UC Santa Cruz Ends 2026 Season in a Loss to Azusa Pacific - University of California, Santa Cruz

Saturday, October 31

Santa Cruz, CA

12:00 PM

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

5-5-5, 0-0-0

Azusa Pacific University

11-4-2, 0-0-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Azusa Pacific	1	3	4
UC Santa Cruz	1	0	1

10/31/2026 4:18:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

SANTA CRUZ, Calif – The UC Santa Cruz men's soccer team closed out the 2026 season in a loss to Azusa Pacific University with the Cougars winning 4-1 over the Banana Slugs. UCSC honored Jake Kluka, Soren Groessl, Michael Braun, and Avery Edgar in the senior day celebration preceding the contest as they set to play in their final contest representing UC Santa Cruz. Kluka ends his two-year career at UCSC with two goals scored, as the majority of his time on the field was spent back on defense for the Banana Slugs. Braun closed out his time as a Banana Slug leading from the defense side of the ball as well, but scored seven goals in his time on the pitch including a season-high of three goals this season. Edgar started in eight games for UCSC this season and spent two years on the defensive side of the pitch as a Banana Slug after transferring from CSU Monterey Bay. Groessl made the most of his final collegiate game of his career and scored the only goal of the match for UCSC to bring his season total up to seven goals. Groessl ends his career with 20 goals in his four years and 48 total points gathered. UC Santa Cruz ended the 2026 season at 5-5-5.

How it Happened:
After APU took the first shot of the game in the 4th minute, UCSC got to work to secure the first goal of the game. After Luke Williams took the first shot for UC Santa Cruz, Groessl found the net in the eighth minute to score the only goal of the game for UC Santa Cruz, with the assist coming from Oliver Gill. Tobias Jacobson-Bell recorded his first save shortly after in the 11th minute as both teams continued to battle in the first half. Jacobson-Bell earned a yellow card while attempting to make a save in the 38th minute. With a penalty kick awarded, APU found the net to tie the game. With the final minutes of the half in play, the half would end with one goal apiece.

The second half opened with Groessl looking to earn another goal to get the Banana Slugs going in the last 45 minutes of the season. After a competitive set of minutes by both teams, APU found the net in the 61st minute to put UCSC down one, but time remained on the clock for a comeback. Groessl continued to fire shots out to help UCSC tie the game but could not find the net on the attempts. APU scored their third goal of the game in the 81st minute, and their final goal in the 87th to close out the match.