UCSB newcomer Mallory Hromatko takes a shot past Westmont defender Renee Gonsalves in Thursday’s exhibition opener at Harder Stadium. (Presidio Sports Photo)
A pair of first half goals by UC Santa Barbara was enough as the Gauchos posted a 2-0 exhibition win over visiting Westmont College on Thursday evening.
UCSB got on the board first with an own goal at the 19:02 mark of the first half. The Gauchos cracked a corner kick and Westmont’s defensive unit tried to punch it out, but the ball deflected off of a defenders head and into the goal, making the score 1-0.
Santa Barbara extended the lead to 2-0 in the 43rd minute. Angelisa Cortez slid a pass from the left side into the box and Makenna Kummer was right there to pound it home.
The Gauchos used four different goalkeepers to record the shutout. Beth Ritter, a two-year starter, played 15:11 and faced no shots. Lauren Racioppi, a freshman, logged 9:58 and also faced no shots. Jacq Caginia, the team’s backup the last two campaigns, played 17:41 and, repeat after me, also faced no shots. Brittney Rogers, a redshirt freshman, saved the only shot on frame that Westmont recorded on Thursday night. She played 46:44 of shutout ball.
In the end, the Gauchos outshot the Warriors 19-6. Seven different players had two shots and five had one.
UCSB will play one more exhibition match. The Gauchos host Loyola Marymount on Saturday evening at Harder Stadium. Kick-off is slated for 7:00 p.m.
