UCSB Forward Dion Acoff and Cal Poly’s Mike Hocker collide in the defensive zone. Hocker was awarded a free kick.
Cal Poly’s Mackenzie Pridham scored in overtime of Friday’s Big West Conference clash between the Mustangs and UCSB, striking down the Gauchos 2-1 with the Golden Goal.
UCSB Midfielder Duncan Backus and Cal Poly defenseman Kody Wakasa end up in the goal as Backus’s header goes over the net.
The sudden result stunned a Harder Stadium crowd of 13,467. UCSB’s largest crowd of the season witnessed Cal Poly win in Santa Barbara for the first time since 1998.
Nic Ryan’s goal gave UCSB a 1-0 lead in the second half but the Gauchos (9-3-3, 3-3-1) couldn’t hold on and dropped their third match in the past four contests.
George Malki gave Cal Poly new life in the 89th minute by scoring into an open net. Pridham finished the fast turnaround just six minutes into overtime.
Chris Gaschen began the deciding sequence by gaining possession and feeding Pridham, who returned it. Gaschen heel-kicked it back to Pridham, who fired a shot to the far side of the Gaucho net for the game-winner. The goal was his ninth of the year and fifth game-clincher.
Friday’s crowd of?13,467 fans is the top attendance nationally this season and ranks?seventh all-time among the NCAA regular season attendance records and fourth for a?campus venue. It?goes down as the?fourth largest crowd?in Harder Stadium history.
Mustangs Goalkeeper Wade Hamilton Punches a shot clear of the goal as defenseman Nolan Moore looks back during the second half. Hamilton finished with 11 saves on the night. (James Crosby Photos)
