The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team, in conjunction with Westmont Men’s Soccer and Direct Relief, is excited to announce the beginning of a new era for one of the longest-running rivalries in college soccer.
Sixty years since the Gauchos and Warriors first met, the two teams will face off in The Community Shield Game benefiting Direct Relief on April 18, an evolution of the historic fixture and the first year of a fundraising partnership.
The event is not only a fundraising one, with the proceeds going to Santa Barbara-based humanitarian organization Direct Relief, but also a celebration of Gaucho soccer, with this year marking the 60th anniversary of the men’s program and 60 years of Harder Stadium.
The match between the Gauchos and Warriors will kick off at 7 p.m., with the Santa Barbara Women’s Soccer team — celebrating 43 years since its inception — hosting Cal State Dominguez Hills beforehand as part of a doubleheader.
“We are excited to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Harder Stadium by hosting one of the longest running rivalries in college soccer — UC Santa Barbara versus Westmont,” Gaucho Men’s Soccer Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg said.
“It is fitting that a community game such as this would also serve to benefit one of our most impactful charitable organizations. We look forward to a fun night of soccer, which is what always happens when we play Westmont.”
While the Blue-Green Rivalry between Santa Barbara and Cal Poly has become the headline fixture of the Gauchos’ schedule nowadays, the Community Shield match pre-dates it, having been played at least once every season since UC Santa Barbara first sponsored intercollegiate men’s soccer in 1966.
Entering next month’s match, the all-time series stands at 33 wins for the Gauchos and 24 for the Warriors, with six draws. Next month’s meeting will be the first played during the spring season, a change in scheduling that will allow the Community Shield to be a true showcase of the best soccer that both UC Santa Barbara and Westmont can offer, uninhibited by NCAA fall scheduling complexities.
Beginning in 2027, UC Santa Barbara and Westmont plan to make Community Shield Day a doubleheader, with both the women’s and men’s sides facing off. This year, the Gaucho women’s soccer team has already faced Westmont and will therefore host the Toros of CSU Dominguez Hills before the Gaucho men host the Warriors.
“The history of these two storied soccer programs provides a powerful backdrop to unite the community in support of a meaningful cause,” Westmont Head Coach Morgan Cathey said. “We hope this is the first of many matches that bring the local soccer community together.”
Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara-based organization that has delivered over $10 billion in medical aid to support people affected by poverty, natural disasters and emergencies, across all 50 U.S. states and more than 80 countries since its founding in 1948.
Right here in Santa Barbara, Direct Relief supports local community health care providers, from Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics to Doctors Without Walls-Santa Barbara Street Medicine.
While the April 18 matches will be free for fans to attend, Direct Relief will be accepting donations to support their humanitarian efforts both here at home and around the world.
“Direct Relief is honored to be recognized during this year’s Community Shield match,” Direct Relief Vice President of Community Engagement Heather Bennett said. “As an organization rooted in Santa Barbara for more than 78 years, we’re grateful to partner with UC Santa Barbara and Westmont College on an event that brings our community together for a greater purpose, and to be part of this milestone 60th anniversary celebration.
“This game demonstrates the powerful role sports can play in supporting people facing poverty, disasters, and health inequities, helping turn the energy on the field and in the stands into meaningful impact for communities in need.”
This year’s Community Shield Game also serves to kick off the 60th anniversary of Harder Stadium and the UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer program. Both the stadium and the men’s and women’s teams that call it home have grown into household names in college soccer, not just in The Big West but nationwide.
This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Gaucho Men’s Soccer team reaching the mountaintop and winning the 2006 NCAA National Championship, cementing Santa Barbara’s status as Soccer Heaven.
UC Santa Barbara is excited to commemorate one of the premier soccer stadiums and the elite programs it hosts all season long, with the next generation of the Community Shield as the curtain-raiser to that celebration.
“We are excited to be celebrating 60 years of Harder Stadium this season and look forward to kicking that off with a night of great soccer on April 18, while also highlighting and celebrating the incredible community that has made Harder Stadium such a special place over the years,” UC Santa Barbara Women’s Soccer Head Coach Paul Stumpf said.
For the 60-year celebration, both the men’s and women’s games on April 18 will be free for fans to attend, with an opportunity to learn more about Direct Relief and donate to support their mission.