SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team suffered a misfortune it had not felt in two years on Friday night, losing a match that they led at halftime.

It was also the first time that the Gauchos have lost a Blue-Green Rivalry match in two years, falling to Cal Poly, 2-1.

In a cagey match, Santa Barbara struggled to create the sustained possession that makes its offense one of the best at volume shooting in the country; instead, they would have to make the most of what opportunities came their way.

Cole Harris got one from a corner kick, flicking a grounded ball up towards the net, just lacking the power to trouble the Mustangs’ goalkeeper.
 
At the other end of the pitch, the Gauchos’ defenders had to contend with a group of Mustangs happy to boot the ball up-field and give chase.

The hosts’ leading scorer on the season created their first chance of the season, wriggling through the back line only to see his shot blocked by Drew Kamienski.
 
Essentially the entire first half proceeded that way, the Gauchos getting chances from set pieces that they just could not quite convert, and the Mustangs seeing any of their chances rejected by the Santa Barbara defenders.

Finally, in the 35th minute the Gauchos got a break.

Peleg Brown and Kaden Standish combined on a give-and-go sequence reminiscent of Brown’s goal from Sunday night, but this time instead of unleashing a shot, Brown fizzed a cross towards the center of the goal, where a Cal Poly defender turned the ball into his own net.

The play was initially blown dead for a foul against Santa Barbara, but after video review, the Gauchos were awarded the goal which gave them the edge at halftime.
 
The second half was just as demanding for Santa Barbara, yielding few opportunities for a second goal while the hosts doggedly pursued an equalizer.

Zac Siebenlist came ever so close to a highlight-reel strike when he launched and twisted in the air to attempt a scissor kick in the 61st minute, but the ball skewed off of his shin and harmlessly to the goalkeeper.

There were important interventions at the back too, with Jack Middleton preventing the Mustangs’ top scorer from connecting with a loose ball at the back post in the 66th minute, and Owen Beninga reacting well to get down at his near post and prevent a corner kick from flying directly in.
 
However, the corner that resulted from that important save resulted in Cal Poly’s equalizer, which changed the tone of the match. The Gauchos got two good chances in the final 15 minutes, a pair of attempts from center backs after set pieces, but one lacked accuracy and the other power.

Cal Poly scored the winner in the 87th minute when a couple of bounces presented the ball to a Mustang no more than two yards from goal.

The Gauchos return to the friendly confines of Harder Stadium to begin Big West conference play on Wednesday, Sept. 30, when they host Sacramento State at 7 p.m.