Jeff Liang

Gauchos Return Home for Pink Game and Senior Night

10/22/2024 3:00:00 PM | By: Julia Henning, UC Santa Barbara Athletic Communications Intern

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.- The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team will host their final two regular season matchups against UC Davis and Hawai'i this week. Both matches come with significant implications for Big West standings as the team looks to clinch a conference championship berth. The Blue and Gold will also honor the seven graduating Gauchos on Sunday prior to the match for Senior Night.

LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos found two draws in their last road trip of the season to remain unbeaten in conference play with a 4-0-4 record. A Devin Greer penalty kick goal was matched with a late goal by the Roadrunners on Thursday to finish 1-1. On Sunday, a hard-fought battle kept Northridge off the board but the Gauchos were unable to pull ahead resulting in a scoreless draw.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Maddie Buckley earned her second Big West Defensive Player of the Week honor this week. Buckley made four saves across two games, including her eighth shutout of the season against the Matadors. The sophomore lowered her goals-against average to a 0.69, which tops the conference and ranks 37th nationally.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
UC Davis comes into this week 3-2-2 in Big West play (10-4-2 overall). They secured their third conference win against UC Riverside last week in a 2-0 shutout. Their Sunday match resulted in a draw with UC Irvine to remain unbeaten in their last four matchups.

The Aggie offense has been a dominant force this season coming in on top of the Big West for total assists and goals. They are ranked 33rd in the NCAA for total points with 98 this season. Jayde Holley leads the offense with the most assists per game than any player in the conference and 27th nationally. Genavieve Fontes connected with Holley most this season with nine goals and securing three game-winners. In goal, Caeley Goldstein has secured five shutouts for the Aggies. She has 68 saves this season with a season-high of 12 at UC San Diego two weeks ago.

SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
The Gauchos will face their toughest conference opponent yet with Hawai'i coming to town. The Wahine are No. 1 in the conference, having clinched a spot in the Big West Championships with their win on Sunday over UC Riverside. Of their seven Big West matches, Hawai'i won six with UC Irvine being the first opponent to hold them to a draw just last week.

Nalani Damacion is ranked No. 2 in the NCAA for game-winning goals; all six of her goals this season decided the outcome for the Wahine. Cate Sheahan leads the team in shots, taking 45 this season with three finding the back of the net. The Gauchos will need to battle all 90 minutes to shut down the attack.

Goalkeeper Kennedy Justin holds a .748 save percentage with five shutouts this season. She is ranked No. 2 in the Big West for goals against average, coming in just behind Buckley.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos and Aggies will kick off at 7 p.m. on Thursday. Sunday's Senior Night against Hawai'i kicks off at 5 p.m. For those unable to attend in person, both matches will be available to watch on ESPN+.

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