Goffin Boyoko scored on a header in the first half, and that was enough for UCSB to beat Illinois,-Chicago, 1-0, giving the Gauchos a sweep of their two matches in the humid Chicago area.
Boyoko’s score – his third of the young season – eclipsed his 2012 goal total.
The France native’s tally came in the 40th minute. Freshman midfielder Armand Bagramyan found Boyoko with a cross from the right wing, then Boyoko headed in the cross from five yards out for what turned out to be the game-winning goal. It was the first assist for Bagramyan
The rest of the match was notably chippy and physical. UCSB accrued a total of 25 fouls, while the Flames had 13 of their own. There were 10 bookings on the day, including nine yellow cards and a single red card.
In his official UCSB debut, freshman goalkeeper Josh McNeely made a pair of saves to earn his first collegiate shutout. Similar to Friday night’s win at Northwestern, the Gauchos defense did an outstanding job of shutting down the opposing offense, as UIC did not get a single shot on frame in the second half.
The Gauchos return to Santa Barbara this week and will take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in their home opener on Friday, Sep. 6 at 7:30 p.m.
