Recap: Men's Soccer UCSB vs UCI Friday (10/6)

The Game
 In what would prove to be a challenging game, UCI rose to the challenge and played as they normally do against the #4 UCSB Gauchos. UCI was trying to turn around their entire season on this one match, a win would indicate the potential to take on any team in Big West and a possibility at a run in the NCAA tournament. UCSB needed the win because losing against an unranked team which is doing so badly overall would ruin their RPI.
The Goals

 About 18 minutes into the first half UCI took the lead as Lester Hayes III made an undramatic goal as UCSB goalkeeper Austin Mansker did not respond fast enough to block it, perhaps expecting it to go wide. A few minutes into the second half Nic Ryan would put UCSB in a tie as he lofted a ball which the UCI goalkeeper was unable to reach as the ball fell shortly out of his reach. Everything indicated it would end in a draw as UCSB and UCI both pushed and defended well. Austin Mansker made his fair share of super mario-esque saves as he would run out of his position in the goal box and punch balls as if they were little brick boxes from which he could receive coins. This was very impressive even though at one point he was pulled down and failed to effectively punch the ball, leaving it to roll loosely in the box with no goalie to keep it out. With the clock running down and less than 30 seconds left UCSB was awarded a corner kick. Nic Ryan made the kick which was easily deflected by the towering UCI players, as everyone scattered to rearrange into practiced formations Nic Ryan was able to run down the ball and effectively took the same kick again, except this time it would curve toward the box missing Peter McGlynn's attempt to redirect it ,missing UCI's attempts to kick it out, and just out of reach of UCI goalkeeper Michael Breslin's arms. Thus the game ended 2-1 with the miraculous golden goal.

Conclusion
 The match turned into a clash of the giants as both teams were pressured and played effectively. While UCI may currently be unranked it's clear that deep within them lives the foundation of what they've been taught by coach Kuntz. The Gauchos remain undefeated in the year at 8-0-3 and take on CSU Northridge on Sunday (10/7) at 5 PM.