Cal Poly Hosts UC Santa Barbara Saturday in Return of Blue-Green Rivalry
10/16/2025 10:59:00 AM | Men's Soccer
NOTE: With another large attendance figure expected for Saturday’s 4 p.m. Blue-Green rivalry match, gates will open at 2:30 p.m. Cal Poly’s clear bag policy will be in effect for Saturday’s game.
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Three points separate the Cal Poly men’s soccer program from top spot in the Big West table as the Mustangs renew the Blue-Green rivalry against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Oct. 18. Kickoff from Mustang Memorial Field is 4 p.m. for Cal Poly (5-4-5, 2-1-2), which improved to eight points and fourth place in the Big West standings following a 1-1 Wednesday road draw at Sacramento State. UC Santa Barbara (4-4-6, 2-0-3) sits one point ahead of Cal Poly in third after drawing away to UC San Diego on Wednesday. Big West leader Cal State Bakersfield (11 points), meanwhile, hosts second place Cal State Fullerton (10) later Saturday evening. Cal Poly, which finished in a XXX, non-conference scoreless draw at UC Santa Barbara, enters Saturday’s matchup with the Gauchos as the Big West’s top-scoring side on 24 goals while having conceded the third fewest (13). UC Santa Barbara has drawn its last three Big West matches after opening conference action with a pair of victories.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: Following a non-conference scoreless draw at UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 27), Cal Poly looks to extend its unbeaten run against the rival Gauchos to four straight for the first time since 2016-18. Cal Poly’s most frequent opponent at the Division I level, UC Santa Barbara leads the series, 31-16-12.
CENTRAL COAST SERIES A TIGHTLY CONTESTED RIVALRY: Twenty-five of the last 34 matches between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara have been decided by one goal or drawn. Seven of Cal Poly’s nine victories in the last 36 attempts against UC Santa Barbara have been a one-goal triumph. Just four times since 2007 has one side scored as many as three goals against the other (Cal Poly’s 4-1 home victory versus the Gauchos to close 2017 marked the first time since Nov. 9, 2001 that one team had slipped four goals past the other). The Mustangs are undefeated at home against the Gauchos in 10 of the last 15 years while UC Santa Barbara has lost exactly once at home to Cal Poly in the last 27 matchups at Harder Stadium.
Mustangs hit the halfway point of the Big West schedule this week, visiting Sacramento State on Wednesday, Oct. 15 before renewing the Blue-Green rivalry - this time for points! - against UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Oct. 18.#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/dBxhCuysXw
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 13, 2025
CAL POLY-UC SANTA BARBARA MATCHUP REMAINS THE CENTRAL COAST TOP SPORTING ATTRACTION: The best-attended sporting events annually in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, the Cal Poly-UC Santa Barbara series has drawn 35 of the top 75 regular season crowd figures in NCAA history (nearly half) with all matches occurring during the previous 18 seasons. The matchup at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium has sold out all 11,075 seats in 11 of the last 16 seasons. The 26 combined matches between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara during the last 14 years comprise 26 of the 34 highest attended collegiate soccer games in the United States – including NCAA Tournament and College Cup matches. Since the start of the 2007 season, 352,368 total spectators and an average of 9,523 fans per match have witnessed Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara clash on 37 occasions.
HOME SWEET HOME: Cal Poly enters Saturday’s matchup with UC Santa Barbara unbeaten in 14 of its previous 15 home games at Mustang Memorial Field – a streak dating to 2023. Cal Poly’s program record, 13-game home unbeaten run was snapped with a 2-0 setback to Cal State Fullerton (Oct. 8) before the Mustangs defeated UC San Diego (Oct. 11) at home, 4-0. During the last 15 home matches, Cal Poly has conceded just eight times and recorded nine shutouts.
