Although Sacramento Republic FC midfielder Alfonso Motagalvan was at Bonney Field on Saturday, he was honored at his alma mater, University of California—Santa Barbara, during the UCSB Men’s Soccer Team alumni weekend.
As a member of the 2006 Gauchos soccer team, Motagalvan and his college teammates were inducted into the UCSB Athletics Hall of Fame. The induction capped off the 2016 Gaucho Soccer Reunion Weekend, which also featured several alumni matches.
“It’s a great honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said Motagalvan “Not many people can say they’ve won a national championship. I remember it like it was yesterday. We had a good group of guys and we still keep in touch.”
In 2006, Motagalvan and his college teammates starting their season off slowly, going just 7-6 in the first half of the season. However, the team hit a hot streak, winning 10 out of their last 11 matches before earning a berth in the NCAA tournament.
Although Sacramento Republic FC midfielder Alfonso Motagalvan was at Bonney Field on Saturday, he was honored at his alma mater, University of California—Santa Barbara, during the UCSB Men’s Soccer Team alumni weekend.
As a member of the 2006 Gauchos soccer team, Motagalvan and his college teammates were inducted into the UCSB Athletics Hall of Fame. The induction capped off the 2016 Gaucho Soccer Reunion Weekend, which also featured several alumni matches.
“It’s a great honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said Motagalvan “Not many people can say they’ve won a national championship. I remember it like it was yesterday. We had a good group of guys and we still keep in touch.”
In 2006, Motagalvan and his college teammates starting their season off slowly, going just 7-6 in the first half of the season. However, the team hit a hot streak, winning 10 out of their last 11 matches before earning a berth in the NCAA tournament.
On the road to the championship match, UCSB upset no. 1 SMU and then defeated Wake Forest in a penalty kick shoot out in the College Cup semifinals. In the title match, the Gauchos became College Cup champions after defeating UCLA 2-1 on Dec. 3 at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Mo. Motagalvan, who started and played in the entire championship match, made a critical play to clear a ball off the goal line in the waning seconds of the match to preserve the 2-1 lead to the Gauchos their first national title.
During his college career from 2005 to 2008, Motagalvan appeared in 81 matches for UC Santa Barbara, scoring 10 goals and recording four assists. During the 2006 season, Motagalvan was a critical member of the championship team, appearing in 20 total matches, include all six NCAA tournament matches.
Motagalvan is one of several members of the 2006 championship team that currently plays professional soccer. Additional Hall of Fame inductees include Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union), Eric Avila (Tampa Bay Rowdies) and Kyle Reynish (New York Red Bulls).
On the road to the championship match, UCSB upset no. 1 SMU and then defeated Wake Forest in a penalty kick shoot out in the College Cup semifinals. In the title match, the Gauchos became College Cup champions after defeating UCLA 2-1 on Dec. 3 at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Mo. Motagalvan, who started and played in the entire championship match, made a critical play to clear a ball off the goal line in the waning seconds of the match to preserve the 2-1 lead to the Gauchos their first national title.
During his college career from 2005 to 2008, Motagalvan appeared in 81 matches for UC Santa Barbara, scoring 10 goals and recording four assists. During the 2006 season, Motagalvan was a critical member of the championship team, appearing in 20 total matches, include all six NCAA tournament matches.
Motagalvan is one of several members of the 2006 championship team that currently plays professional soccer. Additional Hall of Fame inductees include Chris Pontius (Philadelphia Union), Eric Avila (Tampa Bay Rowdies) and Kyle Reynish (New York Red Bulls).
