SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team defeated Trinity Western in a friendly match with a final score of 3-1 at Harder Stadium Saturday night. It was the final preseason match for the Gauchos before they start their quest for a second straight Big West title.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Santa Barbara took an early lead against the Spartans with Caitlyn Simons scoring in the 8th minute, assisted by Olivia Howard. Despite several offside calls and fouls, the Gauchos maintained pressure, culminating in Howard scoring a goal of her own in the 32nd minute, assisted by Sophia Moness, to extend their lead to 2-0. They continued to dominate offensively, recording multiple shots on goal, although not all were on target. TWU managed a few shots, including one that was saved by Maddie Buckley, but could not find the back of the net in the first half.
 
The second half began with UC Santa Barbara leading, and they maintained their momentum when Dakota Watterson scored in the 54th minute, assisted by Isabella Ong, increasing their lead to 3-0. The Spartans responded in the 83rd minute with a penalty kick goal, narrowing the deficit to 3-1. Throughout the half, the Gauchos made Trinity Western's keeper make some crucial saves against shots by Hayden Halscheid and Moness. The Gauchos ultimately held on to win the game 3-1.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will begin their 2025 season on Thursday, August 14 as they host LMU in their season opener. The match is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com/WSOCLiveStats.