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University of California, Santa Barbara

Men's Soccer team huddle vs Missouri State
Jeff Liang
1
UC Santa Barbara SB (2-1-0, 0-0-0)
2
Winner Oral Roberts ORU (2-1-1, 0-0-0)
UC Santa Barbara SB
(2-1-0, 0-0-0)
1
Final
2
Oral Roberts ORU
(2-1-1, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Santa Barbara SB 1 0 1
Oral Roberts ORU 0 2 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Men’s Soccer Falls to Late PK in Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. — Isaiah Barber scored his first collegiate goal for the UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team Sunday night, but two second-half goals from Oral Roberts gave the hosting Golden Eagles a 2-1 win over the Gauchos. The final score came on a penalty kick that was awarded after a video review.
 
FROM HEAD COACH TIM VOM STEEG
"We played our best game of the season tonight," Vom Steeg said. "Dominated all facets of the game, including 14-4 in shots and most of the possession. But we did not get the second goal and left the game to the referee to decide the final outcome."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Santa Barbara continued their trend of starting strong this season, though Sunday's opening passages were the most even of any of the Gauchos' first three games in 2024. ORU was more than content to sit back and let Santa Barbara possess the ball, giving the Gauchos the majority of the scoring chances in the match. The Golden Eagles did get a pair of early looks at goal from counterattacks, but nothing came from either. The hosts posed a couple more threats from free kicks as the first half wore on, but the Gauchos survived both of those as well.
 
When someone finally did break the deadlock, it was Barber and the Gauchos. He and Nemo Philipp came off the bench in the 30th minute, and the pair combined for the goal just 10 minutes later. Philipp played a pinpoint through pass ahead to Barber, splitting the defense and leaving the Beaumont native one-on-one against the goalkeeper. The sophomore kept his composure to usher the ball past the ORU keeper and put Santa Barbara ahead at the break.
 
The Gauchos looked the more likely side to score in the second half as well, firing three shots with the first minute after halftime. However, it was the hosts who scored next, turning a counterattack into a goal from a tight angle in the 69th minute. The score came largely against the run of play and leveled the momentum, with the Golden Eagles starting to generate more chances. They scored their second goal on a penalty kick in the 82nd minute, a penalty which was awarded after a video review led the referee to conclude a Gaucho defender had committed a handball in the penalty area.
 
While they were down, the Gauchos were not out, and it was little more than bad luck that kept them from finding a late equalizer. Santa Barbara created a point-blank shooting opportunity in the 87th minute but put it wide. In the 89th minute, the Gauchos saw just as good of an opportunity from just as close range blocked.
 
BY THE NUMBERS
  • UC Santa Barbara controlled 55 percent of the possession in Sunday night's game, meaning they were on the ball for approximately 50 of the 90 minutes. Of those 50 minutes of possession, the Gauchos spent 64 percent of their time in the Golden Eagles' half of the field.
  • Santa Barbara's 14 shots are the most in a loss since Sept. 12, 2023, when they took 22 at Grand Canyon. The four shots they allowed are the fewest in any game since Oct. 11 of last year against Cal State Bakersfield.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos return home for their next match, hosting UNLV on Friday, Sept. 6 at Harder Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., with a live stream on ESPN+ and live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com available for those following from afar.
 
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