Madeline Gibson scored in the 86th minute to lift UC Santa Barbara to a 3-2 win over Hawai'i in the Big West women's soccer opener on Sunday at Harder Stadium.
UCSB (10-1-1 overall, 1-0 in the Big West) built a 2-0 lead, watched the Rainbow Wahine (7-3-1, 0-2) tie the score in 84th minute and then responded with a game-winner less than two minutes later for the win.
Mallory Hromatko took the ball on the left side of the box and hit a cross to Madeline Gibson who drove the ball past goalkeeper Monk Berger. It was Gibson's second of the season.
Hawaii threatened in the waning minutes and almost got the equalizer in the 88th minute when Raisa Strom-Okimoto crushed a shot from the top of the circle that Gaucho goalkeeper Jacq Caginia punched over the top of the crossbar.
At the outset of the match, UCSB wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as it converted on a corner kick for one of the few times this season.
At the 1:37 mark, Gibson crossed the ball to Amanda Ball who flicked it to Kate Shoemaker. Shoemaker tapped it past Berger for her first goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
The Gauchos threatened often over the final 43 minutes of the first half but Berger was up to the task with five saves. The most dangerous chance came in the 16th minute with Sydney Magnin got behind the defense and launched a shot from point-blank range that was punched over the crossbar by Berger.
Hawaii had its best first-half opportunity in the 41st minute when Sonest Furtado snuck in behind the UCSB defensive unit and went 1-on-1 with Caginia, but her shot was just outside the left post.
Santa Barbara made it 2-0 in 57th minute when Hawaii was called for a dangerous play in the box, resulting in an indirect free kick from about 14 yards out. Dakota Griggs tapped the ball to Magnin who closed the deal when she arced a shot over the Rainbow Wahine wall and into the right side of the goal.
Hawaii broke through in the 67th minute when Strom-Okimoto hit a corner kick towards the far post and Tia Furuta pounded a shot inside the left post to make the score 2-1.
The Rainbow Wahine tied the score at the 84:00 mark when Furuta placed a perfect through-ball to Addie Steiner who was running down the middle of the field. Steiner eluded the Gaucho defenders and scored to the right of a diving Caginia.
UCSB dominated the match statistically, holding a 17-10 edge in shots overall, 9-4 in shots on goal and a 16-4 advantage in corner kicks.
The Gauchos will return to Harder Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 6 when they host Cal State Northridge in a 5 p.m. match that will be followed by a men's match against UC Irvine that will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
