STANFORD, Calif. - Big West Champion UC Santa Barbara fell to No. 3 seed and 14th-ranked Stanford in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Friday, by a final score of 5-0 in favor of the Cardinal.

Stanford moves to 14-4-1 on the season as advance to take on the winner of tomorrow's contest between No. 6 Rutgers and Connecticut. Meanwhile, UCSB closes the year with an overall record of 8-6-9 after earning the league's automatic bid following an exciting run through The Big West Championship bracket as the No. 3 seed. 

This marked the Gauchos' tenth NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship appearance and third under head coach Paul Stumpf. UCSB is 5-10 all-time in the NCAA postseason and 4-6 overall in the first round of tournament play.

The first half of the game between Stanford and UCSB saw the Cardinal taking an early advantage with the opening goal in the 21st minute. The hosts followed up with another goal by Charlotte Kohler in the 23rd minute, bringing the score to 2-0, which stood as the halftime margin. 

UCSB's defense, led by goalie Maddie Buckley, was active with multiple saves, including shots from Shae Harvey and Maryn Wolf, to keep the score close at the break. 

In the second half, Stanford maintained offensive pressure against the Gauchos, striking three more times in the period while holding UCSB scoreless.

Despite the final score, Buckley recorded 12 saves in the contest against the high-octane Stanford offense. On the offensive front for the Gauchos, forward Haley Phillips led the team with two shots, with defender Caitlyn Liu registering a shot in the match as well. Big West Freshman of the Year Devin Greer recorded one shot as the team registered seven total in the game, but none on goal.