SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Six games into the 2024 season, the UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team has already surpassed its shutout total from 2023. The Gauchos earned their third clean sheet of the year, the second in a row, in a gritty, physical match with New Hampshire on Friday night. The contest, which saw 43 combined fouls to just 16 total shots, finished as a 0-0 draw. Santa Barbara center backs Calle Mollerberg and Andrew Kamienski both provided man-of-the-match performances, as goalkeeper David Mitzner needed to make just one save for his third career shutout.
 
FROM HEAD COACH TIM VOM STEEG
About Friday night's result: "I'm most proud of the fact that last year we only had two shutouts in 18, 19 games, and that's our third shutout now, second consecutive shutout," Vom Steeg said. "There will be nights when you don't get the goal that you need to win, but very pleased with our defense, I thought that we defended our box well, and in the end, what's going to take this team somewhere is our defense. So, at that point, I'm pretty happy with that."
 
About playing Westmont in the 61^st Community Shield Saturday: "I'm always excited when we play Westmont because it's 58 years or some crazy number, but I have a group of players, you know tonight we probably ran 16 guys with lots of minutes, but I have a roster of 34, 35 players," Vom Steeg said. "I have 16 players who are looking to get on the field tonight, and tomorrow night is their opportunity. They have to show me tomorrow night that they have to be considered in this rotation."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
A clash between two college soccer heavyweights, Friday's match was a knock-down-drag-out fight of a game, with the visiting Wildcats committing 22 fouls and the Gauchos 21. However, in between all of the collisions, jersey tugs and crunching tackles, both teams did manage to get some good looks at goal.
 
New Hampshire was nearly gifted an opening goal after a bad giveaway in the first half left a Wildcat with the ball and Mitzner well off his line. New Hampshire's striker lobbed a shot goalwards from inside his own half and had Mitzner beat, but it bounced harmlessly off the crossbar.
 
A few minutes later, Mitzner and Kaden Standish combined to snuff out another chance. A Wildcat forward dribbled his way through the Gaucho defense and into the penalty area, but the combination of a recovering Standish and on-rushing Mitzner kept him from shooting, and Mitzner was able to smother the ball.
 
In the 32^nd minute, Santa Barbara got the ball exactly where they wanted it: at the feet of star attacker Alexis Ledoux, with the Frenchman looking at goal. He hit the shot well, but it was right at the New Hampshire goalkeeper. Five minutes later, it was Mikkel Goeling going close. The Dane slid in at the back post to get his foot on a low cross, but the combination of a Wildcat defender and goalkeeper kept the ball from rolling over the line. Ledoux got another crack a minute later, but again it was right into the keeper's arms.
 
The halftime whistle was something of an unwelcome interruption for the Gauchos, as the hosts had dominated the final 15 minutes of the first half. They were nearly caught flat-footed coming out of the break, as New Hampshire went straight down the field from kick off and got a nearly uncontested header no more than three yards from goal 30 seconds in. Thankfully for the Gauchos, it skewed wide. There were few good chances to speak of after that, as the seemingly omnipresent duo of Mollerberg and Kamienski gobbled up every long Wildcat pass and shut down every attempted breakaway.
 
The problem for the Gauchos was that they were having almost as much trouble generating chances themselves. Ledoux finally got another good look at goal in the 72^nd minutes, stinging the goalkeeper's hands but not finding the back of the net. Standish had a shot blocked in the 77^th, but that would end up being the Gauchos' last attempt inside the penalty area.
 
As the seconds ticked away, a draw seemed ever more likely, especially as the play remained just as physical as it had been all evening, though Santa Barbara did have one last threat to deal with to earn their shutout. Mitzner commanded his space well in the 88^th minute, coming off his line and into a crowd to punch away a corner kick. From there, the rest of the time ticked away without either side getting another attempt to score.
 
FROM THE STUDENT-ATHLETES
David Mitzner on having Calle Mollerberg in the back line: "He makes my job quite easy. Offense, defense, whenever we're in trouble get him the ball and he can dribble out, he can pass, he's a very special player to have back there. Defensively very solid, rarely gets beat. Everyone in the back is quite quality this year, especially Calle."
 
BY THE NUMBERS

• While the ever-dangerous Alexis Ledoux was kept out of the net for the first time at home this season, he remained as pinpoint accurate as he has been all season, putting all three of his shots on target Friday night. Coming into the match, he ranked 25^th in all of Division I for accuracy, with 63.6% of his attempts being on frame.
• In his fourth home start, David Mitzner got his first shutout at Harder Stadium, needing to make just one save to do it Friday night. The donut he (and the Gaucho defense) served up lowers his Big West-leading goals-against average to 0.67.

 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos, though as Coach Vom Steeg hinted postgame, very few of the same Gauchos who played Friday night, return to the pitch on Saturday for the 61^st edition of the Community Shield against Westmont at 7 p.m. from Harder Stadium. Live stats will be available through ucsbgauchos.com.