UCSB Men’s Soccer Braves Heat in 0-0 Draw with CSU Bakersfield

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team traveled to potentially the only place hotter than its heatwave-affected hometown on Wednesday night, visiting Cal State Bakersfield for a match that kicked off with the thermometers still finding their way into the 90s.

But while the temperature soared, both teams’ attackers found themselves frozen out as the on-field action finished in a 0-0 draw.

Owen Beninga made a pair of crucial saves among his four total stops to earn an 11^th career clean sheet and fourth this season, while the Gauchos extended their streak of Big West matches without a loss to 12, two shy of the school record.

“It’s always a challenge to get results on the road in The Big West,” UCSB head coach Tim Vom Steeg said. “Tonight was no different. The disappointment for me is not the result, but the way we played. We simply had too many players not play to their ability, and consequently we were not good enough to win the game.”

Wednesday’s match was not one of rhythmic possession and silky passes. Instead, it was one dominated by — as the hosts’ mascot might suggest — running. Both teams’ best opportunities came from individual moments or counterattacks than from sustained possession breaking down a back line.

While the Gauchos were frustrated not to convert their chances, many of the best of which came in the second half, they were also fortunate to have Beninga between the sticks to snuff out Bakersfield’s.

It was Beninga with his feet to deny the first chance, making a sliding tackle after a giveaway at the back. It looked for a second like the ricochet was going to arc over Beninga and into the net, but it floated harmlessly over the top.

Four minutes later, in the 10^th, it was Santa Barbara’s turn for a chance off a giveaway, with Steinar Bjornsson finding the ball at his feet and the goalkeeper in no-man’s land some 25 yards from goal, but the Icelander’s chipped attempt was kept out by a recovering defender.

Another turnover gave Bakersfield a great chance in the 25^th minute, setting up a headed attempt from about 10 yards out, but Beninga made likely the save of the night to deny the ‘Runners, drifting over before diving down to his right to block the shot.

That was the best action of the first half for either team, as Bakersfield managed just two shots on target in the period, while Santa Barbara only one.

The game retained its staccato and chaotic nature in the second half, but it did open up, with the Gauchos creating 11 shots and forcing five saves after halftime, compared to three and one, respectively, before the break.

Peleg Brown forced a couple of saves from free kicks in the 25- to 30-yard range, both at the goalkeeper’s near post.

Donovan Sessoms got seemingly the night’s best look at goal in the 67^th minute when Santa Barbara was able to string together a series of passes in the attacking third and set up the striker in the middle of the field, 18 yards out, but his strike turned out to be too easy for the keeper.

Shortly afterwards, Sessoms’ strike partner, Bjornsson, wriggled himself into some open space in the penalty area but hit his shot just high of the crossbar from a tough angle. Jakob Methvin hit a shot from essentially the same tough angle in the 82^nd minute, forcing a save from the goalkeeper.

Gaucho defender Drew Kamienski — who spent most of the evening booting away Roadrunner counterattack attempts — got his head to the resulting corner but his shot was blocked before it could reach the goal.

That sequence ended up being Santa Barbara’s last great chance to score, but they did have one more big moment left in them.

Bakersfield launched one final counterattack in the 89^th minute, rapidly moving the from back to front before setting up a shot at the far post, but Beninga had read the play the whole way and shifted over in plenty of time to cover the angle and get his hands up to make an emphatic stop.

It was the last attempt from either team as the match finished scoreless.

The Gauchos return to Harder Stadium on Saturday for their biggest non-conference game of the year, hosting the second leg of the Blue-Green Rivalry against Cal Poly on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.

The Mustangs won the first leg, 2-1, in front of a crowd of 11,075 in San Luis Obispo in late September. Santa Barbara will look to out-do both the result and the attendance on Saturday.

Tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets and UC Santa Barbara students can get into the match for free with their valid Access ID card.