SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Kylie Dobbs and Megan Rucker blasted home from well outside the 18-yard box to lead the Lions past the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 2-0 on Thursday night in Santa Barbara, Calif.  

 

The Lions and Gauchos played to a stalemate in the first half, but it was the Lions that had the best opportunity. Jennessa Groves rattled the inside of the post after some nice pressing turned over the ball in the opponent's half. Caitlyn McCulloch pressured into a nice tackle before the ball bounced around and found Groves. Groves fired a right-footed effort into the far corner but was denied by the woodwork in the only dangerous chance of the half.  

 

After the break, the Lions took control of the match. 

 

From the opening kickoff, Dobbs passed the ball backwards to Emma Gustad Myklebust. Myklebust played a long ball that went over the head of Abby Lynch and landed at Dobbs' feet. With her momentum taking her away from goal, she fired a hard, arcing shot with her left that beat the keeper and ended up tickling the twine in the back of the net. It was Dobbs' fifth goal since transferring from Missouri, with all but one of them coming from outside the box. 

 

She was close to earning a brace just a few minutes later. Lynch played a slick reverse ball into space on the left side of the box that Dobbs latched onto. She wrapped around the ball and fired a low shot but was denied by the Gauchos keeper.  

 

Rucker would not be denied just a few minutes after Dobbs' second effort. It was Lynch again that was pulling the strings with a deft layoff to a streaking Rucker on the left side. She eschewed her favorite left for a right-footed shot that dipped into the bottom right of the goal for her first tally as a Lion.  

 

The Lions played their patented hard-nosed defense, utilizing timely challenges with alternating pressures to throw the Gauchos off their game. The Gauchos only forced JJ Hoover into one save all match, despite registering ten shots. Myklebust and Genevieve Watkins were paired together for the first time and covered all their bases. Helen Schaefer and Rucker continued to be the veteran presences on the outside.  

 

The Lions debuted four new players in Thursday's contest. McCulloch made her first appearance as a Lion with a stellar performance in the midfield. Maci Land, Ava Mathieson and Natalie Oca all made their collegiate debuts, with Land and Mathieson earning their first starts as well. All three were impactful as Land anchored the middle of the pitch, Mathieson was tasked with pressure and getting forward and Oca was all over drawing fouls and winning possession.  

 

It was the first time the Lions have opened the season with a win since 2016.