• The Schedule
Friday, September 9, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara (2-1-1) vs. Oregon State (1-1-1)
Faculty & Staff Night
at Harder Stadium – Santa Barbara, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. PT
UC Santa Barbara (2-1-1) vs. Utah Valley (1-1-1)
First Responders Night
at Harder Stadium – Santa Barbara, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
• Comeback Win
UC Santa Barbara picked up its best win through four games on Sunday at Loyola Marymount, defeating a Lions team that was ranked No. 24 entering the weekend. The Gauchos had a first half penalty saved and fell behind in the 49th minute on an LMU goal from the spot. However, an LMU own goal in the 63rd tied things and an 80th minute corner kick led to an assist by midfielder Lucas Gonzalez setting up Finn Ballard McBride for the game-winner.
• Stellar Zeller
At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, junior Leroy Zeller is able to cover a lot of ground. Head coach Tim Vom Steeg has lauded the German goalkeeper for his maturity 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 five against Cornell and a season-high six at LMU. His .789 save percentage currently anks fourth in the Big West.
• Air Aguilar
After opening the season by becoming the first Gaucho since 2018 to score in each of the first two games of a season, sophomore forward Salvador Aguilar earned the first Big West Offensive Player of the Week award of the year and the second of his career. His two goals are currently tied for second in the Big West.
Aguilar's aerial physicality and precise headers have made him UCSB's main target to start the year. On just three shot attempts, he owns two of the Gauchos' three goals, including the 75th minute equalizer at Missouri State and his 48th minute goal to open the scoring in the 2-0 win over CBU. That was the fourth header goal in his last three outings including UCSB's Community Shield exhibition against Westmont, going down as the first game-winner of his young career and making him the first Gaucho to score in each of the first two games of the season since Carter Clemmensen (2018).
• After the Break
The Gauchos continued their trend of scoring in the second half at LMU, with both of their goals coming after 45 minutes. Through four matches, five of UCSB's six goals have come in the second half.
• Baartman Finds the Net
Senior midfielder Thaabit Baartman was the only Gaucho other than Aguilar to score in UCSB's first three matches, scoring with a first-time effort from less than 10 yards out against California Baptist and finding the net on a free kick against Cornell. Baartman is no stranger to early-season goals though. Last year, the South Africa native scored three times in the first four games, eventually finishing second on the team with seven goals.
• 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 now unbeaten in their last 11 season-openers with a 9-0-2 record since 2011.
• The Opponents
The Gauchos take on an Oregon State side on Friday that is out to a 1-0-1 start. The Beavers have already faced one Big West opponent, defeating UC Davis 2-1 in their season-opener at home. UCSB last faced Oregon State on the road in September of 2021, a game which ended in a 1-1 tie thanks to a 77th minute equalizer by Thaabit Baartman.
Utah Valley comes to town for a Sunday night match at Harder Stadium. The Wolverines have started 1-1-1, with their only win coming 2-0 in their season-opener against UC Riverside. They played Oregon State to a 0-0 draw on Aug. 29 and were defeated 4-1 by No. 8 Washington in their third match.
• 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.
Finn Ballard McBride – 2021 All-Big West First Team, 2x Big West Leading Goalscorer
Ballard McBride has been busy building his resume in two full seasons with UCSB, finishing first in the conference by putting away nine goals in both the 2019 and 2021 seasons. Along with becoming the ninth Gaucho in 11 years to earn Big West Freshman of the Year honors at the conclusion of the 2019 season, he also became UCSB's fourth-ever player to make it onto a freshman All-America list (Top Drawer Soccer). In 2021, he not only led the Big West again in finding the back of the net, he also ranked first in the conference in assists (7) and points (25) while ranking sixth in shots on goal (16).
Henry Davies – 2021 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big West First Team
Davies anchored the Gauchos' backline to seven clean sheets in the regular season and two more in the Big West Semifinals and Championship wins over UC Davis and UC Irvine, respectively. As a whole, UCSB's defense allowed fewer than a goal per game while the offense averaged 2.1.
Speaking of offense, Davies also came up big on that end of the field, scoring three times including the game-winner at UC San Diego on Oct. 13 and to put the Gauchos up 3-0 in the championship game against the Anteaters. The Springwood, Australia native took home the Gauchos' 11th Big West Defensive Player of the Year award (2001, 2004-07, 2009-11, 2014, 2019), most in the conference.
Thaabit Baartman – 2021 All-Big West First Team
Baartman made a huge impact in 2021 from the outset as he scored three goals in his first four matches as a Gaucho, including the team's only one against No. 12 Stanford on Sep. 6. Baartman would prove his ability to score in style, whether from the edge of the 18-yard box or in the clutch, like when he put his seventh and final goal of the season away to put UCSB up 3-2 in the 76th minute of a close Oct. 23 win over UC Riverside. Baartman's readiness to go for goal saw him attempt 54 shots last year, well ahead of Ballard McBride's second-ranked 33 attempts.
• 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).
