The Blue-Green Rivalry at Harder Stadium provided a magnificent stage, and the UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer team captivated the audience with its attacking flair on Saturday night.
With the 2006 national championship team in attendance, 11,183 fans witnessed the 2026 Gauchos deliver their best performance of the season in a 3-1 victory over rival Cal Poly. It was the largest crowd at an NCAA men’s soccer game in the nation this season.
“Not surprising you put a bunch of people in the stands, you turn the lights on, it’s Harder Stadium, and some of the magic just came back tonight,” said UC Santa Barbara coach Tim Vom Steeg. “I thought the first half was obviously as good as you’re going to play in any game.”
For much of the season, UCSB’s offensive success has depended on individual moments of excellence. Saturday’s victory, however, was all the sweeter because of the teamwork behind the results, as the Gauchos combined at an elite level on all three goals.
Donovan Sessom opened the floodgates for UCSB in the 18th minute with a perfectly placed pass to a streaking Steinar Bjornnson, who calmly finished a one-on-one opportunity against the Cal Poly goalkeeper. Sessom was knocked down immediately after delivering the pass, but his poise under pressure was a sign of things to come.
In the 33rd minute, Bjornnson and Zack Siebenlist combined on a beautiful give-and-go. Siebenlist helped create the opportunity, and Bjornnson crossed the ball into the penalty area, where Siebenlist finished with a leaping, right-footed kick for his first goal of the season.
“There’s been a lot of individual goals this season for our team, and I think that one was not so much individual. Obviously, I was on the end of that ball, but I couldn’t have done it at all without Steinar getting that ball to me,” Siebenlist said. “I’m very thankful that he got that ball there and I ended up on the end of it and finished the ball. And obviously, it’s a great feeling to score against my hometown. It’s been a long time coming, but yeah, it’s all smiles after that one.”
The Gauchos’ first-half explosion culminated in the 39th minute when Kaden Standish extended the lead. Connecting with a lofted pass from Jack Middleton, Standish struck a left-footed volley into the net to make it 3-0.
Goalkeeper Beninga helped preserve the three-goal advantage with a series of saves, including stops in the 25th and 28th minutes. In the second half, he made another save following a Cal Poly counterattack, while captain Calle Mollerberg blocked the ensuing attempt near the goal line.
Cal Poly eventually scored in the 85th minute. After Beninga stopped a long-range shot, Cal Poly’s Devin Bening collected the rebound and scored to cut the Mustangs’ deficit to 3-1. UC Santa Barbara held on through the final minutes to secure the victory.
UC Santa Barbara will next travel to Spokane, Washington, to face Gonzaga on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The Gauchos will then visit Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Oct. 17, before returning home to host California Baptist on Oct. 21.
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