Mustangs shock Gauchos with late rally before 13,467

• by Soccer America , Oct 21, 2012

[UC SANTA BARBARA-CAL POLY] Cal Poly scored on a goal by George Malki with just over a minute left in regulation to tie the game and Mackenzie Pridham scored the golden goal in the 96th minute to propel Cal Poly to a 2-1 win over No. 23 UC Santa Barbara for its first win at Harder Stadium since 1998. The game drew a season-high crowd of 13,467 fans.

Friday's crowd ranks seventh all-time among NCAA regular-season crowds and fourth for a campus venue. Matches between UCSB and Cal Poly now account for 10 of the top 25 highest attended regular-season games.

The Gauchos took the lead in the 75th minute on Nic Ryan's eighth goal of the season, but with the clock winding down, UCSB goalkeeper Austin Mansker came off his line to try to punch the ball out of the box, but instead ran into Pridham The loose ball was quickly collected by Malki, who shot it into the wide open Gaucho goal to tie the game.

On the winning goal, Chris Gaschen played a backheel to Pridham, who fired a shot to the far side of the Gaucho net for his ninth of the year and fifth game-winner.

The loss dropped UCSB to 9-3-3 overall and 3-3-1 in Big West games, leaving the Gauchos in last place in the North Division. The Mustangs now hold a season mark of 9-5-1 and a 4-2-1 league record.

Oct. 19 in Santa Barbara, Calif.
UC Santa Barbara 1 Cal Poly 2. Goals: Ryan (Boateng) 75; Malki (Pridham) 89, Pridham (Gaschen) 96.
UC Santa Barbara -- Mansker, McGlynn, Welsh, Brockway, Baiden, David, Ryan, Madueno, Backus, Acoff, Boateng. Subs: Castillo, Glodack, Miller.
Cal Poly -- Hamilton, Colvey, Drechsler, Wakasa, Malki, Minter, Moore, Hocker, Duran, Pridham, Estes. Subs: Gaschen, Bernardi, Palacios, Medrano, Collins, LaGrassa.
Att.: 13,467.
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