FULLERTON, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team defeated Cal State Fullerton 2-1 on Saturday night, turning an early lead into another victory. Two goals from Steinar Bjornsson powered the Gauchos past the Titans, extending Santa Barbara's Big West unbeaten streak to 13 games, just one shy of the program record.
The Gauchos’ win also positions them to potentially clinch a spot in the Big West Championship field in their next conference match. A win at UC Irvine next Saturday would secure their place as a semifinal host.
The opening 15 minutes saw both teams trading attacks. Kaden Standish nearly opened the scoring for the Gauchos in the 14th minute, forcing the Fullerton goalkeeper to make a scrambling save from midfield. Three minutes later, Santa Barbara broke through. From a throw-in, Martin Odegaard Oesthagen laid the ball to Jack Middleton at the edge of the penalty area. Middleton then delivered a diagonal pass from the far edge of the 18-yard box to the near edge of the six-yard box, where Bjornsson timed his run perfectly and passed the ball past the goalkeeper.
Two minutes after the first goal, the Gauchos nearly added another when Standish and Bjornsson combined on a give-and-go, but the goalkeeper intervened with a sprawling save. Santa Barbara would not have to wait long for their second score, finding it in the 24th minute. Following a Fullerton corner kick, Gaucho goalkeeper Owen Beninga caught the cross and launched a punt forward. Standish brought the ball under control, surged to the top of the Titans’ penalty area, and, surrounded by three defenders, held possession until Bjornsson arrived. Standish then passed to Bjornsson, who blasted a low driven shot into the back of the net, despite the Fullerton keeper getting a touch.
The Gauchos continued their offensive pressure throughout the first half. In the 32nd minute, Kalle Rahbek won the ball high up the field, but his attempt at goal or pass to Bjornsson was inconclusive. In the 38th minute, Peleg Brown found himself with only the goalkeeper to beat after a deflection but put his shot wide from an awkward angle. By halftime, Brown and Bjornsson each had taken four shots, while Standish had registered five attempts.
Santa Barbara's pursuit of a third goal continued into the first 15 minutes of the second half. Six minutes after the break, Rahbek controlled a cross and found Mateos Carvalho arriving at the back post, but a reflexive save by the Fullerton keeper tipped Carvalho’s shot over the bar. Two minutes later, one-touch passing set up Standish for an open shot, which unfortunately slammed off the post. Bjornsson later maneuvered around the Fullerton goalkeeper near midfield, but his shot from nearly the sideline and some 40 yards from goal went wide of the post.
The tone of the match shifted in the 67th minute when the Titans scored with a chipped pass over the back line. Following this goal, the Gauchos focused on denying Fullerton a tying second goal rather than pressing for a third of their own. This strategy proved effective, as the Titans managed only three more shots in the 23 minutes after scoring, with just one on target.
Late in the game, in the 85th minute, there was a nine-minute review by match officials for a potential handball in the penalty area after a Fullerton coach’s challenge, but no handball was found. The Gauchos ultimately wrapped up the evening and secured the three points.
UC Santa Barbara will host California Baptist in their final Big West-Pac-12 crossover match of the season on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at Harder Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., with tickets available online. UCSB students receive free admission to all home games with a valid ID. The Gauchos’ next Big West match is on the road at UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 21. A win against the Anteaters would allow the Gauchos to surpass them in the conference standings, while a tie would necessitate a favorable result on the final day of the regular season against CSUN.
