LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The 17th-ranked UC San Diego women's soccer team, which needed an overtime period for the third time in five matches this season, came away with a 2-1 victory over Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday afternoon at Triton Soccer Field. With the win the Tritons improve to 5-0-0 overall and 2-0-0 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play while the Broncos fall to 3-2-0 overall and 1-1-0 in league action.
UCSD used overtime for its victory over Grand Canyon in the season opener on August 24, as well as the win at Seattle University on September 4. All three of the Tritons' overtime victories have come by 2-1 margins while the other two regulation victories came by way of 2-0 scores.
Junior Ali Lai netted the golden goal for UCSD, putting back a Lauren Segars attempt that was originally saved by Cal Poly Pomona netminder Amanda Cunningham. After the Bronco goalkeeper made the save, Lai was quick to jump on the ball and slide home the game-winner from six yards out on the right side. The goal was Lai's third of the season and came just 3:38 into the first overtime period.
She picked up her second goal of the season in the 68th minute of the match as she took a Natasha Belak-Berger pass, made a quick one touch to herself, turned and fired the ball into the back of the net from eight yards out. That goal knotted the score at one apiece and eventually sent the match to overtime.
Cal Poly Pomona held the lead for much of the match as Mary Carroll netted her third goal of the season in the 16th minute of the first half, sliding the ball past UCSD goalkeeper Jessica McGovern off a long pass from teammate Pamela Leyva.
For the match, the Tritons out-shot the Broncos by a 15-9 margin, including a 2-0 difference in overtime. Cunningham made seven saves for CPP while McGovern made three for UCSD. The Tritons took six corner kicks while limiting the Broncos to only two.
Head coach Brian McManus and his club returns to action on Tuesday night, hosting rival and travel partner Cal State Dominguez Hills in a 7 p.m. match at Triton Soccer Field. Following that contest, UCSD will travel to Cal State Stanislaus on Friday, September 15, before making its way to Chico State for a match one week from today.
