Recapping the epic SBI championships game! Plus, honorable mention moments from around the complex
January 28, 2026 by Kiana Hu in Recap
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With the three-day opener of the 2026 college season behind us, it’s time to reflect on some of the defining moments of Santa Barbara Invite, good and bad. It was a weekend full of memorable games, players, and plays that set the stage for the thrilling months to come.
The Final We All Deserved
The clash of division titans #1 UBC Thunderbirds and #2 Carleton Syzygy delivered some of the most electric moments of the tournament in Santa Barbara. Here’s how it unfolded.
The first break of the game. UBC looked flustered in their opening offensive sequence, throwing two turnovers despite open options. It took two tries, but Chagall Gelfand drew first blood with a bladey flick to Zoe McDaniel in the back of the end zone.
Hammering it in. Sometimes it was just that easy for Carleton: three throws to midfield, and then a stall-three hammer from Gelfand that arced dramatically across the field into the steady arms of rookie Mia Fischer.
Welcome to the Hakimi era. Chloe Hakimi announced her presence in the final with a smart swing interception and immediate bookends through three closing UBC defenders. That was the third break for Carleton and they looked ready to put the half away.
Double bid drama. On the brink of taking half 7-2, Gelfand sized up the field, spotted Fischer going deep, and shot. It would’ve been good if not for a heroic bid from Mika Kurahashi, who closed with unbelievable speed and unfortunately left the game with an injury.
Glimmers of hope. Some people are built for the D-line because they have that dog in them. Lauren Szeto-Fung is one of those people. She came up with a layout block against Naomi Fina and instilled belief that the Thunderbirds could cause more disruption.
Foot on the gas. Blink and you missed it. Carleton picked up right where they left off at halftime with another reset block and another bladey flick from Gelfand for the immediate conversion and the 8-3 lead.
Fresh seven take the field. Knowing they needed to change something up, UBC put out a new D-line with rookies Arisa Gilbert and Liza Ng. They weren’t able to get it done the first time, but they looked hungry for a break and ready to cause trouble.
The UBC comeback. Makenzi Harris blew up an under and gave the Thunderbirds a much-needed chance to narrow the gap. Mandy Li snatched the first break, and then decided it wasn’t enough as she poached off and knocked Hakimi’s low backhand to the ground on the next point. Shaelyn Woo and Nina Tsai played catch outside the end zone and then finally punched it in. Score number two for Li, break number two for UBC.
“Give and gone.” The Thunderbirds decided to have a bit of fun with it and ran a pull play: Jamie Jung picked up, centered to Grace Liu, and immediately booked it to the end zone. Eliza Barton helped deep but the throw was on the money. Sometimes all you need is a bit of swagger to get back in it.
The unlikely equalizer. Remember when it was 8-3? That felt like eons ago. A travel call sent McDaniel back outside the end zone, and her push pass hit the turf. UBC goes the full 70 to tie the game up for the first time at 10-10.
Peace at last. On the brink of disaster, the Syzygy stars took over. Hakimi and Gelfand willed their team to a hold and then broke on a Hakimi line drive to seal the deal. It was about the journey, not the destination—even though the end result was a Carleton win.
Honorable Mention Moments
UCSC’s statement win over Oregon. A 13-3 upset of the first seed in the pool is just not something you see everyday. #11 UCSC Sol never looked back as they bounded ahead of Fugue with the speedy cuts of Ruby Gholston.
The long road to Storke. Impeded by restrictive construction fencing, the usual trek from the UCSB Rec Center turf fields to the satellite Storke fields was made even longer. Round start times had to get pushed back as teams struggled to traverse campus in the 10-minute buffers, causing some scheduling chaos.
Expeditious bracket games. The field travel time wouldn’t have affected Syzygy, who wrapped up games so quickly that they probably had to warm up again before their next round. When Syzygy took half 7-1 in the semifinal against #5 Stanford Superfly, the Stanford men’s team on the adjacent field were only at 2-2 in their semis game.
The Stanford zone still works. Even though most teams at SBI now know to expect and prepare for playing against zones, Stanford was able to utilize their not-so-secret power to great effect. Superfly lulled teams into a false sense of security before one of Ruby Gates, Sorika Weir, or Sage McGinley-Smith would step in and knock away what looked like an open dishy throw.
“Self worth! Self worth! Self worth!” Lots of ultimate cheers get recycled, but UC Irvine Grass Ninjas had one of the most unique chants at the complex. Featuring a repeat-after-me mantra lead by their coach, the Grass Ninjas sounded locked in and bought in with this self-affirming routine.
The stars shine bright. Even though we like to yap about depth, sometimes it’s just fun to watch the best players go to work. Rachel Chang is a force of nature with their effortless full-field hucks. Mars Bau was put in many difficult situations by their teammates but came up with the play more often than not for #16 UCSD Dragon Coalition. Sabrina Belkin played back-to-back points for UCLA BLU and had a bevy of throws and moves to get her team going. At this point in the season, there’s a special comfort in having someone to turn to when things get dicey.
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