RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team visits UC Riverside for the 2024 regular-season finale on Saturday, fully in control of its own postseason destiny. The Gauchos have already clinched a spot in The Big West Championship and hold a one-point advantage atop the conference standings, meaning a win would grant them The Big West Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. However, the Gauchos have not won in Riverside since 2012.
 
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2 from the UCR Soccer Stadium in Riverside. The match will also be live on ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com.
 
POSTSEASON POSSIBILITIES
A win on Saturday is the best-case scenario for the Gauchos, who come into the weekend with a one-point lead atop The Big West standings. A victory would put them out of reach of the chasing pack, no matter what, but even a draw could be enough for Santa Barbara to claim the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
 
If Cal Poly and Cal State Bakersfield tie in their match as well, the Gauchos would still be alone in the top spot. If the Mustangs beat the Roadrunners by just one goal, Santa Barbara would also retain the No. 1 seed, unless the Mustangs out-scored the Gauchos by eight goals. A Bakersfield win or a Cal Poly win by two goals or more would demote Santa Barbara to the No. 2 spot.
 
A loss would put the Gauchos out of regular-season title contention no matter what, though the furthest they could fall would be to the No. 4 seed.
 
GAUCHOS TO KNOW
Both Alexis Ledoux and Nicolas Willumsen scored in Santa Barbara's famous comeback win over Riverside in the 2023 Big West First Round, and they are set to star again on Saturday. Ledoux has been electric in 2024, scoring 14 goals and providing five assists to write his name in Santa Barbara's record book multiple times. The Gauchos will look for him to increase those numbers again on Saturday.
 
If the Highlanders commit too many defenders to Ledoux, Willumsen will be more than happy to take advantage of the extra space. The big Dane is tied for fourth in the conference with three goals in Big West games, scoring in three of Santa Barbara's last five games. He and freshman Zac Siebenlist will likely alternate at the center forward position. Siebenlist has found his feet at the Division I level since his mid-season debut and scored or assisted in two of Santa Barbara's last three road matches.
 
Meanwhile, in the midfield, Santa Barbara has asked Filip Basili to work extra shifts in the Gauchos' injury-afflicted engine room, and he has answered. Currently enjoying the best season of his career with a goal and five assists, Basili has played over an hour in each of the Gauchos' last six games as a box-to-box midfielder. Basili and Santa Barbara got good news last week as Ramses Martinez returned from his injury, but they also got bad news as Ethan Senter will be suspended for Saturday's match following his sending off against Cal State Fullerton.
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside (4-6-5, 2-2-4 Big West) comes into Saturday's match just barely on the outside of The Big West Championship spots, sitting seventh in the conference standings after a 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Cal State Bakersfield last weekend. The Highlanders need at least a draw to have any hope of making the postseason.
 
Riverside has earned at least a point in each of its last three home contests and is undefeated (1-0-2) at UCR Soccer Stadium in Big West play, including a 3-3 draw against Cal State Fullerton and a 1-0 win over UC Irvine. That draw with the Titans was the only time the Highlanders have given up more than two at home this season and saw three different Riverside players find the back of the net. However, that Oct. 16 match was the last time either of the Highlanders' top scorers Luka Lukic and Noah Lopez scored, as each notched their fourth goals of the season.
 
A lack of offense has been Riverside's issue this year, as they have scored the fewest goals of any team in The Big West in 2024 (16) and rank ninth out of 10 teams in goals-per-game average. Outside of Lukic and Lopez, only Edward Castro has more than one goal this year, scoring the Highlanders' consolation goal at Cal State Bakersfield last weekend.
 
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara's next match and opponent depend on the results of Saturday's contest, but the Gauchos are guaranteed to host at least one Big West Championship match next week. With a win or draw, Santa Barbara would secure a first-round bye and host one of the Big West semifinals on Saturday, Nov. 9. If the Gauchos end up in the first round, they will host on Wednesday, Nov. 6. Check ucsbgauchos.com for the most up-to-date schedule information.