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UCSB Perseveres In 16-15 Nailbiter With Mustangs

Box Score

Mar. 12, 2011

Santa Barbara, CA - The Gauchos upset 6th ranked Cal Poly SLO 16-15 in a tightly contested WWLL Central Region game on the Rob Field turf at UCSB. The 8th ranked Gauchos won the game riding a strong first half performance and rallying when the quick to strike Mustangs eventually tied it up. The game winner came on an unassisted goal by sophomore Katie Mitchell (Lafayette, CA) with 3 seconds remaining in the game. With the win the Gauchos moved into sole possession of first place in WWLL Central. Mitchell finished with 7 goals and 1 assist to lead all scorers in the barn burner of a game.

A fast start for UCSB put them up 7-2 twelve minutes into the game and it was a welcome style of opening play as the Gauchos had been starting slow and needing to rally in previous games. UCSB pushed the lead to 9-3 with two assisted goals with 6 minutes left in the half. Two Cal Poly SLO goals that pulled them to within 4 at 9-5 were answered by a well executed hold the ball for the last shot strategy by the Gauchos. Ashley Antoon-Algieri (San Ramon, CA) scored with 3 seconds left on the clock to put UCSB up 10-5. It was as nice an execution as a team can have for that strategy, one that the UCSB sidelines called in with about a minute left in the first half. 

"The idea is we wait to take the last shot as time winds down and if it goes in, great, but if it doesn't then there's not enough time for the other team to get a quick one," said UCSB head coach Paul Ramsey after the game.

"It prevents them from stealing some momentum and it prevents a possible two goal swing going into intermission."  

The Mustangs, though, are 6th ranked for a reason. They won the first 3 draw controls of the second half and scored on each  of the 3 possessions. The Cal Poly SLO offense looked quite capable when it had the ball. That run gave them life and they kept playing like it even though Antoon-Algieri and Abby Eastwood (Rumson, NJ) scored unassisted in response. More draw controls for Cal Poly SLO enabled them to go on a 4 goal run and tie the game at 12-12. From there UCSB outscored the Mustangs 4-3 and preserved the win, with Mitchell getting the game winner on her 7th goal of the game when the score was 15-15 before her shot. The sophomore midfielder also had an assist, 2 draw controls, 2 ground balls and 1 caused turnover along with scoring the last 4 goals of the game for her team.

"Game ball," said Ramsey, "we would give her the game ball if we had enough wherewithal to think of it in the melee of the celebration."

Jeni Centner stepped up big for the Gauchos in the goal during the second half. The junior from Tustin, CA had 9 saves in the second half and 14 total during the game. Sophomore defender Emilia Norlin (Mill Valley, CA) had 4 ground balls and 2 caused turnovers.

UCSB improves to 7-4 overall and 3-0 in WWLL Central Region standings. Cal Poly SLO drops to 5-4, 2-1. Both schools are on the same academic calendar and players on the teams head into final exams, which start Monday, and then both instituions are on spring break. The Gauchos next play at Pepperdine on March 29th, and the Mustangs are off until they host UCLA on April 2nd.