TOP SPORTING EVENTS: OCTOBER 5-18

Coach Tim Vom Steeg hopes the predicted rain will have subsided, and his UCSB men’s soccer team hopes to break a scoring drought tonight (Wed., Oct. 5) when the Gauchos host defending national champion Akron at Meredith Field at Harder Stadium. “If you’re thinking about watching one college soccer game, this is the one,” Vom Steeg said.

Akron’s Zips (7-0-2) are ranked No. 3 on the Soccer America poll. They have lost only once in the last two years. They blanked Louisville 1-0 to win the school’s first NCAA Division I trophy last December at Harder Stadium.

Vom Steeg said many of the stars on last year’s Akron team have moved on, but these Zips are brimming with confidence. Their English striker, Luke Holmes, was named Top Drawer Soccer’s National Player of the Week after scoring two goals and posting two assists in a pair of victories. The Gauchos, meanwhile, are in an uncertain state after losing two Big West matches last week, dropping their record to 6-3-1. Soccer America ranks them 15th in the nation.

UCSB did not capitalize on its scoring chances in a 2-0 loss to UC Irvine. “We’re going to be staring at the goalie five or six times (against Akron),” Vom Steeg said. “We’ve got to bury two or three of those chances in the goal.”

Tonight’s match, starting at 7 p.m., will be televised nationally on the Fox Soccer Channel.

In other soccer action, Westmont College hosts a number of games in the next two weeks. The Warrior women, ranked No. 25 in the NAIA, upset 14th-ranked The Master’s 2-1 on Tuesday. The Warrior men face The Master’s on Thursday (match postponed from Wednesday) and will lead off a double-header against Concordia on Saturday at noon, followed by the women’s game.

Dos Pueblos High hosts a Thursday night football game. The Chargers are 0-5 against a rugged schedule, and it doesn’t get any easier as Canyon (4-0), ranked No. 2 in the CIF Northern Division, will invade Scott O’Leary Stadium. The Santa Barbara Dons will host Oxnard Pacifica on Friday night, and SBCC’s Vaqueros will seek their first win at La Playa Stadium against Santa Monica on Saturday.

Wednesday, October 5

High school girls volleyball – Dunn at Laguna Blanca, 4:30 p.m.

College men’s soccer – Akron at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 6

College men’s soccer – The Master’s at Westmont, 3 p.m.

High school boys water polo – Santa Barbara at Dos Pueblos, 3:15 p.m.

High school girls volleyball – St. Bonaventure at Bishop Diego, 6:15 p.m.; Ventura at Santa Barbara, 6:30 p.m.

High school football – Canyon Country Canyon at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.

Friday, October 7

College cross country – WSC Preview at SBCC, Shoreline Park, 3:30 p.m.

High school football – Pacifica at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.; San Marcos at Nordhoff, 7:30 p.m.; Carpinteria at Grace Brethren, Moorpark College, 7:30 p.m.

College women’s volleyball – Ventura at SBCC, 7 p.m.

College men’s soccer – Canyons at SBCC, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 8

College men’s soccer – Concordia at Westmont, 12 p.m.; UCSB at UC Davis, 3 p.m.

College women’s soccer – Concordia at Westmont, 2:30 p.m.

High school 8-man football – Laguna Blanca at Rolling Hills Prep, 1 p.m.; Cate at Thacher, 2 p.m.

College football – Santa Monica at SBCC, 6 p.m.

High school football – Bishop Diego at St. Genevieve, 7 p.m.

Monday, October 10

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

Tuesday, October 11

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

High school girls volleyball – Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 6 p.m.; Malibu at Carpinteria, 6 p.m.

College men’s soccer – Cal State Fullerton at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 13

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

College women’s soccer – Cuyamaca at SBCC, 7 p.m.

Friday, October 14

College men’s soccer – L.A. Mission at SBCC, 2 p.m.; UCSB at Cal Poly, 7 p.m.

High school cross country – Dos Pueblos Invitational at Shoreline Park, 1 p.m.

College cross country – SBCC Invitational at Shoreline Park, 3 p.m.

High school football – Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; San Marcos at Buena, 7 p.m.; Malibu at Bishop Diego, La Playa Stadium, 7:30 p.m.; Carpinteria at Fillmore, 7:30 p.m.

College women’s volleyball – L.A. Mission at SBCC, 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 15

College women’s soccer – San Diego Christian at Westmont, 12 p.m.

College men’s water polo – Alumni at UCSB, 12 p.m.

High school 8-man football – Hope Center Academy at Laguna Blanca, 2 p.m.

College men’s soccer – San Diego Christian at Westmont, 2:30 p.m.

High school girls volleyball – Cate at Laguna Blanca, 3:30 p.m.

College football – L.A. Pierce at SBCC, 6 p.m.

College women’s volleyball – UC Riverside at UCSB, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, October 16

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

Monday, October 17

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

Tuesday, October 18

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

High school girls volleyball – Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 6:30 p.m.

College women’s soccer – West L.A. at SBCC, 7 p.m.

RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING

Saturday, October 8 – Santa Barbara 5K Heart Walk, Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, 10 a.m. sbheartwalk.com.

Sunday, October 9 – Carpinteria Kiwanis Big Avocado 5K Run, Carpinteria Bluffs, 8 a.m. active.com.

Environmental Defense Center “Ride on the Wild Side” (100K, 30-mile, 10-mile bike rides), Leadbetter Beach, 7:30 a.m. edcnet.org.

Sunday, October 16 – Cancer Center 10K Run and 5K Walk/Run, Montecito Union School, 8 a.m. ccsb.org.

Saturday, October 22 – Santa Barbara Century bicycle ride, Leadbetter Beach, 7 a.m. For experienced riders. santabarbaracentury.org.

Saturday, November 5 – Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, Santa Barbara Zoo, 9 a.m. alz.org.

Walk Now for Autism Speaks, 2 miles, East Beach, 10 a.m. walknowforautismspeaks.org.

Saturday, November 12 – Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon, Dos Pueblos High School to SBCC, 7:15 a.m. Half Marathon, Page Youth Center to SBCC, 7:45 a.m. sbimarathon.com.

Saturday, November 19 – UCSB Recreation Turkey Trot, 5K-10K walk/run, UCen lawn, 8:30 a.m. gauchosplay.com.

Thursday, November 24 – Thanksgiving 4 Miler, Magnolia Shopping Center, 9 a.m. runsantabarbara.com.

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