TOTAL FOOTBALL: After scoring 19 times in 19 matches last fall, Cal Poly has found the back of the opposition net a Big West best 24 times already to rank 30th among 210 NCAA Division I programs. Twelve different Mustangs have scored through the initial 14 games with senior midfielder Bakuena Ramakatsa, junior forward Jack Civitts, sophomore forward Finn Linas and freshman defender Tanner Casey producing their first goals as Mustangs. With freshman defender Michael Vick leading the Big West and ranked 39th among NCAA Division I players with five assists and Civitts 77th nationally on four assists, 10 separate Mustangs have registered at least one assist this year.
Attention Mustang men's soccer alumni! Looking forward to seeing you Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday, Oct. 18 for our annual alumni weekend! We have a great schedule of events and, of course, the Blue-Green rivalry game with UCSB! Sign up below!#RideHighhttps://t.co/TE5AaAwQAk pic.twitter.com/7MaQIscnKV
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 16, 2025
DEFENSE IN FOCUS: Allowing six goals in its opening four matches, Cal Poly has conceded just seven times in the last 10 games. Five of the program’s six shutouts this fall have occurred since a home draw against No. 20 San Francisco (Sept. 11). Two of the 13 total goals allowed have been penalties.
MUSTANG GOLDEN BOOT RACE TAKES SHAPE: Enjoying his first two-goal game as a Mustang during Cal Poly’s 8-0 home victory against Utah Tech (Sept. 18), sophomore forward Quinn Mahoney has already matched his four-goal haul from last fall. Freshman defender Tanner Casey, who scored three times in his initial four appearances, added a fourth goal during Cal Poly’s 4-0 home win against UC San Diego as the duo rank third among Big West scorers. Mahoney – the reigning Big West Freshman of the Year honoree – leads Cal Poly with 21 shot attempts and ranks third in the Big West with 10 points. Casey, helping Cal Poly achieve six shutouts at one end of the pitch, is sixth with nine points.
SEAN MCGOAL: Missing the entirety of the 2024 season through injury, junior forward Sean McTague has returned this year with goals to fuel wins against Utah Tech (Sept. 18), at San Diego State (Sept. 21) and the 86th-minute, game-winner versus UC Davis (Oct. 1). A 2022 Big West All-Freshman Team selection, McTague ranks eighth among conference goalscorers.
MCCUNE IN FRAME: Without just five goals allowed in his previous 735 minutes and only 11 conceded from open play in 1,248 minutes this season, senior Nicky McCune – the Sept. 9 Big West Defensive Player of the Week honoree – ranks first among Big West goalkeepers in total minutes, second with five solo shutouts and a .745 save percentage and third with a 0.93 goals against average. McCune has twice recorded a season best five saves at California Baptist (Aug. 30) and Air Force (Sept. 5). A starter in 34 of 37 collegiate outings, McCune ranks second in program history with a 0.93 career goals against average, fourth with 13 career shutouts and fifth with a .766 save percentage.
MCCUNE, OWENS NAMED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST: For the first time in Cal Poly history, multiple Mustangs were named to a Hermann Trophy Watch List as senior goalkeeper Nicky McCune and junior defender Parker Owens earned Aug. 21 candidacy for collegiate national player of the year recognition. Among the 29 standouts named, Cal Poly joined Cornell as the only programs – among more than 200 Division I squads – with two candidates. A total of 15 players will be named 2025 Hermann Trophy semifinalists on Dec. 9 at the conclusion of NCAA Division I All-America voting. From that list, three players will be voted as finalists with the 2025 recipient announced Jan. 9, 2026, at the historic Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
ETC.: Cal Poly’s 8-0 home victory against Utah Tech (Sept. 18) established new Division I program records for total goals, margin of victory and individual assists (seven) … junior forward Jack Civitts was named Sept. 22 Big West Offensive Player of the Week after scoring against Utah Tech and producing Cal Poly’s first three-assist game in 17 seasons … Cal Poly saw a program record 13-match home unbeaten run at Mustang Memorial Field snapped with a 2-0 loss to Cal State Fullerton (Oct. 8).
