LA JOLLA, Calif. ? In a match between two of the hottest teams heading into the tournament, UC San Diego's prolific offense got the upper hand as the Tritons defeated Humboldt State, 1-0, at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Championships on Friday.
With the win, UC San Diego advances to Sunday's championship match where it will face Chico State for the conference title. The Tritons, who are the defending champion, will be seeking their sixth CCAA crown in the last seven years.
UCSD, the No. 3 ranked team in the nation and the top team in the Far West Region, improved to 17-1-2 overall and extended its winning streak to eight and unbeaten streak to 12-straight. The Tritons are 10-0-2 in their last 12 matches, outscoring opponents by a 33-6 margin.
Senior Megan Dickey scored the lone goal of the affair with a header off of a corner kick from junior Caitlin Ryan in the 17th minute. It was Dickey's seventh score of the year.
Despite the 1-0 score, the Tritons dominated offensively, sending 34 shots with 16 on frame. Humboldt State goalkeeper Staci Self played a stellar game in the net with a number of acrobatic saves to keep her team in the contest. Self finished with 15 hard-earned saves. UCSD out-shot the Lumberjacks 34-3, including a 20-0 second half advantage.
Humboldt State (12-5-4) had a couple of scoring chances, with its best on the possession after Dickey's goal. UCSD keeper Jessica McGovern dove across the goal and with her arms fully extended to deflect a Jessica Hewins attempt.
The loss snapped HSU's 11-match unbeaten streak. The Lumberjacks had gone 7-0-4 since September 22 entering Friday night's semifinal matchup with the Triton.
Both teams entered the postseason tournament on hot streaks, each with an 11-match unbeaten streak. Humboldt State had won its last six contests while the Tritons were riding a seven-game win-streak.
Sunday's championship match between UC San Diego and Chico State is scheduled for a 2 p.m. kickoff at Triton Soccer Field.
Humboldt State (12-5-4) vs. UC San Diego (17-1-2)
Date: Oct 27, 2006 Attendance: 818 Weather: Clear and mild... 76 degrees.
Goals by period 1 2 Tot
Humboldt State...... 0 0 - 0
UC San Diego........ 1 0 - 1
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 16:26 UCSD DICKEY, Megan (7) (RYAN, Caitlin) - Header off corner kick
Shots: Humboldt State 3, UC San Diego 34
Saves: Humboldt State 15 (SELF, Staci 15), UC San Diego 2 (McGOVERN, Jessica 2)
