Big West Mens Basketball Preview #1 (Long Beach State)

Can you believe it is only one month till college basketball starts again? Well I am so excited and cannot wait for the Big West and the rest of the NCAA to get back into action.

Over this next month, here at UCSB Gauchos Blog we will be previewing the Big West, UCSB, and the NCAA. The first eight previews are on all of the Gaucho's Big West rivals. The first one is 2010 Big West Tournament runner-up (I still enjoy saying that) Long Beach State.

Long Beach State

The 49ers are coming off a disappointing season even though they came within five points of making the NCAA Tournament. They went 17-16 after a grueling non-conference schedule which included Duke, Texas, West Virginia, and Notre Dame. Then in conference play they were very inconsistent even though they had the best talent overall in the Big West with Casper "The Friendly Ghost" Ware, TJ "Mr. Double-Double" Robinson, and Larry "LAX" Anderson.

They got the #3 seed in the Big West Tournament and beat Cal Poly and then Pacific to reach the title game. Then they lost to UCSB 69-64 in the title game.

So this season they bring back most of their key players. They are losing three-point specialist Stephan Gilling and two big men up front. They bring in loads of talent this year with Jacob Thomas, Shelton Boykin, and Nick Shepherd. Thomas is the #32 shooting guard according to ESPN.com while Boykin is the #25 small forward.

The schedule this year doesn't get any easier this year. They have San Diego State (home), Paradise Jam Tournament, Washington (away), North Carolina (away), and Arizona State (away). Their first conference game is at UCSB on ESPNU.

It should be the Gauchos and the 49ers neck and neck this year for the Big West Championship!

Will Brew and Casper Ware will be two of the top point guards in the Big West!

Highlights from UCSB's record setting 2-0 win over UCLA

GO GAUCHOS!

UCSB Mens Soccer vs. UCLA Bruins

Soldout crowd. Ranked team vs. Ranked Team. Former National Champs. This had all the makings of an instant classic. It turned out to be gauchorific as the Gauchos got way back on track by beating the #7 UCLA Bruins 2-0 in front of 15,896 fans. That is the second all-time in the NCAA Mens Soccer attendance record. That was however the most fans ever at Harder Stadium for a soccer match.

Going into the game, the Gauchos had just won two in a row. They knew if they beat UCLA they would be back in the National Championship hunt. They got back in it in a big way.

After over an hour of a stalemate between the two UC schools, the Gauchos found the back of the net. After the ball bounced around in the box off of a corner kick, it found the feet of freshman superstar David Opoku who sent the tortillas flying and the people jumping with his goaaaaaalllll!

Then in the 90th minute, Luis Silva and Danny Barrera had a break away which then Silva passed to Barrera and the All-American slotted home the goal.

Tim Vom Steeg said it "never felt so good to win a game." Freshman David Opoku said "it was the best moment in my young career." Vom Steeg was so excited that before the game he had to tune into AM Channel 1610 for traffic updates because so many people were coming tonight.

The Gauchos after this emotional win get back into action September 29 at 7:00 p.m. at Cal State Foolerton.

This is the third win in the row for the Gauchos with all three coming on shutouts.

Go Gauchos!

Key Stats:
Attendance: 15,896
Shots: UCLA-8 UCSB-12
Fouls: UCLA-15 UCSB-15
Records: UCLA:4-2-1 UCSB:3-2-2

Lobo Classic Recap Men's Soccer

Finally, those are the Gauchos we know. With conference play soon and a tilt with UCLA around the corner, it was good for the Gauchos to have a good weekend. They beat #6 Harvard 2-0 and Buffalo in convincing fashion 4-0.

In the first game vs. the boys from Cambridge, they got on the board right before the half with a goal from junior Joe Eubanks who got it in after a cross from Sam Garza. Then David Opoku got past the Harvard goalie to make it 2-0 with only 3 minutes to go.

