SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team remains at Harder Stadium this week, welcoming San Jose State on Thursday, Aug. 20, before hosting Fresno State on Sunday, Aug. 23. Sunday's match will also serve as Alumnae Day, as the Gauchos welcome former players back to Harder Stadium and celebrate the history of the program.

PROMOTIONS
This week the Gauchos will be giving away schedule posters and magnets at their Thursday match against San Jose State and Sunday will be Alumnae Day. Along with a prize wheel, the Gauchos will welcome former players back to Harder Stadium and celebrate the history of the program.

The Gaucho women have fun for everyone all season long. There will be promotions, giveaways and much more throughout the season. Be sure to check out ucsbgauchos.com/WSOC_Themes for all the gameday information.

TICKETS
Season and single-game tickets are on sale for UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer.  The program will be hosting 11 teams at Harder Stadium, including five Big West Conference matchups. Last season, the Gaucho women went 13-5-5 and made their second consecutive championship final while finishing with the fourth most wins in a single season. This season, fans will be able to watch them fight their way to The Big West Championship starting at $99 at general admission seating. 

JUNIOR GAUCHOS
Junior Gauchos is an exclusive membership-only club for kids 12 and younger designed to connect youth to the college experience at an early age through UC Santa Barbara game day and exclusive experiences. The club provides opportunities for the youth to become a Gaucho fan at a young age while making the connection to UC Santa Barbara student-athletes as role models.

LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos opened the 2026 regular season with a 1-0 victory over LMU last Wednesday at Harder Stadium. Olivia Howard provided the difference in the 15th minute, heading in a cross from Chayse Yu. The initial no-goal ruling was overturned following a review, giving Santa Barbara an early advantage that held for the remainder of the match.

The Gauchos controlled much of the possession following the goal, while Maddie Buckley made four saves to preserve the shutout and earn her 19th career clean sheet.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
San Jose State comes to Santa Barbara with an 0-1 record after opening its regular season against Santa Clara on Aug. 12. The Spartans fell 2-0 to the Broncos at the Spartan Soccer Complex and will play their first road match of the season Thursday night.

The 2026 campaign marks the second season under head coach Sonia Curvelo. San Jose State's roster features several new additions, including transfers Paige Fry, Indigo Sims and Gabrielle Williams who were named to the 2026 Mountain West Women's Soccer Watch List. Fry made eight saves against Santa Clara, the third-highest single-game total of her career.

The Gauchos earned victories in the previous two matchups, shutting out San Jose State in both contests. Santa Barbara earned a 3-0 win at Harder Stadium in 2024 before taking a 1-0 road victory last season, with Haley Phillips scoring the deciding goal in the 70th minute.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
Fresno State enters the week with an 0-2 record after opening its season with losses to UC Davis and Saint Mary's. The Bulldogs fell 2-0 to the Aggies in their home opener before dropping a 4-0 decision on the road against the Gaels on Sunday.

The Bulldogs have been held scoreless through their first two matches while totaling 13 shots. Fresno State will host Long Beach State on Thursday before traveling to Santa Barbara for Sunday's matchup.

Fresno State enters a new era in 2026, competing in its first season as a member of the Pac-12 under first-year head coach Gabriel Bolton. Bolton brought several new faces to the program during the offseason, adding eight transfers along with assistant coaches Amanda Valentine and Hannah Bolton.

The Gauchos have held the Bulldogs scoreless in each of their last two meetings, playing to a scoreless draw at Harder Stadium in 2024 before earning a 2-0 victory in Fresno last season.

FOLLOW ALONG
Both matches will be played at Harder Stadium and broadcast on ESPN+, with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com/WSOCLiveStats. The Gauchos and Spartans will kick off at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20. Santa Barbara and Fresno State will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23.