SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The greatest rivalry in college soccer returns to Santa Barbara on Saturday, as the UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team faces Cal Poly with revenge on its mind. The Gauchos are on a three-match unbeaten run after losing to their rivals for the first time in nearly two years back in late September, while the Mustangs have not won since that match. With Cal Poly playing as an affiliate member of the Pac-12 this season and Santa Barbara still in The Big West, Saturday's meeting is all about what drives any great rivalry: bragging rights. The Gauchos are unbeaten in their last 12 home Blue-Green matchups, and Harder Stadium has always been king when it comes to crowd size, having hosted not just the highest-attended matches in this rivalry, but in NCAA Men's Soccer history.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
In anticipation of a large crowd of Gaucho fans, gates at Harder Stadium will open half an hour early on Saturday, at 5:30 p.m. Fans are also encouraged to give themselves extra time to find parking when arriving on campus. Parking in Lot 30, closest to the stadium, remains limited due to the ongoing San Benito housing construction. Fans are encouraged to park in Lot 27 or Structure 22, adjacent to The Thunderdome. UC Santa Barbara Athletics will be providing a shuttle service from those lots to Harder Stadium on gameday. Fans are also reminded that certain items are prohibited, including but not limited to backpacks or large bags, alcohol or any outside food or beverage. For the full list of prohibited items, click here.
 
PROMOTIONS
The Blue-Green Rivalry at Harder Stadium has hosted seven of the top 10 largest on-campus crowds in NCAA Men's Soccer history, and we know that Gaucho fans can make history again this weekend! The largest Blue-Green Rivalry crowd ever saw 14,919 fans pack Harder Stadium in 2015.
 
Saturday is also UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer's Alumni Weekend. This season — the program's 60^th — marks the 20^th anniversary of the Gauchos' 2006 NCAA National Championship. At halftime of Saturday's game, UC Santa Barbara will welcome back and honor that team of national champions in a special ceremony on the field.
 
TICKETS
Tickets for Saturday's Blue-Green Rivalry match and all of UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer's home matches can be purchased at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets. UC Santa Barbara students get FREE admission to all Gaucho home games with their valid Access ID card.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Santa Barbara saw its three-game Blue-Green Rivalry unbeaten streak ended in the first leg of this year's edition in San Luis Obispo, but the Gauchos have not lost in their three matches since. However, they are still looking for some better performance after a pair of draws and just one win. That win was an important one, ending Utah Valley's unbeaten start to the season and scoring three goals in a game for the first time since opening day. The two draws both indicate room for improvement, as Santa Barbara was left to rue missed chances against Sacramento State and simply struggled to create many good chances at all on the road at Cal State Bakersfield.
 
The last time the Gauchos were at home, Donovan Sessoms had his best game in the Blue and Gold, scoring two goals and assisting a third against Utah Valley. It was an electrifying performance to unlock a Wolverines defense that is nearly as stubborn as the Mustang one that Sessoms and his teammates will face on Saturday. And it was a matter of Sessoms and his teammates doing the job against Utah Valley. Of course, Peleg Brown had to apply the finishing touch for Sessoms to earn the assist on the first goal, but it was also Kalle Rahbek's work to intercept a pass in a dangerous area that set up Sessoms' first strike, and it was a great run into the penalty area from Zac Siebenlist to draw the penalty kick that Sessoms converted for his second.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Cal Poly enters the match without a win since the first leg of this rivalry, but likewise with two draws. The Mustangs shared points with UC San Diego and San Diego State in a pair of 1-1 stalemates and were beaten handily by California Baptist, 3-1, at home in between.
 
Cal Poly is still led in goals and assists by midfielder Colin Pearce, who has four of each. Tactically, the Mustangs pose a physical and challenge in their stubborn, defense-first approach. Whereas the Gauchos like to contest for possession in nearly all areas of the pitch, are happy to keep most of their players behind the ball, letting the opponent commit more players into the attacking half of the field. When the ball turns over, Cal Poly then looks to quickly get the ball forward with long passes that can break their opponent's relatively lightened back line. With a bounty of big men — only seven Mustangs are under six feet tall while nine are six-foot-three or taller — they also look to make the most of their opportunities from set pieces and crosses into the penalty area. The last time the Blue-Green Rivalry was played at Harder Stadium, then-freshman goalkeeper Owen Beninga announced his arrival with a dominant aerial performance to nullify that threat as the Gauchos shut out the Mustangs on that day.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Harder Stadium, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets, and fans can catch all the action live on ESPN+ or by following along with live stats and play-by-play updates at ucsbgauchos.com/MSOC_Stats. UC Santa Barbara students get into the match for free with their valid student ID card.