As if Halloween night couldn’t get any scarier.

The UCSB women’s soccer team not only needs to win its next two upcoming games to even receive a seed in the upcoming Big West Tournament, but also has to do it on the most terrifying night of the year – Halloween.

“We absolutely have to win the next two games just to get into the tournament,” UCSB Head Coach Paul Stumpf said about today’s game against the Idaho Vandals. “If we happen to win both games [this week], and other results happen, we could actually get a two or a three seed, which would be great. So we wouldn’t have to play Cal Poly until the finals.”

At least the Gauchos (8-5-4, 3-2-2 in the Big West) have momentum on their side.

With two straight wins against Pacific and Cal State Northridge last weekend, the team will try to keep its postseason hopes alive in its final two games against Idaho (3-10-4, 1-6-0) and Utah State (10-5-2, 4-1-2) on Sunday in Harder Stadium.

Though the Gauchos won their last two games, coaches and players said they realized they would need to turn their play up a notch to make sure they will receive a seed.

“We didn’t play particularly well on Sunday in the first half and this team has been relatively consistent all year long,” Stumpf said. “Now our backs are up against the wall and we’re kind of playing that way. At this moment that’s a good place for us to be because that’s our only choice. We put ourselves in this position.”

The Vandals, despite a poor conference record, are a team that could put a scare into the Gauchos’ postseason plan.

“We are extremely ready, defensively and offensively. We are strong and ready to face whatever comes at us,” said freshman midfielder Lindsay Steinriede. “We have bonded and picked up our speed of play, and figured out how to work well within our system.”

But as frightened as Coach Stumpf might be about Idaho, Vandal Head Coach Arby Busey is just as fearful of his Halloween night opponent.

“Santa Barbara has two of the most explosive attacking players in the conference and we will have to find a way to contain them in order to give ourselves an opportunity to get another win,” Busey said in reference to senior forward Jennifer Borcich and junior midfielder Krystal Sandza. “It should be a crazy environment being a night game at their place on Halloween.”

During the game there will be a Halloween costume contest and gift certificates will be given out during halftime.

On Sunday the Gauchos take on Utah State at 12 p.m. to finish off the regular season.