UCSB's Machael David is shadowed by a Cal State Fullerton defender during the Gauchos' 3-0 win. (Vince Agapito photos).
Santa Barbara's Sam Garza passes to Michael Nonni
James Kiffe plays on the back line for the UCSB men’s soccer team, but he’s really an offensive player in disguise.
The former San Marcos and City College star demonstrated his offensive prowess Wednesday night, assisting on a goal and scoring one in the Gauchos’ 3-0 domination of Cal State Fullerton in a Big West match before 2,889 at Harder Stadium.
“I’m kind of a converted defender, originally a forward,” Kiffe said. “(The coaches are) just letting me attack more and it’s paid off.”
UCSB coach Tim Vom Steeg knew what Kiffe was capable of doing with the ball in the attack, but he wasn’t sure if the junior had the mettle to play defense.
“We’re not surprised at what he does at the offensive end,” the coach said. “He’s usually consistent. He’s very quiet; he’s kind of a surfer, so half the time we really don’t know where he’s at, and that’s a problem when you’re playing left fullback.
“He plays against good players every single game and every single practice,” Vom Steeg continued. “I’m not surprised at him going forward, it’s what we see at practice all the time. Our issue is can he defend well enough to play left fullback and he’s certainly doing that. He’s getting better every game, but tonight was a good game for him defensively.”
The Gauchos’ win avenged a 1-0 overtime loss at Fullerton last week and improved their records to 2-1-0 in the Big West and 5-3-2 overall. The Titans fell to 1-2-0, 2-6-2.
In other Big West action, No. 9-ranked UC Irvine took sole possession of first place with a 3-0 win at UC Davis. Cal State Northridge rallied to gain a 2-2 tie at Cal Poly.
Kiffe started the sequence that led to UCSB’s first goal in the 37th minute. From the left side, he dribbled across the top of the 18-yard box and delivered a diagonal pass to forward Michael Nonni at the far post. Nonni alertly spotted Joe Eubanks making a center run and fed him the ball for the goal.
“Nonni was just sitting there wide open because Tim told us they were all going to be compacted in the middle,” Kiffe explained. “So I just found Nonni and he just played a great ball to Joe.”
UCSB
Eubanks’ second goal of year ended 36 minutes of scoring frustration for the Gauchos. They ran around and through Fullerton’s orange cone defense, creating numerous scoring chances that were either just off the mark or saved by goalkeeper Trevor Whiddon.
“You don’t want to say it’s almost too easy, but you walk in ball after ball and you’re like, ‘It’s almost like a crossing drill,’ ” said Vom Steeg.
The scenario was eerily familiar to the Gauchos’ match at Fullerton in which they had 10 shots on goal and lost 1-0.
“That was one of the worst feelings, losing to these guys,” said Kiffe. “I think everyone was confident we were going to have a good night tonight. It was a good game to build on for everyone.”
The Gauchos made sure the result was different this time.
By the end of the first half Wednesday night, UCSB outshot the Titans 20-1 and had 11 shots on goal, with Whiddon saving nine of them — a couple with spectacular plays.
The two he didn’t get his hands on were goals by Eubanks and Sam Garza.
Garza made it 2-0 with a wicked shot from 20 yards that whistled past Whiddon and into the upper left corner of the net. The unassisted goal came off a fast break in the 38th minute.
“Joe called for it and I was going to play Joe, and then I looked up and I just hit it fast on my foot and it went in,” Garza said of this team-leading fourth goal of the year. “It was a pretty special goal for me. I was excited.”
UCSB almost scored a third goal before halftime when Garza set up Eubanks for a shot that glanced off the post.
Down two goals, Fullerton came out in the second half with the intent of getting back in the game. The Gauchos withstood five set piece opportunities by the Titans, but they suffered a blow when central defender Michael Boxall was given a red card and ejected for rough play in front of the Fullerton bench in the 59th minute.
With the man advantage, the Titans pushed harder to get a goal. In the 63rd minute, forward Nick Posthuma had a good look from the top of the box, but Gaucho midfielder Machael David managed to snub the shot with his foot.
Kiffe then put the game away with his first goal of the season. He took a pass from Danny Barrera on the left, drove in and cooly blasted a shot that beat Whiddon to the far post in the 64th minute.
“Danny and I have been playing a lot on the left together and we keep talking about that ball that he played,” Kiffe said. “It’s all Danny’s balls. It took on two defenders and it was just one on one after that.”
“He’s playing with a lot of confidence,” said Garza of Kiffe. “He’s been working on that shot the last two or three days and he got it.”
The goal added to Fullerton’s frustration.
Shortly thereafter, the Titans lost Posthuma to a red card, leaving the teams with 10 players each on the field.
The Gauchos continued to attack the Titans’ goal. Luis Silva fed Barrera for an open shot that rolled just wide in the 71st minute. Four minutes later, Kiffe charged in and fired a shot that was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Fullerton lost Ritchie Gonzalez to a red card in the 87th minute, leaving the Gauchos with a 10 to 9 man advantage for the rest of the match.
Gaucho freshman goalkeeper Eric Reyes notched his first collegiate shutout. Reyes, who made two saves, is starting in place of Sam Hayden who is serving a three-game suspension for bumping the referee after the overtime loss at Fullerton.
For the game, UCSB finished with 31 shots to Fullerton’s six
UCSB returns to action on Tuesday night when it hosts Cal Poly.
Some nice work by Kiffe and Garza. Good match.
The coach had better think twice about not playing Kiffe just because he’s a ‘surfer’ !!!