The first installation of the Blue-Green Rivalry this year is set to kick off on Thursday night as UCSB and Cal Poly face off in a women’s soccer matchup at Harder Stadium.
The Gauchos enter the match with a record of 2-2-4 while the Mustangs sit at 1-3-2 going into this Big West opener for both sides.
In recent years, the rivalry has favored Cal Poly in the women’s edition of the biggest rivalry in college soccer, as the Mustangs hold a 2-0-4 record over the last six matchups.
Cal Poly also leads the all-time series 17-8-8 and has won the last two meetings, with last year’s matchup ending in a 4-0 win for the Mustangs.
This year’s Cal Poly squad returned 15 players, including four All-Big West honorees from a year ago. They also have 12 freshmen on the roster, two of which went to a local Santa Barbara high school.
Siena Urzua, who won a CIF title in both soccer and volleyball with Bishop Diego, is a freshman defender for the Mustangs and has played 190 minutes across six games. Urzua played a season-high 63 minutes in Cal Poly’s last matchup against Santa Clara on Sunday.
Along with Urzua, Mustang freshman midfielder Kasia Wolf attended Santa Barbara High. Wolf has played a total of 51 minutes in three total games this season.
For UCSB, Haley Phillips has been a standout this season. Following a game-winning goal over Idaho on Sunday, Phillips is tied for second on the team in points and goals while also being first in assists.
Lauren Helwig has also been a huge part of the offense, scoring four of the team’s eight goals this season. She is second in the Big West in goals and first in shots with 26.
The Gaucho defense, led by goalkeepers Sabrina Hinz and Taylor Little, has kept opponents to an average of one goal per game.
Both teams will be looking to begin Big West play with a big rivalry win, and it begins Thursday night at 7 p.m. for UCSB’s Hispanic Heritage Celebration and Revolution Night. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available at ucsbgauchos.com.
