SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team earned a gritty victory in the Blue-Green Rivalry match Thursday night. Senior midfielder Jessica Carlton found the back of the net to lift Santa Barbara over the Mustangs for the first time since 2015.
FROM HEAD COACH PAUL STUMPF
"It took us a little bit to get used to the conditions. Their field is flat and fast like we like, but it was lightning fast tonight," said Stumpf. "Truly a gritty result and if you don't give up a goal its a real recipe for success. We found a way to break through with about 10 minutes to go and we just held on. I am super proud of all of them."
HOW IT HAPPENED
A fast start to the contest began with Cal Poly taking a shot right off the face off and catching the Gauchos by surprise. Luckily the shot sailed wide and the Gauchos started their attack. A quick couple of possessions saw two good scoring opportunities for the Blue and Gold.
A shot directly off a corner kick from Isabella Ong found the hands of the Mustang keeper, but she could not corral it. The ball found the feet of Emma Corcoran on the front porch of the goal but the junior sent her shot wide right.
Cal Poly quickly flipped the script as they went on the attack. The Mustangs created a few scoring chances of their own with a couple shots and corners. Maddie Buckley and the Gaucho backline held strong coming up with two big saves to keep the game at 0-0.
As the first half carried on the Gauchos and Mustangs battled through a heavy rain, but neither could control the ball enough to find the back of the net. A couple of opportunities by both teams were quickly shut down but the sturdy defense of both teams.
A slow start to the second half saw just three shots through the first 30 minutes of play. The Gauchos finally gained some momentum after a couple of good builds didn't quite break through the Cal Poly backline.Â
In the 79th minute the Gauchos had a throw in from 25 yards out. Emily Caughey threw it to the feet of Jaclyn Degidio who played it back to Caughey. The sophomore sent a beautiful ball to the middle of the box finding an unmarked Jessica Carlton who beat the keeper low to give Santa Barbara a late lead.
Carlton's second goal in as many games held until the final whistle giving the Gauchos their first win over Cal Poly since the 2015 season.
FROM SENIOR MIDFIELDER JESSICA CARLTON
"The ball had been in the corner for awhile and I saw our players wanting to play that ball early on," explained Carlton. "Coach kept saying how he wanted his attacking midfielders in the box and I found a pocket and was ready to go when I got the ball."
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will have a week of prep time before their next match when they host UC San Diego on Thursday, Sept. 26. The Gauchos and Tritons will kick off at 6 p.m. at Harder Stadium.
