Gauchos Draw 1-1 With UC San Diego at Harder Stadium to Stay Tied for Third
Natalie Oca put the Tritons ahead in the 11th minute. Delilah Vega-Aguilar equalized off a corner kick in the 69th, and Maddie Buckley made four saves in the final 14 minutes to protect the point.
The UC Santa Barbara women's soccer team tied UC San Diego 1-1 on Saturday at Harder Stadium, UC Santa Barbara Athletics reported. Both teams entered the day tied for third in the Big West, and both left with a point and the same place in the standings. UC Santa Barbara is 8-2-6 overall and 3-1-3 in conference play, and UC San Diego is 7-3-5 overall and 3-1-3 in the Big West.
UC San Diego scored first. Natalie Oca gave the Tritons the lead in the 11th minute off an assist from Olivia Shih, according to UC San Diego Athletics. It was Oca's second goal of the season and Shih's second assist of the season, the Tritons said.
Santa Barbara spent much of the first half defending, the UCSB recap said. Goalkeeper Maddie Buckley was tested 31 seconds into the match and made the save, and after the goal the Gauchos kept the Tritons from adding on during a stretch that included another Buckley save and three UC San Diego corner kicks. An Allison Gonzalez shot just before halftime did not level the match, and UC San Diego carried the 1-0 lead into the break.
The Gauchos pressed after halftime, recording two corner kicks and five shots in the first seven minutes of the second half, according to the UCSB recap. The equalizer came in the 69th minute, when Delilah Vega-Aguilar finished off Regan Stiner's assist off a corner kick. UC San Diego's own recap confirms the 69th minute equalizer and the 1-1 final.
UC San Diego finished with a 14-12 advantage in total shots, and both teams recorded seven shots on goal, the Tritons reported. Charlotte Wilfert made six saves in goal for UC San Diego, including five in the second half. Caitlyn Simons nearly won it for Santa Barbara in the 76th minute with a shot off the left post, the UCSB recap said, and Buckley made four saves over the final 14 minutes as the Tritons pushed for a winner.
“I thought we started the game really bright and were on the front foot.” UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones said, in the Tritons' recap. “It's a hard place to play, so I'm proud of the girls for walking away with the draw,” she said.
Up next, UC Santa Barbara travels to San Luis Obispo on Wednesday, Oct. 21, for the Blue-Green rivalry match against Cal Poly, according to UCSB Athletics. UC San Diego returns home to face Long Beach State the same day at 7 p.m., the Tritons said.
None to date. The Tribune corrects errors promptly and transparently. Read our corrections policy.
