The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Soccer team finished its four-game road trip with a decisive win over North Dakota State. The Gauchos wrap up the road stint a perfect 4-0 and move to 5-1-1 on the season.

“That was another gritty performance by our team,” said UCSB head coach Paul Stumpf. “North Dakota State has a challenging environment to play in and poses a lot of challenges as a team. We are definitely looking forward to getting home for a few games in a row.”

UC Santa Barbara took an early lead against the Bison when Olivia Howard scored in the third minute, assisted by Haley Phillips. After making a few moves, Howard ripped the shot from 18 yards out and beat the keeper to give the Gauchos a 1-0 lead in the 4th minute.
 
The Gauchos continued to be aggressive, with Emma Corcoran’s shot that was saved by North Dakota State’s goalkeeper in the 11th minute. UC Santa Barbara maintained control with a series of corner kicks and shots.

In the 42nd Corcoran extended UCSB’s lead to 2-0 in the minute with an assist from Natalie Sheffey, concluding the first half with a solid performance.
 
In the second half, UC Santa Barbara extended their lead with a goal by Sheffey in the 78th minute, marking her first career collegiate goal and bringing the score to 3-0.

The second half was a bit more physical than the first with both teams drawing multiple fouls, including a yellow card for Hayden Halscheid at the 63rd minute.

NDSU attempted to break through with a couple of shots and Hannah, but both were saved by Maddie Buckley. Payton Mulberry of the Bison also received a yellow card in the 71st minute as the match remained intense until the final whistle.

UC Santa Barbara will now return home for the next four matches. Their first will be on Thursday, September 11, as they host New Mexico at 7 p.m.

The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com/WSOCLiveStats.