Oct. 19, 2004

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The Schedule
Match No. 16
Friday, October 22, 2004 at 7:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs. University of the Pacific Tigers
at UCSB's Harder Stadium

Match No. 17
Sunday, October 24, 2004 at 7:00 p.m.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs. Cal State Northridge Matadors
at UCSB's Harder Stadium

The Gaucho Record
UC Santa Barbara enters the weekend with an overall record of 9-4-2, a 4-0-1 record in the Big West, and a 5-1-1 record at home. The 4-0-1 mark in league play gives the Gauchos 13 points and puts them alone in second-place in the Big West Conference, two points behind Cal State Northridge, which has played one more match than the Gauchos. Last weekend, in its only match, UCSB battled Cal Poly to a scoreless tie. The Mustangs launched 40 shots, but freshman goalkeeper Catherine Bursone had ten saves and the Gauchos had four saves as a team. The tie extends UCSB's unbeaten streak to seven in a row, a span over which it has gone 5-0-2. Taking a step further, since opening the year with a 1-3-0 record, the Gauchos have gone 8-1-2.

Seniors Play Final Home Matches
This weekend's home matches against Pacific and Cal State Northridge will mark the final Harder Stadium appearance for four Gaucho seniors. Forwards Jennifer Borcich and Randi Johns, defender Cinthia Ruiz and midfielder/defender Molly Martin will be completing their home careers this weekend. Borcich, a two-time Big West Offensive Player of the Year and a three-time All-Big West selection, is UCSB's leading scorer this year with ten goals and four assists for 24 points. She also ranks among the top three all-time in goals and points for UCSB. Johns has tallied four goals and five assists for 13 points, and Ruiz and Martin have anchored a defense that has gotten more and more stingy as the season has progressed.

On The Stumpf
Paul Stumpf is in his sixth season at UC Santa Barbara. He enters the week with a record of 61-40-11. His total of 61 wins ranks second on UCSB's all-time list. He has led the Gauchos to three consecutive seasons of double-figures in wins, the first time the program has accomplished the feat since 1989-91. Last season, he guided UCSB to an 11-6-4 record, and within one game of the Big West Championship. 2003 marked the fourth straight season in which the Gauchos finished at or over the .500 mark, a feat last accomplished more than a decade ago. In 1999, Stumpf's first season as the head coach at UCSB, he took a team that was selected to finish last in the conference, but instead posted an 8-9-1 overall record and a 5-4 mark in the Big West. Following the season, Stumpf was chosen as the Big West's Coach of the Year. Before arriving in Santa Barbara as an assistant coach in 1998, Stumpf spent two seasons as an assistant at Humboldt State. In addition, the San Diego native spent several years coaching club teams in the Santa Rosa area.

A Better Start
In 2003, the Gauchos opened its Big West season against the same five opponents as they have this year. The result, however, was quite different. Last year, after five Big West matches, UCSB had posted a 1-2-2 record. The Gauchos sole win through the first four contests last year was a home victory over Cal State Fullerton. Santa Barbara had dropped matches against Long Beach State and UC Riverside, and it had posted a ties against UC Irvine and Cal Poly.

Burson In Person
Freshman goalkeeper Catherine Burson has replaced an injured Jamie Considine in the last three matches and she has done quite well. In the three contests, all on the road, the Gauchos have gone 2-0-1 and Burson has allowed just one goal in 309 minutes, a 0.29 goals against average. Also, over that span, the Poway, Calif., native has produced 19 saves and a save percentage of .950. In last weekend's 0-0 tie at Cal Poly, Burson had a career-high ten saves as she and the Gauchos weathered a 40-shot salvo by the Mustangs.. On the season, Burson has now made seven appearances, a total of 599:24, and she has logged a 0.60 goals against average, a team-best .871 save percentage, and three shutouts.

UCSB Gets Defensive
Through the first four matches this season, UCSB had allowed ten goals. In fact, through the first five, the Gauchos had allowed 12 goals. In the last ten matches, however, Santa Barbara has allowed just four total goals and posted six shutouts. Gaucho defenders Cinthia Ruiz, Katie Cooper and Jessie Steinberg have played a major part in the team's defensive turnaround, as have goalkeepers Jamie Considine and Catherine Burson. In the last ten contests, the Gauchos have produced six shutouts, allowed just four goals, and they have not allowed more than one goal in any match.

Their Better Half
The second half of matches are proving to be UCSB's better half. Through 15 matches this season, the Gauchos have scored a total of 28 goals and allowed 16. Of the 28 goals scored by UCSB, 21 have come in the second half and overtime. In fact, the Gauchos have outscored opponents 7-5 in the first half of matches and 20-9 in the second half of matches. Opponents have outscored Santa Barbara 2-1 in overtime this season. The imbalance of goal scoring by half has become even more acute in recent weeks. In the last four weekends UCSB has outscored opponents 12-2 and all 12 goals have come in the second half and overtime. In the last 11 matches, a span over which UCSB has gone 8-1-2, the Gauchos have outscored their opponents 23-6, and of the 23 goals, 20 were scored in the second half or overtime.