Riverside men defeat UCSB 3-2
Santa Barbara, CA—Records continue to fall for the UC Riverside Men's Soccer Team (8-5-2, 3-3-1) as the Highlanders set the program record for wins in a season with a 3-2 road win over No. 15 UC Santa Barbara Saturday night.
The victory moves UCR into third place in the Big West Conference with three matches remaining on the regular season schedule. The top four teams in conference advance to the postseason.
UC Riverside never trailed in the match taking their first lead in the 27th minute of play. That's when Azeez Atanda found Richie Osborne for his first goal of the season. The Gauchos tied the score just over four minutes later on a Luis Silva penalty kick.
The match remained tied at the half, but with 17:50 gone in the second, Jon-Paul Medina picked up his first goal of the season off of a Joe O'Connor pass. That lead was also short-lived, as Sam Garza knotted things up three and a half minutes later.
Cesar Diaz Pizarro finally netted the game winner with 18:27 to go in the match, scoring his team-leading seventh goal of the season on a penalty kick.
It is the second win of the season for UC Riverside over UCSB as UCR upset the then seventh-ranked Gauchos 3-2, on October 22.
Cal State Fullerton is next up for the Highlanders in an October 26 home match beginning at 7 pm PT. They then travel to UC Irvine on October 29, and finish the season at home on November 5 against UC Davis.
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