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CSUB Men's Soccer Celebration 01
Hannah Walker
5
Winner CSU Bakersfield CSUB (7-4-7, 1-1-4)
1
UC Santa Barbara UCSB (9-6-5, 3-1-2)
Winner
CSU Bakersfield CSUB
(7-4-7, 1-1-4)
5
Final
1
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
(9-6-5, 3-1-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
CSU Bakersfield CSUB 3 2 5
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Tourney Record 5 Goals Sends CSUB to NCAA Tournament

CSUB Men's Soccer clinched its first-ever Big West title with a convincing, 5-1 victory Friday night in Santa Barbara.

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Cal State Bakersfield men's soccer team captured its first Big West title, earning a 5-1 victory over No. 3 seed UC Santa Barbara on Friday. The No. 4 seed Roadrunners scored early and often, including four unanswered goals after the Gauchos tied the Big West Championship Final, securing the first conference championship for any CSUB sport since the school joined the league in 2020.

Key Facts
  • Filip Arras, Oshea Foster, Joey Velasquez, Jesse Wangusi and Mpawenayo Jackson each scored for the `Runners.
  • The `Runners scored three times in a 9:17 span during the first half to take a 3-1 lead into halftime.
  • Zenden Hart made two saves as CSUB held UC Santa Barbara to just a penalty kick goal on 23 shots.
  • CSUB Men's Soccer will return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011 after winning the first Big West title in program history.
  • Bakersfield's five goals is a new single-game record in Big West Championship history.
  • Arras was named the Big West Championship MVP and he was joined by three `Runners on the All-Tournament Team: Foster, Velasquez, and Hart.
How it Happened

The `Runners struck first at 5:56 when Arras scored his seventh goal of the season. Bakersfield's leading goalscorer bent a 35-yard free kick into the side netting for another wonder strike in his highlight reel of a season.

UCSB answered in the 26th minute through Steinar Bjornsson's penalty kick goal, but CSUB quickly regained control. Foster scored at 32:03 with an assist from Justin Knighton, and Velasquez added a strike of his own. The two goals came 1:27 apart, and CSUB carried a 3-1 advantage into halftime.

Wangusi extended the advantage at 57:20 with Velasquez providing the assist, and Jackson capped the scoring at 84:57 on a pass from Lorimer Bouman. The `Runners finished with 14 shots to UCSB's 23, including a 9-5 edge in the second half, while Hart made both of his saves after halftime.

What's Next?

CSUB will learn its NCAA Tournament First Round opponent on Monday:
  • NCAA Selection Show
    • Monday, Nov. 16, 10 a.m. (PT)
    • Bakersfield, Calif. / Icardo Center
~GoRunners.com~
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