Scoreless for the first 72 minutes, the 21st-ranked UC Santa Barbara women’s soccer team scored two goals in a 19-second span in the 73rd minute to win its third straight match, 2-0 over visiting Sacramento State.
The Gauchos (4-1-0) dominated the match, outshooting the Hornets (1-2-1) by a 27-8 margin, but until freshman midfielder Katy Roby scored on a free kick from just outside the upper-left of the penalty box, it was scoreless. Roby’s first career goal came at the 72:21 mark.
UCSB didn’t waste time adding an insurance goal. After Sacramento State lost the ball quickly after play resumed, senior midfielder Sami Svrcek sent a long pass to junior forward Genelle Ives. Ives, at the top of the box, flicked a pass to sophomore forward Kailyn Kugler who was on the top right side of the box. Kugler slid a shot into the lower left part of the goal, past a scrambling Jenny Lawrence, the Hornets’ goalkeeper.
Lawrence did play an outstanding match for Sacramento, keeping her team in the contest with eight saves, including a save of a Kylie McDonald penalty kick with eight seconds remaining in the match. Sophomore Tammy Lenham started in goal for the Gauchos, but freshman Ali Cutler played the entire second half. Lenham did not need a save in the first half as the Hornets were held to just a pair of shots, none on goal. Cutler had four saves in the second half, including a leaping poke of an Ashley Forbes shot in the 68th minute that preserved the shutout.
Ives and sophomore midfielder Jacqui Simon each finished with at team-high six shots for UCSB. Kim Kemper and Katelin Hopping each had a pair to lead Sacramento State.
The Gauchos will return to action on Friday, Sept. 12, when they host Washington State in a 7:00 p.m. match at Harder Stadium. They will also play nationally-ranked Tennessee on Sunday, Sept. 14, in a 4:00 p.m. home contest. Following the match against the Lady Vols, UCSB will hit
the road for six straight over a four week period.
