LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The 5th-ranked UC San Diego women's soccer team clinched its seventh-straight California Collegiate Athletic Association South Division title with a convincing 5-0 victory over Cal State Bakersfield on Sunday afternoon at Triton Soccer Field.
With the victory UCSD improves to 14-1-2 overall and 11-1-2 in CCAA play while securing a spot in the CCAA Tournament on October 27-29 by winning the South Division. The Roadrunners fall to 6-8-4 overall and 3-8-3 in league action.
Senior Megan Dickey began the scoring for the Tritons, taking a pass from junior Kathy Sepulveda in the 23rd minute and heading home her fifth goal of the year. Senior Kelly Cochran put UCSD up by a 2-0 score in the 29th minute, beating the CSUB keeper from eight yards out off a pass from freshman Laura Davey. The goal was Cochran's eighth of the year.
After intermission, UCSD continued to dominate play and was able to get its third goal of the contest in the 56th minute as Sepulveda netted her eighth goal of the year off a pass from senior Alise Malley. Just over four minutes later, the Tritons tallied their fourth goal as junior Chelsey Campbell slid the ball into the back of the net off a great leading pass from Dickey. The goal was Campbell's fourth of the year.
UCSD wrapped up its scoring in the final minute of play as junior Lauren Segars flicked an Ali Lai pass into the back right corner of the goal from six yards out. The goal was Segars' third of the year.
Sophomores Jessica McGovern and Mia Shirley combined for yet another shutout, the team's ninth in 2006. McGovern did not need to make any saves in her 64 minutes of play while Shirley posted three saves over the final 26 minutes. For the season, UCSD has out-scored its opponents by a 45-9 margin.
The Tritons limited CSUB to only five shots on the day, three of which came in the second half. UCSD took 23 shots, 15 of which were on goal, forcing the Cal State Bakersfield netminder, Ashley Witten, to make 10 saves in the contest.
Head coach Brian McManus and his team returns to action next weekend, concluding the regular season at San Francisco State on Friday afternoon and at Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday.
