On Saturday, February 24th, the Tritons played the Gauchos at UC Santa Barbara. UCSD and UCSB have already met two other times on the pitch this season. With a win and a tie under UCSD’s belt against Santa Barbara, there was angst from both sides.

Within the first six minutes of the game, San Diego is given a free kick outside of UCSB’s eighteen yard box. Jordan Needham steps up to the ball, ready to shoot, but instead finds an opening between the wall and her teammate, Mia Fava. The two make eye contact and somehow understand one another. As Needham runs up to the ball she unexpectedly passes it to Fava, who taps it through the defenders feet, laying it off for Suhana Singh. Singh takes one touch…two touches…and places it in the bottom left corner!!

Up by one, the Tritons are feeling energized. It’s back and forth and back and forth. One team fighting for their first goal, another fighting for their second. Five minutes later, UCSB is on the scoreboard. With the score being 1-1 both teams are feeling more anxious and excited. Both teams are scrambling now, trying to be the ones in the lead. Santa Barbara’s goal brings life back to their team, which leads them to getting their second goal.

With the score being 1-2 Santa Barbara at half time, San Diego is not willing to let these goals go unanswered. As the Tritons walk out onto the pitch, they are ready to give it their all and take back the lead. About 20 minutes into the second half, there’s a chance for UCSD. With a cross from an outside winger, there is a scramble in the box. The ball is bouncing around and finds its way to the top of the eighteen yard box. San Diego’s center back, Allie Spong, finds the ball bouncing toward her and rips it with her left foot. Like a bullet, the ball pierces the back of the net in the top right corner!! It was a spectacular shot that gave UCSD a fighting chance at 2-2.

As the game went on, both teams put up a battle, and unfortunately, UCSB walked away with a win this time, 2-3. This will probably not be the last time the Tritons and the Gauchos meet, but UCSD looks forward to the next.