LA JOLLA, Calif. ? The 2nd-Ranked UC San Diego women's soccer team got goals from Natasha Belak-Berger, Ali Lai and Remy Hitt en route to a convincing 3-0 victory over visiting San Francisco State on Sunday afternoon at Triton Soccer Field. With the win the Tritons improve to 7-0-0 overall and 4-0-0 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play while dropping the Gators to 2-4-1 overall and 1-2-1 in league action.
The victory also gives UCSD head coach Brian McManus his 350th career win. McManus, who is in his 21st year at the helm of the Triton women's soccer program, has posted a 350-45-23 all-time record at UCSD. His .865 win percentage ranks fourth among all active women's soccer coaches at any NCAA level. Ironically, his 300th career win came at Triton Soccer Field against San Francisco State on October 3, 2004.
Belak-Berger's goal came in the fifth minute of action as she took a tremendous lead pass from Chelsey Campbell and slid the ball past the SFSU netminder, Sarah Baldares, for the 1-0 lead. The goal was Belak-Berger's sixth of the year and proved to be her fifth game-winning goal this season.
Nearly 75 minutes elapsed on the clock before Lai's goal gave the Tritons a 2-0 lead. The senior slammed home her third goal of the year from eight yards out off a perfectly placed cross from Lauren Segars.
UCSD would not wait that long for the third goal of the match as freshman Remy Hitt notched her first collegiate tally at the 84:36 mark, sliding the ball under Baldares from 12 yards out off a pass from Nicole Pepper.
The Tritons out-shot the Gators by a 19-7 margin, including a dominant 14-0 advantage in the first half.
Baldares made six saves on the day for the Gators while UCSD netminder Jessica McGovern corralled two saves while registering her fourth shutout of the year and second in as many matches.
McManus' squad returns to action with two more CCAA contests next week, the first of which will be played in Carson, Calif., against Cal State Dominguez Hills on Wednesday evening at 4:30 p.m. The Tritons will then return home to host Cal State L.A. on Sunday, September 23. Kickoff is slated for 12 p.m.
