Midfielder Duncan Backus sprints for a loose ball with Cardinals keeper Drew Hutchins in the first half. (James Crosby Photos)
No. 25 UC Santa Barbara fell to visiting Stanford 1-0 in overtime on Friday evening at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium during a non-conference pairing.
The loss marked the Gauchos’ second straight overtime heartbreaker following last week’s defeat at the hands of visiting Cal Poly.
Defender Peter McGlynn crosses a ball for his teammates in the first half.
The game-winning strike came in the 96th minute when the Cardinal’s Jimmy Callinan played a beautiful cross from the right side of the field into the box. Both Adam Jahn and Zach Batteer went up for the ball, but it was Jahn who got his head on it, sending it into the left side of the Gaucho goal from about 12 yards out. The goal was Jahn’s team-leading ninth of the season.
Stanford improves to 7-7-1 on the season.
UCSB (9-4-3) had several chances to get on the scoreboard during the just under 96 minute match with arguably its best possible chance coming with less than 30 seconds on the clock when Duncan Backus crossed the ball to left touchline from midfield. Dion Acoff raced to the ball before it could roll out of bounds and then beat several Stanford defenders as he cut towards the box. He fired a shot from the top of the 18-yard box that Stanford goalkeeper Drew Hutchins was able to deflect out with a diving save, maintaining the scoreless tie and sending the game into overtime.
For the game, UCSB out-shot the Cardinal 16-12. The teams went shot-for-shot in the first half, but the Gauchos had a 7-3 advantage in the second. Each team fired four on-frame.
Senior Peter McGlynn led UCSB with four shots, each nearly missing. His first attempt came in the 11th minute when he sent a rocket from 30 yards out, forcing Stanford goalkeeper Drew Hutchins to make a diving save. Nic Ryan collected the rebound and fired it at the open goal, but the shot went wide of the far post.
McGlynn had another great look in the 29th minute when he bent the ball from 20 yards out to the far post, but it came up just a few feet shy of curling into the goal.
Just a couple minutes later, McGlynn beat his defender and cut into the box. He fired a shot from 15 yards out, but it was deflected out of bounds by a Stanford defender.
In the second half, the Gauchos once again came up just short in the 69th minute when Mathew Glodack crossed the ball from the left side of the field into the box. Acoff went up for the header but was unable to connect as the ball ricocheted off of a nearby Machael David and fell at the feet of Charlie Miller, who was inside the six-yard box. Miller took the point blank shot, but Hutchins made the save to keep his slate clean.
Andr? Grandt started the match in goal for the Gauchos and made two stops as he posted 45 shutout minutes. Austin Mansker finished the game and posted one save. Hutchins finished with five stops for the Cardinal.
UCSB honored its seven seniors ? Acoff, McGlynn, Grandt, David, Ryan, Josue Madueno and Mac Cerceo ? prior to the match.
The Gauchos will resume Big West Conference play on Sunday against UC Davis. The match, which is slated for a 2 p.m. kick off at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium, will be the final regular season home contest for UCSB.
