There was a glimpse of the glory days of UCSB men’s soccer last Thursday night: Chris Pontius slamming the ball into the goal at Harder Stadium in front of thousands of cheering fans. Pontius, who as a sophomore in 2006 played a key role on UCSB’s national championship team, scored this goal to give the L.A. Galaxy a 2-1 lead over Fresno FC in a preseason professional match that the Galaxy eventually won, 3-1.
“It’s nice to be back,” said Pontius, who scored 29 goals in his Gaucho career and enters his 10th year as a pro with 45 goals in Major League Soccer (MLS). The Southern California native not only was back on his old college turf but also is back home for the season after spending nine years back east with D.C. United and the Philadelphia Union.
Ema Boateng, a third-year Galaxy forward who was a Gaucho in 2012, described Pontius as “an absolute professional. He never complains about anything. He works hard and is a great leader for us this year.”