Box Score Santa Barbara Native Big Fan Of Gauchos Growing Up
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – No one has to tell Yale senior Avery Schwartz about the impressive credentials UC Santa Barbara will bring to Reese Stadium on Friday. Schwartz is a Santa Barbara, Calif., native and was a big fan of UCSB soccer growing up.
"I started going to games when I was 11, and I would go to a few every year with my family," Schwartz said. "Some of my favorite soccer memories growing up were at Harder Stadium watching NCAA Tournament games. Former players such as Andy Iro and Jon Curry, the brother of current UCSB assistant coach Greg Curry, were some of my biggest soccer mentors."
The Bulldogs host the 17th-ranked Gauchos in their home opener Friday at 6 p.m. UC Santa Barbara, the 2006 NCAA champions, has one of the most passionate fan bases in all of college soccer. ESPN.com writer Scott French described UCSB and Gaucho soccer as "Soccer Heaven.", and the team annually leads the nation in attendance.
"UCSB soccer is a major part of the community in Santa Barbara," Schwartz said. "Youth soccer there is very competitive, and I think a big reason for that is the community really gets behind the team which inspires a lot of young kids to work hard to earn the privilege of playing college soccer."
The Bulldogs saw first-hand the level of support the Gauchos receive when they played at UCSB in 2013. It was a special memory for Schwartz, whose family hosted a dinner for the team during the trip.
"It was great to be able to go home and play in Santa Barbara two years ago," Schwartz said. "I have a lot of great memories as a fan in that stadium, so to be able to go back home and play on that field in front of my friends and family was a special experience."
Schwartz is quite familiar with the talent on the current edition of the Gauchos. He was a teammate of UCSB freshman Geoffrey Acheampong in high school at the Cate School. In addition, Avery's cousin, Evan Schwartz, is a freshman on the roster, although not likely to be on the travel squad to Connecticut.
Report filed by Tim Bennett(timothy.bennett@yale.edu), Yale Sports Publicity
