The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Soccer team sent its seniors off smiling. The Gauchos defeated UC Riverside 3-1 on Sunday thanks to goals by senior Camryn Sailor, junior Sophia Moness and sophomore Mya Delaney.
The match opened with UC Santa Barbara taking early control, marked by an effective offensive strategy. Camryn Sailor put UC Santa Barbara ahead in the 13th minute, finding the net with assists from Haley Phillips and Isabella Ong.
The team maintained pressure with multiple shots from Evelyn Arsenault and others, though Riverside’s goalkeeper made several saves to keep the deficit at one.
As the period progressed, UC Santa Barbara continued to dominate possession, evidenced by frequent corner kicks and offensive opportunities. Despite several attempts, including a notable save against Chayse Yu’s breakaway shot, the score remained unchanged.
The period concluded with UC Santa Barbara leading 1-0, maintaining the advantage at the break.
The second half began with Riverside leveling the score in the 50th minute with the Gaucho defense unable to clear the ball.
UC Santa Barbara responded, and in the 73rd minute, Sophia Moness found the net with an assist from Ong (her second of the game), reclaiming the lead.
As the match progressed, UC Santa Barbara continued to press. Mya Delaney extended the lead with a header goal in the 86th minute, assisted by Natalie Sheffey and Ava Dermott.
The match concluded with UC Santa Barbara securing a 3-1 victory over the Highlanders.
With the win, UC Santa Barbara clinches a spot in The Big West Championship bracket. As it stands, the Gauchos are tied for second, but hold the tiebreaker over CSUN, with whom they are tied in the standings.
As the two-seed, the Gauchos would get a bye into the semifinal round.
The Gauchos will wrap up the regular season on Thursday, Oct. 30, as they travel to La Jolla, California, to take on UC San Diego. The match is set to kick off at 7 p.m.