NORTHRIDGE, Calif. (Interstat) — Jessie Halladay scored the game’s only goal to lift the Cal Poly women’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over rival UC Santa Barbara in the championship match of the Big West Conference tournament Monday.

The match, played at a neutral site, decided the conference’s automatic berth to the NCAA tournament.

The decisive play came from a set piece. Annika Smith served a corner kick into the box that was headed on by defender Ava Mirelez to Halladay, who finished from close range to break the deadlock.

The goal provided all the offense the Mustangs needed, as their defense held firm against a Gauchos attack that was projected to score. The victory avenged a 3-1 loss Cal Poly suffered at UC Santa Barbara during the regular season on Sept. 18.

The match was a tactical affair characterized by frequent substitutions from both benches. The teams combined for 39 changes throughout the contest, with a flurry of eight substitutions occurring at halftime.

The result was an upset according to pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had predicted a 1-0 victory for UC Santa Barbara, and its ELO rating system gave the Gauchos a 56.4% probability of winning.

With the win, Cal Poly improved its season record to 5-2-4. UC Santa Barbara, which had been unbeaten in its previous three matches, moved to 7-2-3.

The victory secures the Mustangs’ place in the upcoming NCAA women’s soccer championship. The loss leaves UC Santa Barbara’s postseason hopes dependent on an at-large bid when the full tournament field is announced.