The local Channel League soccer teams owe a big thanks to Santa Barbara City College this week, as the school is allowing them use La Playa Stadium for crosstown matches.
With several days of rain leaving the high school fields waterlogged, Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos will be able to play on the college’s turf field rather than having to postpone and reschedule the games.
On Tuesday, Santa Barbara and San Marcos play a boys and girls doubleheader. The girls kick off at 5 p.m., and the boys are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. The Santa Barbara boys (11-3-3) come into the game riding a 13-match unbeaten streak. San Marcos is 4-9-2.
On Thursday, the Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos boys will square off at 6 p.m. at La Playa Stadium. This will be the second meeting of the season between last year’s CIF Division 2 finalists. Last week, they played to a scoreless tie in the championship game of the Buena New Year’s Tournament — the Dons won the title in a penalty-kick shootout, 5-3.
“We hope to have a lot of people there, maybe not 8,000 like the CIF Final, but at least 1,000,” DP coach Tovi Eliasen said.
The Dons and Chargers played before 8,000 fans in last year’s title game at UCSB’s Harder Stadium. The Dons won 3-0 for their sixth CIF championship in program history.
Dos Pueblos played Santa Barbara to a scoreless draw in the first league encounter last year.
The Chargers (12-2-2), who had their Tuesday home league game against Ventura canceled, will enter Thursday’s match on a streak of four straight shutouts.
The DP-Santa Barbara boys frosh/soph and junior varsity games also will be played Thursday at La Playa at 3 and 4:30 p.m., respectively.
The site for Thursday’s girls soccer match between Santa Barbara and DP is still being determined. DP is the home team.
