2026 Big West Men's Soccer Championship Semifinals - No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara 0, No. 2 seed UC Irvine 0, 2OT; UCSB advances on PKs, 4-2

Championship Central | Box Score | UCSB Presser | UCI Presser | Highlights IRVINE, Calif. — In a rematch of the 2025 finale, No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara (9-5-5, 3-1-2 BW) outlasted second-seeded UC Irvine (10-6-3, 4-1-1 BW) 4-2 in penalty kicks after battling to a 0-0 draw Saturday at Anteater Stadium in the semifinal round of the 2026 Big West Men's Soccer Championship.

UCSB advances to its fifth Big West final in the last six seasons, and are taking on first-time finalist in No. 4 seed Cal State Bakersfield on Friday at 7 p.m. from Harder Stadium. In the regular-season meeting between the two, the game was a 0-0 draw in Bakersfield.

The physical, high-stakes contest between the Gauchos and Anteaters included 42 combined fouls and 10 cards, including a red for UC Irvine's Gustavo Gonzalez in the 54th minute to see the hosts a man down for the remainder of the night.

UCI outshot UCSB 9-0 in the first half of the match, but with the player advantage, the Gaucho offense was able to fire off eight shots to the Anteaters three in the second frame. UCSB earned a corner at 61:16 and had another attempt miss high in the 68th minute, but the match remained 0-0 before freshman Pierce Rizzo struck the left woodwork at 73:20 in a near miss to unknot the score in favor of the home team. UCSB pushed again from 75:54 to 84:18, generating four shots and a corner while Big West Goalkeeper of the Year Scott Williams of UCI saved attempts by Ty Branigan, Steinar Bjornsson and Calle Mollerberg. UCI added a late Matthew Miranda shot and an ensuing corner at 85:09, and after Jack Middleton’s attempt at 88:15, regulation ended scoreless, forcing golden goal overtime.

UCSB earned the lone corner kick of the first overtime period at 98:13, but the set piece did not produce a recorded shot or goal and neither team was able to create an offensive opportunity in the 10 minutes of action.

UCI spent much of the second overtime absorbing UCSB pressure, beginning with Middleton’s shot out left at 100:50 and a corner kick at 102:13. Bjornsson and Donovan Sessoms added shots for the Gauchos, with corners following at 104:37 and 108:07, but the score remained 0-0 through that stretch. After the final UCSB corner, the Anteaters generated the last shot in the run of play when Isaac Powell attempted one at 109:58 before penalty kicks ensued.

The shootout opened with Kaden Standish converting for UCSB and Zac Smuck answering for UCI. Sessoms made the Gauchos’ next attempt before Javier Bedolla Vera's shot was saved by Beninga. UCSB's Bjornsson followed with another conversion before Big West Defensive Player of the Year Brady Treinen kept the Anteaters within the sequence by making the attempt. Mateos Carvalho converted the Gauchos fourth attempt, and Joe O'Shaughnessy's shot was denied by the crossbar to send UCSB into an 11th final, seeking a third Big West Championship.