Martinez goal lifts UCSB past Pacific as Gauchos continue strong start to the season

STOCKTON, Calif. - Ramses Martinez scored his first goal since 2021 for the UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team on Monday night, and the Gaucho defense made that lone score stick for a 1-0 win over Pacific. David Mitzner made three saves in the Santa Barbara goal to earn his second career shutout.

FROM HEAD COACH TIM VOM STEEG
"Pacific is a tough place to play, and they have had shutouts in 3 of their first four games — so to get the 1 goal to win was really a great result," Vom Steeg said.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Monday evening's match was a physical one, dominated by defense and goalkeeping with chances at a premium. Despite controlling 55% of the possession and spending 58% of their time on the ball in Pacific's half, the Gaucho offense only created eight shots on the evening, though they did put five of those on target.

In fact, it was the hosting Tigers who had the game's first great scoring chance, forcing Mitzner into action in the 12th minute, the Gaucho keeper having to dive to make a save at his near post. Mitzner was needed again in the 22nd minute, making his second stop of the half.

At the other end of the pitch, Pacific goalkeeper Joshua Moya was busy, though not as busy as he could have been in the first half. Nemo Philipp played a pair of great crosses into the box in the first 20 minutes, one from open play and one from a corner kick, but neither one found a Gaucho head. Mikkel Goeling and Andrew Kamienski each put shots on frame around the 25-minute mark that Moya stopped, and Martinez made the keeper work in the 30th minute, but the teams went into the locker rooms scoreless at the half.

The closest that Santa Barbara came to scoring in the first 45 minutes was actually in the 24th minute, when Kaden Standish lobbed a cross toward the back post that nearly drifted into the back of the net. A Tiger defender had to clear it off the line.

Isaiah Barber came within inches of putting the Gauchos ahead just three minutes into the second half, getting on the end of a through ball after some slick build-up play, but his outside-of-the-foot attempt went just over the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Mitzner was in the right place at the right time to keep the game scoreless, making his third and final save of the evening after a pulled-back cross reached a wide-open Tiger at the back post.

In the 69th minute, the game's physical nature boiled up and provided the turning point, as Pacific was reduced to 10 men after a previously booked Tiger received his second yellow card of the match.

Peleg Brown returned to the field shortly after the red card, and it did not take long for the freshman to show his intent. Brown fired a line-drive shot from 25 yards that was destined for the bottom corner, only to be denied by a diving save from Moya. As the clock struck 77 minutes, Brown was involved again as the Gauchos found their breakthrough. The freshman left back sparked an attack with a perfect diagonal ball from midfield on the near side of the field to the top of the penalty area on the far side, connecting with Standish. The sophomore, making his first career start, lobbed a cross the back post, where all Martinez had to do was tap the ball home. Martinez was outstanding for the Gauchos as a freshman in 2021, earning a Big West All-Freshman Team nod, but was out of action in both 2022 and 2023.

Pacific threw numbers forward to try and find an equalizer late but only managed one shot, which skewed off target as Santa Barbara played out the final minutes of the victory.

BY THE NUMBERS
Monday night's win over Pacific was UC Santa Barbara's 10th in as many meetings with the Tigers, a history which dates back to 1967, the second year of Gaucho Men's Soccer.
Monday night's goalscorer Ramses Martinez happens to be the last Gaucho to score in the NCAA Tournament, having netted against UCLA in 2021; while he had technically only played four games since he last scored for Santa Barbara, there were 1,026 days between today and his most recent goal.
Five outfield players were on the pitch for all 90 minutes against the Tigers on Monday night: Calle Mollerberg, Kaden Standish, Andrew Kamienski, Ramses Martinez and Manu Duah. Those five also played 70, 29, 90, 61 and 70 minutes, respectively just three days prior against UNLV on Friday night.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return home for a pair of matches this weekend, hosting New Hampshire on Friday, Sept. 13 and Westmont on Saturday, Sept. 14. Saturday's Community Shield Match against the Warriors is an exhibition for the Gauchos, meaning it will not count toward Santa Barbara's record. Both matches will kick off at 7 p.m. from Harder Stadium and will have live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com for those following from afar. Friday night's match against New Hampshire will also be live on ESPN+.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)