Thursday, August 27
Riverside, Calif.
7:00 PM
California Baptist University
3-0-1, 0-0-0
2
vs
0
UC Santa Barbara
3-1-0, 0-0-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Santa Barbara | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| California Baptist | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Photo by: Matt Horrocks
Held, D'Amico Lift Lancers Past UCSB, 2-0
8/27/2026 9:53:00 PM | Women's Soccer
RIVERSIDE – CBU remained unbeaten with a 2-0 victory over UC Santa Barbara on Thursday night behind goals from graduate defender Taylor Held and freshman forward Bella D'Amico.
In a non-conference clash between two Big West contenders and two of the top teams in the West Region, the Lancers continued their strong start to the 2026 season, improving to 3-0-1 while handing the Gauchos (3-0-1) their first loss of the year.
Freshman defender Jaelynn Hillenbrand earned her first career start as CBU came out fast in the Riverside heat. The Lancers put a pair of early shots on goal before breaking through off their first corner of the night.
Senior midfielder Anja Jestrovic sent the corner into the box, where Held capitalized and found the back of the net at the 10:15 mark. The goal was Held's first of the season and fourth of her CBU career, giving the Lancers an early 1-0 advantage.
UCSB responded with pressure throughout the remainder of the opening half. Graduate goalkeeper Mikayla O'Brien was called into action three times and stopped all three shots on goal, including a pair of saves in the 27th and 31st minutes.
Head coach Kristen St. Clair also went to her bench early, continuing to utilize the depth of the Lancers' roster. Despite UCSB holding an 8-4 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in corner kicks, CBU carried its 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Gauchos continued to push forward after the break, but the Lancers' defense kept them from finding an equalizer. Sophomore defender Sofia Barrie entered to start the second half and helped CBU limit UCSB to five shots and no attempts on goal over the final 45 minutes.
CBU's offense also began to create more opportunities, recording seven second-half shots after totaling four in the opening period.
St. Clair again turned to her bench in the 65th minute, bringing D'Amico and Jestrovic back onto the field at the 64:55 mark. The move paid off almost immediately.
Just 25 seconds after checking in, Jestrovic found D'Amico, who fired a shot into the far corner at 65:20 for her first career CBU goal and a 2-0 advantage. Jestrovic picked up her second assist of the night, having a hand in both Lancer goals.
The CBU defense took care of the rest, closing out its fourth consecutive shutout to begin the season. O'Brien finished with three saves, while the Lancers held UCSB without a shot on goal for the entire second half.
CBU finished with 11 shots, including six on goal, while UCSB totaled 13 shots with three on frame. The Lancers also outshot the Gauchos 7-5 in the second half after being outshot 8-4 in the first.
"This was a good team win tonight. It wasn't our sharpest game, but credit to our players for digging in and getting the job done," said St. Clair. "Mikayla came up with important saves when we needed her, and we did a much better job controlling the game in the second half. Both goals were impressive, with Taylor scoring a great header off Anja's corner and Bella scoring her first collegiate goal with a great shot to the far post. I'm really proud of our group's resolve and ability to overcome a slow start to get the result."
CBU and UCSB will meet again on Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. at CBU Soccer Stadium, with the second matchup counting toward the Big West standings. The Lancers will now have a week away from competition before hosting North Alabama at 7 p.m. in Riverside.
In a non-conference clash between two Big West contenders and two of the top teams in the West Region, the Lancers continued their strong start to the 2026 season, improving to 3-0-1 while handing the Gauchos (3-0-1) their first loss of the year.
Freshman defender Jaelynn Hillenbrand earned her first career start as CBU came out fast in the Riverside heat. The Lancers put a pair of early shots on goal before breaking through off their first corner of the night.
Senior midfielder Anja Jestrovic sent the corner into the box, where Held capitalized and found the back of the net at the 10:15 mark. The goal was Held's first of the season and fourth of her CBU career, giving the Lancers an early 1-0 advantage.
THE LANCERS STRIKE FIRST!!
— California Baptist Women's Soccer (@CBUwsoccer) August 28, 2026
TAYLOR HELD WITH THE HEADER!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/mr85C9zhFz
UCSB responded with pressure throughout the remainder of the opening half. Graduate goalkeeper Mikayla O'Brien was called into action three times and stopped all three shots on goal, including a pair of saves in the 27th and 31st minutes.
Head coach Kristen St. Clair also went to her bench early, continuing to utilize the depth of the Lancers' roster. Despite UCSB holding an 8-4 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in corner kicks, CBU carried its 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Gauchos continued to push forward after the break, but the Lancers' defense kept them from finding an equalizer. Sophomore defender Sofia Barrie entered to start the second half and helped CBU limit UCSB to five shots and no attempts on goal over the final 45 minutes.
CBU's offense also began to create more opportunities, recording seven second-half shots after totaling four in the opening period.
St. Clair again turned to her bench in the 65th minute, bringing D'Amico and Jestrovic back onto the field at the 64:55 mark. The move paid off almost immediately.
Just 25 seconds after checking in, Jestrovic found D'Amico, who fired a shot into the far corner at 65:20 for her first career CBU goal and a 2-0 advantage. Jestrovic picked up her second assist of the night, having a hand in both Lancer goals.
BELLA D'AMICO WHAT A SHOT!! HER FIRST CBU GOAL!!!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/pKASWGI2po
— California Baptist Women's Soccer (@CBUwsoccer) August 28, 2026
The CBU defense took care of the rest, closing out its fourth consecutive shutout to begin the season. O'Brien finished with three saves, while the Lancers held UCSB without a shot on goal for the entire second half.
CBU finished with 11 shots, including six on goal, while UCSB totaled 13 shots with three on frame. The Lancers also outshot the Gauchos 7-5 in the second half after being outshot 8-4 in the first.
"This was a good team win tonight. It wasn't our sharpest game, but credit to our players for digging in and getting the job done," said St. Clair. "Mikayla came up with important saves when we needed her, and we did a much better job controlling the game in the second half. Both goals were impressive, with Taylor scoring a great header off Anja's corner and Bella scoring her first collegiate goal with a great shot to the far post. I'm really proud of our group's resolve and ability to overcome a slow start to get the result."
CBU and UCSB will meet again on Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. at CBU Soccer Stadium, with the second matchup counting toward the Big West standings. The Lancers will now have a week away from competition before hosting North Alabama at 7 p.m. in Riverside.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's Soccer
M/D
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
F/M
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's SoccerTeam Stats
CSB
CBU
Goals
0
2
Shots
13
11
Shots on Goal
3
6
Saves
4
3
Corners
7
2
Fouls
10
5
Scoring Plays
Taylor Held (1)
Assisted By: Anja Jestrovic
GOAL by CBU Held, Taylor Assist by Jestrovic, Anja.
10:15
Bella D'Amico (1)
Assisted By: Anja Jestrovic
GOAL by CBU D'Amico, Bella Assist by Jestrovic, Anja.
65:20
Game Leaders
mid
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
2
fwd
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
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