IRVINE, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team secured a 1-0 victory over UC Irvine on Sunday at Anteater Stadium. The decisive goal came in the second half off the boot of
Emily Caughey. The Gauchos' defense held strong, with
Maddie Buckley making two saves to maintain the clean sheet. UCI pressed with 12 shots but failed to convert, leaving them scoreless. With the win, the Gauchos advance to the semifinal round of The Big West Championships and will take on No. 1 seed CSUN.
FROM HEAD COACH PAUL STUMPF
"UC Irvine is one of the toughest teams to play in The Big West," said Stumpf. "They put a lot of pressure on the ball, which makes them a very difficult team to play. We did a very good job tonight dealing with the pressure and then broke through in the second half."
FROM JUNIOR DEFENDER EMILY CAUGHEY
"Mya (Delaney) played me a great ball and I saw there was space between the defender and the ball," said Caughey. "When I got the ball wide open at the far post, I decided to take my chance."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening period began with both teams aiming to establish control. UC Santa Barbara's
Olivia Howard initiated early pressure with a shot in the sixth minute, forcing a save from the Anteaters' goalkeeper.
Maddie Buckley responded in goal for UC Santa Barbara, saving a shot at the 10-minute mark.
As play progressed,
Emily Caughey and
Ava Jarolimek tested UCI's defense with shot attempts on goal, but neither side could break through. UC Santa Barbara closed the period with a corner kick in the final minute, maintaining pressure but unable to capitalize. The first half concluded with the score level at 0-0.
The second half opened with a crucial moment for UC Santa Barbara as Caughey scored with an assist from
Mya Delaney at the 51:54 mark, putting the team ahead. UC Santa Barbara maintained pressure, with
Isabella Ong and
Emma Corcoran both forcing saves from UCI's keeper. Despite multiple attempts from the Anteaters, including two shots late in the game, UC Santa Barbara held firm defensively.
As the half progressed, UC Santa Barbara's defense continued to withstand UCI's offensive efforts, including several shots off target. The team concluded the half maintaining their lead, securing a 1-0 victory.
UP NEXT
With the win, UC Santa Barbara advances to the semifinal round of The Big West Championships, where they will play top-seeded CSUN on Thursday, Nov. 6. The Gauchos and Matadors will kick off at 7 p.m. in Northridge.
