Nov. 2, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
A couple of weeks ago, sitting in eighth-place with a Big West record of 1-2-1, things didn't look good for the UC Santa Barbara women's soccer team. But that was a couple of weeks ago.
On Sunday the Gauchos recorded a 4-1 win over visiting Utah State to secure a spot in the Big West Tournament which will take place next weekend at Cal State Fullerton. UCSB and Utah State entered the match in a tie for fourth-place in the league.
Senior forward Alma Martinez, playing the final home match of her career, broke a scoreless tie at the 23:37 mark when she took a one-touch pass from freshman Allie Kueny and drilled a shot from just inside the top of the penalty box.
The score remained 1-0 until the 47th-minute when UCSB junior midfielder Krystal Sandza took the ball near the top of the penalty box, dribbled around three defenders and beat the goalkeeper from point-blank range. The goal was Sandza's 11th of the year.
The Gauchos made it 3-0 at 59:10. Junior forward Randi Johns hit a cross to Kueny who took a shot from about five yards to the left of the goal. Junior forward Jennifer Borcich deflected the ball into the goal for her 11th goal of the campaign.
Kueny finished off the UCSB scoring in the 74th-minute when she took a pass from junior midfielder Cinthia Ruiz and beat the Aggie goalkeeper to the far post.
Utah State scored its only goal of the match at 83:44 when Kami Kelley took a feed from Nicole Feuz and pounded-home a shot that beat Gaucho goalkeeper Katherine Schaeffers.
The Gauchos got off to a slow start with Utah State recording the first five shots of the match, but UCSB wound-up outshooting the Aggies 24-11.
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The win extends Santa Barbara's unbeaten string to five matches, including four consecutive wins. The Gauchos are now 10-5-4 overall and 5-2-2 in the Big West. Utah State is now 10-7-2 overall and 4-3-2 in league.
