DAVIS – UCSB scored three goals in the first 9:28 on Friday afternoon en route to a 4-1 win at UC Davis. It was the Gauchos fifth straight win in Big West Conference play, moving them into a tie with Cal Poly for first-place.
“I said in the preseason that this team could do something like that,” said head coach Paul Stumpf referring to the three goals in a six-minute span. “It was a pleasant surprise to finally do it.”
UCSB (8-8-1 overall, 5-1 in the Big West) jumped out in front of Davis (6-8-1 overall, 1-5-0 in the Big West) 1-0 at the 3:50 mark when sophomore Cory Yoshida scored on a header off of pass from junior Kylie McDonald . The goal was Yoshida’s first of the season.
“Cory’s goal was the result of a very good service from Kylie,” said Stumpf. “She (Yoshida) took advantage and got us going.”
Less than three minutes later, at 6:49, it was junior forward Kailyn Kugler’s turn as she took a feed from sophomore Alissa Sanches and found the back of the net from about 10 yards out on the right side. The score was Kugler’s ninth of the season and seventh in the last six games. In fact, she has now scored at least one goal in five of the last six outings.
“Kugler was posting-up and got a quality ball at her feet,” said Stumpf. “She turned one way and then the other, and on her second touch she started to fall back, but somehow she got the ball in.”
The Gauchos made it 3-0 in the 10th minute, and this time it was Kugler’s turn to setup at teammate. Sophomore Katy Roby took Kugler’s pass from 12 yards out straightaway and blasted a shot past Aggie goalkeeper Sarah Peters. The goal was Roby’s second of the year.
“Early in the game,” began Stumpf, “everything we shot seemed to go in.”
Davis got on the board at 53:48 when Rochelle VanBuskirk scored on a penalty kick. VanBuskirk’s goal was her 13th of the year, tops in the Big West, and it narrowed the gap to 3-1.
Santa Barbara kept up the pressure when Roby scored her second goal of the match and third of the season at 55:45. The goal, which was scored from about eight yards out on the right side, came off of a pass from McDonald. It was McDonald’s second assist of the contest and team-leading seventh of the season. The four goals were the most scored by the Gauchos this season.
Junior Tammy Lenham started in goal for UCSB and allowed only the penalty kick goal. She collected three saves. The Gauchos outshot the Aggies 14-10, including 10-4 in shots on goal. Peters had six saves for the home team. The four goals were a season-high for Santa Barbara.
UCSB will remain on the road for a Sunday, Oct. 25 match at Pacific. The Gauchos and Tigers will kick-off at noon in Stockton, Calif. Santa Barbara returns home for its season finale on Sunday, Nov. 1 when it hosts Cal Poly at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium. The game should be pivotal in determining the order of seeds for the Big West Tournament.
