FULLERTON, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team remains unbeaten in Big West play after a scoreless draw at Cal State Fullerton on Sunday night. Goalkeeper Maddie Buckley secured her seventh shutout of the season putting up season-high seven saves against the Fullerton attack.
FROM HEAD COACH PAUL STUMPF
"We started off just a bit sluggish, I thought," said Stumpf. "Once we got warmed up, I was very happy with the first half. Fullerton made a change in system and we struggled for a bit in the second half, but overall I am very happy with the relentless nature of our individual and team defending. That was a big road shootout and a big point to earn."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Fullerton went on the attack first with a blocked shot from a corner kick followed up by a sailing shot saved by Buckley. O'Callaghan Liu set up the first shot for the Gauchos from outside the box, but it quickly found the hands of Fullerton's goalkeeper. Both teams tried to break through strong defensive work and get on the board early as the clock approached the 15 minute mark.
The Gauchos found their stride on offense in the 18th minute with Isabella Ong and Liu trying to set up a good feed to get the Gauchos on the board. Haley Phillips found her first shot right down the middle but was unable to get the ball past the Fullerton defense.
As Fullerton kept fighting for a goal, Buckley made a diving save in the 24th minute from a wide shot by Fullerton followed by a similar ball a minute later where she cleared the shot once again. The Gauchos went on the attack soon thereafter and had a good look from Olivia Howard in the 32nd minute but her shot was blocked.
Both teams maintained even possession as they looked for the next move. Samantha Christie made a turning shot around a defender in the 44th minute that came sailing for the center of the net but was saved by the Fullerton goalkeeper. With neither side able to find the back of the net, the match remained scoreless headed into halftime.
Liu took the first shots of the second half but her first two were unable to put the Gauchos up. Olivia Howard followed her lead looking to set up a shot with two crosses that were unable to find a Gaucho teammate as the second half got underway.
Liu took a soaring shot in the 53rd minute that looked like it might just put the Gauchos on the board as it sailed over the heads of the Fullerton defense. The Fullerton goalkeeper got a hand on the ball and tipped it over just by an inch to keep Santa Barbara off the board.
The Titans got a look in the 59th minute with a shot off the crossbar. The ball ricocheted to the head of the Fullerton offense and ultimately sailed wide of the net.
Liu and Ava Dermott both took shots on target as Santa Barbara continued to pressure the Fullerton defense.
Buckley continued to make big saves as the match entered the last 15 minutes. Her next save came off a corner kick with the ball curving to the upper right corner of the net where she batted the ball away. In the 84th minute, Buckley went face-to-face with the Fullerton attacker to make the biggest save of the night and put the ball back in Gaucho possession.
Ong looked to get the Gauchos up before the final whistle but was unable to find a way past Fullerton's defense.
The Santa Barbara defense held strong until the final whistle, fending off last-minute shots by Fullerton. With neither team able to find the back of the net, a final score of 0-0 gave each team a point in the Big West standings.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will head to Bakersfield on Thursday in the penultimate week of the regular season. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. with streaming available on ESPN+.
