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New Zealand Nips UCSB 14-13 In Overtime

Box Score

Oct. 22, 2015

Santa Barbara, CA - The Gauchos led most of the game but visiting New Zealand caught UCSB late in the second half of an international friendly at the UCSB Recreation Center Sports Complex. It were a goal scored by New Zealand with 50 seconds remaining that tied it. The Kiwis then scored the golden goal in sudden victory overtime to win 14-13.  It were the first game out the gate for the Gauchos after eight fall ball practices playing a game versus a New Zealand side that has been training for this tour. The Kiwis were halfway through their California tour on this stop in Santa Barbara. 

New Zealand scored first to open the game but UCSB then scored four straight to lead 4-1 just under 9 minutes into the game. The Gauchos thoroughly outplayed New Zealand in the first half and led 9-6 at halftime. It was a high pressure style all over the field by New Zealand but UCSB stayed ahead of it with good ball movement. Later in the game the ball movement disappeared and everywhere, anywhere a UCSB player had the ball it were two Kiwis trapping them when the ball didn't move again quickly. To say there was contact out there tonight as both sides fought hard is putting it mildly. Each gave the other some of it back, though, so that were all fair.

Scoring was even the first part of the second half and UCSB led 12-9 with 12 minutes left in regulation. The Kiwis scored three unanswered goals to tie it but with 2:35 remaining freshman Hollie Pelland (San Diego, CA) scored unassisted on what might have been the game winner. UCSB won possession on the next draw but shot when they didn't need another goal and the save turned into a New Zealand possession. The Kiwis followed that up with an equalizer with 50 seconds remaining. They then won the game in overtime.

"We performed quite well for about 45 minutes but in the second half we became mostly individual and did not execute on offense," said UCSB Head Coach Paul Ramsey after the game. "We were still open inside but we stopped giving each other the ball and when we did we forced it a bit."

"Shooting when we were winning by a goal with time running out is just something that will have to be a lesson learned."

Sophomore Cyrena Malkoswki (Trabuco Hills, CA) had 16 saves facing 27 shots in 54 minutes of play and sophomore Kaitlyn Pike (Birmingham, MI) had two saves versus 5 shots in 8 minutes of play. Pelland was the leading goal scorer for UCSB with four goals.  Senior Madison Sabbag (Mountain View, CA) had five assists. Nine of the eleven Gaucho goals from the field were assisted, two were unasssisted and two came from free position eight meter opportunities.

The Gauchos played an amazing 26 players in the game using three lines of midfielders and substituting liberally on attack and defense.  It's a good thing since UCSB hosts Cal Poly SLO in a double header tomorrow. UCSB Blue plays Cal Poly Green at 6:30pm and UCSB White plays Cal Poly Gold at 7:30pm in short running clock scrimmages.