The Gauchos had 10 shots and 6 of them were on target. Senior 'keeper Sam Hayden got back to his old ways with a season-high 5 saves. He was named a College Soccer News Player of the Week!

In the second match of the weekend, the Gauchos came out swinging. They came to dance but Buffalo didn't even get "Off the Wall." You know you like the Michael Jackson reference.

Well they beat the Buffaloes 4-0 in a match where the Gauchos struck early. Tim Pontius put a rebounded shot in the back of the net. Then in the 27th minute Opoku scored another goal when he and Garza did a little back and forth action which resulted in a goal. Then Garza in the 68th got a ball from Opoku and put fired an absoulte firecracker past the goalie! With the game winding down and the Gauchos locked in for the win, UCSB made the Buff's cry when Christian Ramirez scored his first goal in a Gaucho uniform.

The Gauchos get back into action with a huge match vs. UCLA on September 24th at 7:00 p.m. The 'Chos will be looking for revenge after last years 2-1 NCAA Tournament loss.

Go Gauchos!

Tim Pontius scored a goal this weekend

UCSB Mens Basketball Schedule Released

Finally. The UCSB Mens Basketball team officially released its schedule today. The schedule features teams like Oregon, Portland, UNLV, and San Diego State. The Gauchos home schedule includes Fresno State, Loyola Marymount, ESPNU Bracketbuster, and Long Beach State.

The first game of the season is against The Masters on November 5th at The Thunderdome. Then they travel to Eugene, Oregon to play in the Oregon Tournament which includes South Dakota State, Denver University, Oregon, and your 2010 Big West Champion Gauchos!

Then the next six games are the heart of this non-conference schedule. Whent they get back from winning the Oregon Tournament, the Gauchos will play Fresno State in UCSB, then play Portland in their second trip to the state, and then at home versus the Lions of Loyola Marymount who gave the Gauchos a scare last year in a 89-84 Gaucho win!

Then the Gauchos get on the buses and planes for a HUMONGOUS three game road stretch. They first travel to Northern California to take on Santa Clara. The Gauchos will be looking for revenge after losing to Santa Clara at home last season. Then they take on two Mountain West NCAA Tournament participants as the UNLV-UCSB rivalry gets renewed in the Sin City and then the boys from SB try to win in San Diego vs San Diego State. The Gauchos lost a close one to the Aztecs last year in the T-Dome. The last time UCSB played UNLV, James Powell made a game winning three at the buzzer to give the Gauchos a 63-60 win over the Runnin Rebels.

Then two more non-conference cupcakes which are sandwiched around the BIG KAHUNA tilt which features the Big West RUNNER UPS, Long Beach State (What now Beach?!?!?) and the Big West CHAMPS.

That is the first of the sixteen Big West games for the 'Chos this season. Then they travel to farmer Joe country as they play the hippies from Davis and the team that has a pyshco coach, the Pacific Tigers.

Then the Champs return home to take on two fellow UC schools in Irvine and Riverside. UCSB swept both teams last year.

Then they travel to the heart of the OC as they take on Cal-State Fullerton and then the first of two Blue-Green Rivalry games versus the Cal Poly Lady Mustangs (You heard what I called you Cal Poly).

Then they take on Cal-State Northridge and Pacific at the T-Dome. After that homestand, they travel for three games as they will play UC Davis, UC Riverside, and UC Irvine in a seven day span.

Then they have a home conference game vs. the Titans of Fullerton and then a ESPNU Bracket Busters Game in Santa Barbara.

Then they finish the road season with Cal-State Northridge and Long Beach State. The Long Beach game is at the special time of 4:05 which means most likely the cameras will be at The Beach.

Then on Senior Day when we will honor Jordan Weiner, Justin Joyner, and Jon Pastorek they play the Lady Mustangs at The Thunderdome.

Prediction: This is early and I cannot really tell yet but I say we go 22-7 with wins over UNLV and Oregon. We will lose to San Diego State but then get the Big West #1 seed and get a 12 seed in the Big Dance!

Go Gauchos!