Santa Barbara, Calif. – The UCSB Gauchos continued their strong start to the Big West season with a 2‑1 road victory over Gonzaga on Saturday night. Junior forward Jack Middleton opened the scoring early in the first half, and sophomore striker Kaden Standish added a second goal before halftime, giving the Gauchos a comfortable lead.
Game Summary
Gonzaga fought back in the second half, finding the net once to make it 2‑1, but UCSB held firm on defense. The Gauchos finished the match with a record of 7‑3‑4 overall and remain competitive in the Big West conference.
Late in the game, senior defender Donovan Sessoms received a straight red card in the 86th minute for a dangerous tackle. The suspension means he will miss UCSB’s upcoming contest against Cal State Fullerton, a potential setback for the team’s defensive depth.
Other Big West Action
In other conference matchups, the Cal Poly Mustangs defeated Utah Valley 3‑1, with goals from Finn Linas, Ryan Firouznam and Charlie Hogan. The win improves Cal Poly’s record to 5‑4‑5.
On the women’s side, UCSB’s Ava Jarolimek scored the lone goal in a 1‑0 victory over UC Irvine, moving the women’s team to 8‑2‑5 overall and 3‑1‑2 in conference play. Goalkeeper Maddie Buckley recorded her sixth clean sheet of the season, making three saves.
UCSB women’s coach Paul Stumpf praised his squad, saying, “We challenged our girls and said we need a response. Wednesday night, we had two very good days of practice, and the response was clear tonight. Shutting out a very talented team, finally getting a goal, Maddie wasn’t threatened too much at all. I felt we had a couple of really good looks at the goal, and was very pleased about the character, the culture, and the chemistry of this group.”
Cal Poly Tie
Cal Poly also earned a 1‑1 draw on the road against Cal State Northridge. Freshman forward Ruby Casey netted her second goal of the season in the 26th minute, assisted by Miah Thomas, to knot the game at one‑all.
All three programs – UCSB men’s, UCSB women’s, and Cal Poly – continue to build momentum as the Big West season progresses, with each team looking to improve its standing before conference play intensifies.
Looking Ahead
UCSB’s next men’s match will be at home against Cal State Fullerton, a test of the Gauchos’ depth without Sessoms. The women’s squad will aim to extend their unbeaten run in the conference, while Cal Poly seeks to turn the tie with Northridge into a win in their upcoming fixtures.
Fans can follow live updates and future schedules on the UCSB athletics website and local sports outlets.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
