five at LMU to open the month of September. His .711 save percentage currently ranks fifth in the Big West.
• First National Ranking
UCSB has received votes every week since the preseason, cracking the top-25 with a No. 18 national ranking for the week following Sept. 5-11 (United Soccer Coaches).
• Unbeaten August
UCSB went unbeaten in its first two regular season matches and two exhibitions in August, outscoring opponents by a total of 11-2. The Gauchos equalized late to take a 1-1 tie at No. 19 Missouri State in their season-opener on Aug. 25 and defeated California Baptist 2-0 at home three days later.
• Starting Strong
The Gauchos are unbeaten in their last 11 season-openers with a 9-0-2 record since 2011.
• Season Preview: Defending Champs to Bring Talent and Excitement Back to Harder
Coming off a year where he felt his team far exceeded expectations, head coach Tim Vom Steeg has set the bar for his 2022 Gauchos significantly higher. It will be an intriguing challenge to watch for a team that not only scored 44 goals in 2021 – 11 more than any other school in the conference – and was one of just two Big West schools to allow fewer than a goal per contest, but that also returns 10 of its 11 primary starters from last season.
Adding depth in specific areas was Vom Steeg's offseason focus, and he feels the team's needs have been met with the resulting mix of new offensive playmakers, midfield talent and additional defenders. Check out the 2022 season preview for a full breakdown of this year's Gauchos.
• Preseason Coaches' Poll Favors Gauchos
The Big West Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll is putting last year's Big West champs and Big West runner-ups in the same boat, as UCSB and UC Irvine tied for the most All-Preseason Team selections (3) as well as points (71), although the Gauchos took six first-place votes to the Anteaters' three. Finn Ballard McBride, Henry Davies and Thaabit Baartman were all voted to the Big West Preseason Coaches' Team.
• Gauchos in the Pros: 2022 USL Outings and MLS Updates
Among the current players competing professionally in USL League Two for the Gauchos this past summer were Lucas Gonzalez, Finn Ballard McBride and Alexis Ledoux. Read about their exploits as well as other former members of the program who continue playing at a high level on the USL and MLS fronts here.
• 2021 Recap
UC Santa Barbara was neck-at-neck with UC Irvine during the conference season, as both teams shared the top record during Big West play at 6-1-2 heading into the playoffs. However, they couldn't have looked more different in the final match of the conference tournament, as the Gauchos capped off a magical run with a 4-0 thrashing at Harder Field, the most lopsided win in Big West Championship game history. Despite injuries that could have easily derailed the season, UCSB won its first tournament championship since 2010 and second ever, clinching the program's 14th NCAA Tournament berth since 2002.
Nine Gauchos were named All-Conference, including Big West Defensive Player of the Year Henry Davies and fellow First Teamer Finn Ballard McBride, whose nine goals led the conference for the second straight season. As a team, UCSB finished 12th in the nation in goals (44), 14th in shutouts (9) and 16th in goal differential (+24).
• The Vom Steeg Files
Tim Vom Steeg is in his 24th 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 14 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 heading into the 2022 season stands at 285-129-56 (.688).
