The AYSO players at Harder Stadium on Saturday night treated to an offensive explosion by the UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer team.
The Gauchos blew a 2-0 first-half lead but came back in the second half with three goals and defeated Utah Valley, 5-2, in a non-league match on AYSO Banner Night.
Alexis Ledoux scored the game winner in the 53rd minute with is first goal of the season. He dribbled across the top of the box and unleashed a right-footed blast into the upper right corner of the goal.
Seventeen minutes later, Nicolas Hald Willumsen notched his first goal as a Gaucho off a slick assist from Lucas Gonzalez. He collected a long ball, dribbled at defenders and slipped a pass through to Willumsen, who beat goalkeeper Aden Mills with a low shot inside the far post.
The Gauchos capped their second straight win in the 77th on the first goal from Filip Basili. The goal was set up by Pablo Figueroa, who beat a defender on the left wing, hit a low cross that a Utah Valley defender deflected right to Basili for the finish.
UCSB’s second-half explosion erased the bad taste of first-half mistakes that put Utah Valley back in the game.
The Gauchos were dominating play and leading 2-0 when things went haywire. A back pass to goalkeeper Leroy Zeller was misplayed and Utah Valley’s Michele Signorelli swooped in and poked the ball into the net in the 19th minute.
The Wolverines equalized five minutes later on a goal from Jack Borden on a rebound.
“Well, we got another great start, got the two goals and then we gave them life with that mistake at the back,” UCSB coach Vom Steeg said.
“I am pleased that Alexis, after he missed that one that was the open net, was able to hit an absolute screamer.”
UCSB got the crowd excited early on a nice piece of work from Jorge Aldana and Mikkel Goeling. In the eighth minute, Aldana sent a cross to the back post and Goeling hammered a header into the back of the net.
Next, it was Lucas Gonzalez and Nemo Philipp combining on a give and go. Philipp fed Gonzalez and the playmaker chipped the ball back to Philipp who volleyed it past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.
UCSB outshot the Wolverines 16-14 overall, with a 7-6 advantage on shots on goal.
The Gauchos improved to 3-2-0 and Utah Valley fell to 1-4-0.
“I’m pleased that we won tonight, pleased that we were able to come back from 2-2 after a kind of a disappointing first half in terms of giving up two mistakes, and getting three goals in the second half,” said Vom Steeg.