The Gauchos’ hopes for a Big West Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament washed away on Friday night.
A steady downpour turned the most important game of the season into a mud-wrestling match, and visiting UC Irvine adjusted to the elements more effectively on its way to a 2-1 victory.
“The game was played tough because both teams are very competitive and there is a lot of quality on both sides,” said Yossi Raz. “It was a little chippy just like any other final; it is to be expected. For the most part, we felt the rhythm of the game was comfortable for us.”
The Anteaters’ comfort level led to trouble for the Gauchos defensively. UCSB was assessed two yellow cards in the first half.
UCSB freshman midfielder Jack Middleton received a yellow card in the 23rd minute that led to a UC Irvine free kick from 25 yards out, which went wide.
In the 27th minute, UCSB defender Drew Kamienski delivered a reckless challenge just outside the box and was initially shown a red card. The foul was downgraded to a yellow after VAR review, but the challenge still resulted in a free kick from prime position for the Anteaters.
Travis Babineau, a senior who grew up in Santa Barbara, stepped up for the free kick and delivered a quality finish to the top middle of the goal to give UC Irvine a 1-0 lead.
Less than a minute into the second half, the Gauchos were beaten to the ball in their own penalty area, and Babineau found Hunny Yoo for an easy goal that increased the Anteaters’ lead to 2-0.
The second UC Irvine goal appeared to be a wake-up call for the Gauchos, as their offensive execution picked up almost immediately.
“As a kid growing up always coming to the UCSB games and watching them, to come here and score is an unreal feeling, especially in a final,” Babineau said. “It’s something to remember.”
Buba Fofanah was UCSB’s most dangerous player after entering the match in the 33rd minute. His activity paid off in the 66th minute when his initial attempt was blocked by a UC Irvine defender, but he powered home the rebound with his right foot to cut the deficit to 2-1.
“There was a patch where they rattled the cages, scored a goal and sat on us quite nicely,” Raz said. “You could feel the atmosphere of the stadium rising, and they were knocking hard on the door.”
In the 67th minute, Thomas Noordegraaf forced a diving save by UC Irvine’s 6’7″ goalkeeper Joe O’Shaughnessy as the Gauchos came inches away from an equalizer.
But UCSB began to tire as the second half progressed, and UC Irvine was once again on the attack. Gaucho goalkeeper Beninga made a series of fantastic saves in the 74th and 75th minutes, including a leaping punch over the crossbar. His heroics kept UCSB in the match until the bitter end.
Beninga’s 0.52 goals-against average is a program record.
A second yellow card on Kamienski forced the Gauchos to play a man down in the 82nd minute. In the 84th minute, Siebenlist tracked down a cross from Fofanah for a solid header that went just wide.
The loss snaps UCSB’s 13-match unbeaten streak. The Gauchos are now 2-8 in Big West Tournament finals during Tim Vom Steeg’s tenure.
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