BAKERSFIELD, Calif. ? The 21st-ranked UC San Diego men's soccer team suffered a heartbreaking and somewhat controversial 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday evening in Bakersfield. With the loss the Tritons fall to 8-3-1 overall and 5-3-1 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play while the Roadrunners improve to 7-8-0 overall and 4-5-0 in league action.
UCSD got on the board first as freshman Tom Caplan took a cross from Robert Stetina and headed it past CSUB netminder Marc Perez at the 54:22 mark of the second half. The goal for Caplan was the first of his career.
The Roadrunners got the equalizer in the 85th minute as Manny Quintero netted his first goal of the season off a pass from Fabio Joaquim. Quintero danced between a pair of UCSD defenders before his shot went off the finger tips of Triton netminder Edward Ruhland.
CSUB's Lyle Martin scored the game-winner with only one second remaining in regulation on a penalty kick that was made possible after a UCSD defender was whistled for a hand ball violation in the penalty area.
The penalty kick goal was the third one scored by the Tritons' opponents on the season, accounting for just under half of the seven goals given up by UCSD on the year.
The loss was the third on the season for the Tritons, all of which have come on the road. Wednesday night's match also marked the first time in 2005 that UCSD has given up more than one goal in a match.
Head coach Derek Armstrong and his team returns to action on Friday, playing at Chico State at 4:30 p.m. Following that match the Tritons travel to Cal State Stanislaus for a 12:30 p.m. match with the Warriors.
