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STANFORD, Calif. -- UC Santa Barbara fell in penalty kicks by a score of 6-5 to No. 16 seed Stanford, Saturday night at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium with a crowd of 2,300.
The match will officially go in the record books as a draw as the two sides had a even score of 2-2 after a 90 minutes of regulation and two 10-minute overtime periods. Stanford advances to the third round of the 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship with a 9-5-5 record. Big West runners-up UC Santa Barbara caps the year at 12-5-5 after finishing second in both the conference regular- and postseason and earning an at-large berth in the national tournament.
The shootout period between the Cardinal and the Gauchos was marked by a series of successful attempts from both teams in the first two rounds. In the third round, UCSB, kicking first, missed its penalty shot, while Stanford was successful, giving the Cardinal the edge. The subsequent three attempts found the back of the net, creating a situation where Gaucho goalkeeper David Mitzner was able to force sudden victory rounds. In the seventh round, UCSB was unable to hit the back of the net, while Stanford's attempt was true, sending the Cardinal to the Sweet 16.
UCSB forced overtime and penalty kicks after trailing by two goals at halftime. The second 45 minutes of regulation saw UCSB applying offensive pressure, resulting in a goal by Haruki Utsumi in the 50th minute, reducing Stanford's lead to 2-1. After the Gaucho defender's initial shot was bounced back by the defense, Utsumi was able to collect the rebound and find the lower left corner of the cage.
Throughout the half, UCSB maintained their aggressive play, and had a penalty oppotunity from the spot in the 72nd minute. However, Cardinal goalkeeper Rowan Schnebly saved the penalty kick from Big West Offensive Player of the Year Alexis Ledoux to retain their one-score advantage. UCSB's persistence paid off when Zac Siebenlist scored on a header with an assist from Filip Basili with 13 seconds left, tying the game at 2-2.
The first half between the two teams saw the Cardinal taking the lead with a strong offensive performance. Despite multiple fouls committed by both teams in the opening minutes, the first significant play occurred in the 33rd minute when Noah Adnan scored for Stanford, assisted by Will Reilly, following a corner kick. Stanford continued to pressure UCSB's defense, with Mitzner making several key saves. Adnan scored again in the 45th minute, once more assisted by Reilly, bringing Stanford's lead to 2-0 by the end of the half.