Statistics tend to tell the general story of how a game went, but from a Runner’s eye view, it was evident that our men’s soccer team held their own and played well in a physical conference matchup against the University of California, Santa Barbra Gauchos on Oct. 9.
While the game started off slow, it picked up towards the end of the first half and carried that energy into a majority of the second, before dying down in the final minutes to end in a 1-1 draw for both teams.
The first half highlighted CSUB’s strong defense led by center backs Shammai Camara and Sinan Solmaz. Along with outside backs Bogart Roca and Bryson Hankins, the Runner’s back 5 field off 7 first half corners and 5 shots on goal to keep the Gauchos scoreless in the first 45 minutes. 3 of those 5 first half shots on goal were met by big time saves from Zenden Hart, who played well all night, whether it was his shot stopping ability or his comfortability to play out of the back with his feet.
In the 43rd minute and on the 7th corner of the night for UCSB, Hart makes another big time save which sets up a clearance and a counter attack for the Runners, led by Bilal Mihoubi who makes an 80 yard run down the right side of the field to set up Connor Mautino for a shot on goal, leading to the second CSUB corner of the half. After being fought for in the air by a mix of players, the ball graces the head of Bogart Roca, who finds his outside back connection in Bryson Hankins, heading the ball past the keeper just enough to find the back of the net.
Despite going up 1-0 late in the half, the Runners keep the foot on the gas and create one more chance in the half, when midfielder Luka Geishauser sends a beautiful backdoor ball to Mautino, who redirects the ball towards goal and forces the UCSB keeper to make a great save. The Runners closed the half up 1-0 despite being outshot 5-3 and only creating chances off 2 corners in comparison to the Gauchos’ 7.
The second half of the game found the Runners right where they left off, with Solmaz using his strength and speed to carry the ball from his position at center back all the way to the top of the opponents 18 yard box, dishing it off to Mautino for a shot on goal. This bit of momentum lasted another 5 minutes or so until the Gauchos found the back of the net in the 50th minute.
This prompted the Runners to lock in defensively, but the team was still able to counterattack swiftly on the wings and create chances through strong hold up play and set pieces. Goalkeeper Zended Hart produced 3 more big saves off of UCSB set pieces in the 56th, 65th, and 75th minutes respectively, helping keep the match close and giving the Runners a chance to capitalize.
Unfortunately, our boys were not able to find the net a second time, but it is worth noting that our midfield and offense looked hungry tonight and kept the pace of the match high throughout all 90 minutes.
The Gauchos earned 17 corners to match their respectable 17 shots on goal, while our Runners earned 6 corners and created 5 great attempts on goal. After 90 minutes, the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
