Sam Garza and teammates watch as Cameron Walters (#19) header goes in for Cal Poly's first score to tie the game.
CLICK HERE to See Video
UCSB’s struggles at Cal Poly’s Alex G. Spanos Stadium continued on Friday night as the Gauchos fell 2-1 to the Mustangs in front of a sellout crowd of 11,075.
Patrick Sigler’s penalty kick goal completed Cal Poly’s second-half comeback and stretched the Gauchos’ losing streak in San Luis Obispo to three matches.
With the loss, UCSB falls to 9-4-1 overall and to 2-3 in Big West play. The Mustangs, meanwhile, improve to 6-5-2 and to 3-2 in league games. This marks the Gauchos’ third consecutive loss at Spanos Stadium, they have not won on the Mustangs’ home turf since 2008.
Peter Schmetz (#2) of UCSB and Mackenzie Pridham (#8) of Cal Poly collide as they attempt to head the ball.
After trailing for over 66 minutes, Cal Poly was able to tie the game in the 79th minute on a set piece. Kyle Montgomery played the ball into the box on a Mustang corner kick and Cameron Walters connected with a header that tied the game at 1-1 and set the stage for the last-minute dramatics.
With just 26 seconds on the clock, a foul was called on the Gauchos in the box. Sigler buried the penalty kick for Cal Poly to secure the victory.
UCSB had captured the initial lead in the 12th minute when sophomore Dom Sarle got hold of the ball on a Mustang turnover. He flicked the ball to Sam Garza on the breakaway and the junior ran past a couple of defenders before going one-on-one against Cal Poly’s goalkeeper Patrick McLain. Garza faked right before sending the ball into the far side of the Cal Poly goal.
The goal was Garza’s third in as many games. The forward led the Gauchos with four shots in the loss and had two of the team’s four shots on-frame. Walters led the Mustangs with four shots.
Cal Poly led the shot count, 16-7, and had 10 of its shots come in the second half. UCSB had a 4-3 edge for shots on-goal.
The Gauchos will take a week off before resuming Big West action against UC Riverside on Saturday, Oct. 22. The match is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium.
UCSB and Cal Poly played before a packed house at Poly's Spanos Stadium in what has become the premier soccer rivalry on the west coast.
