Sept. 20, 2003
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
Senior forward Neil Jones scored the game-winning goal for the second match in a row as the tenth-ranked UC Santa Barbara men's soccer team won its fifth consecutive match, 2-0 over visiting Westmont College.
After a scoreless, but eventful first half, the Gauchos got on the board at the 61:08 mark. Senior midfielder Matt Kubota struck a long cross from just outside the upper-left corner of the penalty box and Jones made his way through a crowd and hit a header into the lower right portion of the goal.
UCSB scored an insurance goal in the 68th minute when senior midfielder David McGill was knocked-down after dribbling into the penalty box. The referee awarded the Gauchos a penalty kick and senior midfielder Memo Arzate put it away for his second goal of the campaign.
Both teams had several dangerous scoring chances all throughout the game. UCSB in particular had numerous chances, recording 30 shots, but Westmont goalkeeper Logan Frank, a freshman, came up with nine saves. Frank had two spectacular saves in the first half, one in the 13th minute when he deflected a Jones bullet over the crossbar, and another in the 37th minute when he stopped a Johnny Alcaraz header.
The Warriors nearly scored the first goal of the match in the eighth minute when forward Sam Hartman drove down the left side of the goal box and tried to nudge one past Gaucho goalkeeper Dan Kennedy. Kennedy, however, deflected the ball, but forward Danny Collins was right there with a rebound shot. UCSB freshman defender Greg Curry made a leaping save, heading a sure goal over the right corner.
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The blanking was Kennedy's 16th complete game shutout, moving him into fourth-place on the Big West career list.
With the win, UCSB improves to 5-0-1 on the year. They have now won 12 consecutive matches at Harder Stadium dating back to last season. Westmont drops to 3-3-0 on the campaign.
The Gauchos return to the Harder Stadium pitch on Wednesday night, September 24, to open Big West Conference play against Cal Poly.
