By Ron Smith
September 14, 2024
 
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) Westmont Men's Soccer (1-0-2) played their annual game against NCAA Division I UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night at Harder Stadium on the campus of UCSB. This year's edition ended in a 2-2 tie.
 
For the first time since 2005, the Warriors played the game as a countable game while the Gauchos considered it an exhibition.
 
"We created so many clear chances," said Westmont's head coach Morgan Cathey of his team's performance. "That is the best we have been in and around the box this season. We have been working on that all week. It is a bonus for us to see how creative we were and how much we were in the 18 and how many clear chances we created."
 
The Warriors tallied 20 shots during the game, seven of which were on goal.
 
Just four minutes into the game, UCSB's Zac Siebenlist found the back of the net for the Gauchos. A pass from the left side of the goal found Siebenlist on the right side. Siebenlist used his right foot to put the ball in the left corner.
 
"It was a bad set-piece moment for the first goal," acknowledged Cathey. "What UCSB does so well is to prepare their players in many different ways to expose their opponent. We prepared one way, but we had no idea how they would play. It was the first game for a lot of their players and you could see in the first five minutes their excitement. Brady Highfill was unbelievable and we were lucky to stay in the game."
 
Highfill recorded seven saves for the Warriors.
 
Connor Lynch produced the equalizer just five minutes later. Daniel Tuscano delivered a ball to Luiz Cortes in the right corner who served it in, finding Lynch 15 yards out in front of the goal. Lynch fired into the left side of the goal using his left foot, scoring his first goal of the season.
 
The Warriors took a 2-1 lead in the 38th minute when Cortes scored his first collegiate goal. Lynch served a ball from the left side that found Eric Guerrero on the right. Guerrero fired, hitting the far post. The ball ricocheted to Cortes who scored in the lower left netting.
 
"Luis hasn't really ever played the position we have him in right now," noted Cathey. "That speaks of him more than anything else. He came in the game and created chances as a defensive player and finished chances as a defensive player – and he almost had another goal. That ability to play both sides of the ball is what we hope to get from him.
 
"He did it so much that he cramped to a point that he couldn't run any more. He exhausted himself. He is an exceptional young man. He is someone who, right away, wants to exhaust himself for the program. It is not about him. He wants this program to be good. Every game, he wants to help his team be the most successful it can be."
 
In the 50th minute, Siebenlist scored again for the Gauchos. Henrique Bueno fed the ball to Sienbenlist who dribbled to goal and placed the ball in the top right netting.
 
"Ultimately, I thought we were in control of the game for large moments and that is the most important thing," said Cathey. "No matter who is on the field, the ball is faster and we were able to move the ball into moments where we were in control and created high quality chances.
 
"UCSB is second in the country in Division I in fouls and has the third most yellow cards in the country. So, our guys knew they were going to be in for a dogfight. There were some set pieces where I thought they imposed themselves on us too much. Throughout the rest of the game, however, I don't think we backed down and that should be a good sign of confidence for us. Against a big Division I opponent and good athletes, we can out-muscle them in the right moments."
 
The Warriors return to NCAA Division II opponents when they host Cal State East Bay on Wednesday, September 18.