Week in Sports

UCSB has climbed to No. 7 on the NCAA Division I men’s soccer poll after its 3-0 victory over Indiana, and the Gauchos are seeking another success Wednesday night (Oct. 7) to secure their foothold on a treacherous slope.

Cal Poly, which battled the Gauchos through three double-overtime matches last year, comes into Harder Stadium for a 7 p.m. Big West showdown. The Mustangs have won their first two conference games and can situate themselves at the top of the standings if they upset UCSB (1-0 Big West, 7-2-1 overall).

“It’s a huge game,” UCSB coach Tim Vom Steeg said for the third time in 10 days equating the upcoming clash with the Gauchos’ conference opener against UC Irvine (a 1-0 victory) and the Indiana game.

Vom Steeg will achieve a personal milestone with the next UCSB victory. It will be the 127th in his 11 seasons as head coach, moving him past Jose Elgorriaga of San Jose State as the Big West’s all-time winningest coach. He would much prefer to celebrate the accomplishment at Harder Stadium rather than on the road, where the Gauchos will be playing their next three matches.

Besides a history of close games the Gauchos needed a penalty-kick shootout to get past Cal Poly in the 2008 Big West semifinals the Central Coast rivals have been drawing big crowds. The 9,749 who turned out to watch them at Harder Stadium last season was UCSB’s largest regular-season attendance before 10,114 saw the Indiana game last Friday night.

Other sports events this week include the last round of non-league games for high school football teams, and Westmont College has a soccer double-header (men and women) against Concordia at La Playa Stadium on Saturday.

TOP SPORTING EVENTS: OCTOBER 6-18

Tuesday, October 6

College men’s soccer Biola at Westmont, Lovik Field, 3 p.m.

High school boys water polo Ventura at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Carpinteria at Bishop Diego, 6 p.m.; San Marcos at Dos Pueblos, 6:30 p.m.

College women’s volleyball The Master’s at Westmont, 6 p.m.

College women’s soccer West L.A. at SBCC, La Playa Stadium, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, October 7

High school girls tennis Bishop Diego vs. Laguna Blanca, Pershing Park, 4 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Bishop Diego at Carpinteria, 6 p.m.

College women’s soccer Biola at Westmont, Lovik Field, 3 p.m.

College men’s soccer Cal Poly at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 8

High school girls golf San Marcos at Santa Barbara, Montecito CC, 2:30 p.m.

High school girls tennis San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 3 p.m.

High school boys water polo San Marcos at Dos Pueblos, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Cate at Carpinteria, 3:45 p.m.; Buena at Santa Barbara, 6:30 p.m.; Ventura at San Marcos, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, October 9

High school boys water polo Malibu at Carpinteria, 3:15 p.m.

High school cross country Dos Pueblos Invitational, Shoreline Park, 2:45 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Los Alamitos at Dos Pueblos, 5:30 p.m.

High school football Oxnard Pacifica at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.; Rio Mesa at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; San Marcos at Arroyo Grande, 7 p.m.; Grace Brethren at Bishop Diego, SBCC La Playa Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

College women’s soccer Cal State Fullerton at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 10

High school football (eight man) Rolling Hills Prep at Laguna Blanca, 3 p.m.

College men’s soccer Concordia at Westmont, SBCC La Playa Stadium, 4:30 p.m.; UCSB at UC Riverside, 7 p.m.

College women’s soccer Concordia at Westmont, SBCC La Playa Stadium, 7 p.m.

College women’s volleyball Fresno Pacific at Westmont, 2 p.m.; Cal Poly at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 11

Running/biking Action Pro Duathlon, East Beach, 8 a.m. Sign-up information.

College women’s soccer UC Riverside at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 5 p.m.

Monday, October 12

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Cafe, 12 p.m.

High school boys water polo JSerra at Dos Pueblos, 3:15 p.m.

Tuesday, October 13

High school girls golf Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, Montecito CC, 2:30 p.m.

High school girls tennis Dos Pueblos at Santa Barbara, 3 p.m.

High school boys water polo Buena at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.; Ventura at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 6:30 p.m.; Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 6:30 p.m.

College women’s volleyball Pepperdine at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.

College men’s soccer Moorpark at SBCC, La Playa Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, October 14

High school boys water polo Nordhoff at Carpinteria, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Cate at Laguna Blana, 4:30 p.m.

College men’s soccer UCSB at UC Davis, 3 p.m.

College

Thursday, October 15

High school boys water polo San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball Buena at San Marcos, 6:30 p.m.

College women’s soccer Long Beach State at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 5 p.m.

Friday, October 16

High school girls volleyball Thacher at Laguna Blanca, 6 p.m.

High school football St. Bonaventure at San Marcos, 7 p.m.; Santa Barbara at Ventura, 7 p.m.; Dos Pueblos at Buena, 7 p.m.; Oak Park at Carpinteria, 7:30 p.m.; Bishop Diego at Oaks Christian, 7:30 p.m.

College women’s volleyball Pacific at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.; Oxnard at SBCC, 7 p.m.

College men’s soccer Canyons at SBCC, La Playa Stadium, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 17

College men’s soccer Point Loma Nazarene at Westmont, Lovik Field, 12:30 p.m.; UCSB at Cal State Northridge, 3 p.m.

College women’s soccer Point Loma Nazarene at Westmont, Lovik Field, 3 p.m.

High school football (eight man) Cate at Dunn, 2 p.m.; Ojai Valley at Laguna Blanca, 3 p.m.

College football Santa Monica at SBCC, La Playa Stadium, 6 p.m.

College women’s volleyball UC Davis at UCSB, Thunderdome, 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 18

Running Cancer Center of Santa Barbara 10K Run and 5K Walk/Run, Montecito Union School, 8 a.m. Sign-up information.

College women’s soccer Seattle University at UCSB, Harder Stadium, 12 p.m.