Steinar Bjornsson capped a long UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer road trip with a game-winning goal from long distance for a 2-1 victory at Grand Canyon in Phoenix Saturday night.
The Gauchos went 2-1 on the cross-country trip, losing at Cornell and winning at Rutgers on the East Coast. They are now 3-1-2 on the season.
Bjornsson broke the 1-1 tie with his long-range heroics in the 72nd minute. After Jack Middleton’s shot was blocked, he turned and collected the rebound 35 yards from goal. With three Grand Canyon players around him, he turned around, took a couple of dribbles into open space on his right and launched a rocket into the top corner of the goal.
Goalkeeper Owen Beninga preserved the win with a big save in the minute. He finished the match with seven saves.
Beninga got defensive help from sophomore Cole Harris, who played his first full 90 minutes in just his second career start. He blocked a clear chance by Grand Canyon in the ninth minute.
The Antelopes scored on Beninga after he made a diving stop at the far post. Arnau Camaño pounced on the rebound and put it away for a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute.
UCSB answered four minutes later through Kaden Standish.
The Gauchos trailed for all of four minutes. Peleg Brown floated a cross in from a free kick, finding Standish for a wide-open header in front of the goal.
Zac Siebenlist was instrumental in the Gauchos keeping the pressure on the Antelopes. He created a great chance to take the lead by forcing one of many turnovers by the GCU back line, and his diagonal ball to Kalle Rahbek — who had made a lung-busting, 50-yard run from midfield — set up a look from inside 10 yards, but the Dane was denied by a brilliant save from AJ Mather-Nash.
Siebenlist set a teammate Mateos Carvalho through on goal one on one but the sophomore was denied by an impressive stop from the GCU goalkeeper.
UCSB returns to Harder Stadium for a pair of home matches. On Thursday, they host San Diego State and welcome No. 23 Oregon State on Sunday, Sept. 20 for Welcome Weekend for students and their families.
