UCSB’s Mallory Hromatko
IRVINE, Calif. – Bidding to become one of the highest scoring freshman in UC Santa Barbara history, Mallory Hromatko (Danville, Calif./Monte Vista HS) had two goals in a pair of Gaucho victories to rack up her first career Big West Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honor.
The first-year standout upped her season total to nine goals after contributing a goal apiece against UC Riverside and UC Irvine. In doing so, Hromatko closed in on the UCSB freshman record for goals in a season as a member of the Big West, currently 11 held by Jennifer Borcich from 2001.
Hromatko got the Gauchos on the board with a goal in the ninth minute of Friday’s 3-2 overtime triumph over the Highlanders. The midfielder/forward picked up a rebound off her own deflected shot and deposited the ball into the top left of the net.
In Sunday’s 1-0 shutout of UC Irvine, Hromatko scored the only goal of the match in the 88th minute, notching her fifth game-winner of the season. Those clutch goals have come during a stretch in which UCSB has won 12 times in 14 contests. The winning goal resulted when Hromatko managed to slot the ball past the Anteater keeper and into the lower left portion of the goal, despite being in a crowd in the middle of the penalty box.
