LA JOLLA, Calif. - A score from junior midfielder
David Bakal just two minutes and five seconds into the match jumpstarted the offense, propelling the UC San Diego men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory Sunday over Humboldt State.
Bakal's goal, coupled with freshman midfielder Kian Malek's first career score, sent the Tritons into halftime with a 2-0 cushion. The Lumberjacks would get on the scoreboard in the 64th minute but despite a final minute of chances for HSU, UCSD held on for the victory to improve to 5-3-4 overall and 2-3-3 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play. The Lumberjacks fall to 2-8-2 overall and 1-6-1 through conference action.
"We're happy to get that result against a team we should have beaten," Tritons' head coach Jon Pascale said. "We've done a great job of creating chances all year and I thought we really controlled the tempo well today. I would have liked for us to have created a few more chances and I think we should have gotten a third goal to put the match out of reach."
Senior Jonathan Sawyer helped create the opening goal as he charged up the left side with the ball. Stopping and facing the goal, Sawyer sent a cross into the box. Bakal got underneath it and headed the ball from close range to the right of HSU sophomore goalkeeper Kyle Verle to give UCSD a 1-0 advantage. It was Bakal's first goal of 2009.
Malek extended the lead to 2-0 at the 37:42 mark, with senior forward Tony Choi and freshman forward Evan Walker earning assists on the play. Choi initiated the chance with a quick pass up to Walker on the left side. Walker then delivered a short cross inside the box to Malek, who lifted a shot up over the head of Verle.
The Lumberjacks rebounded with a score at 63:06. As the ball caromed toward the UCSD defensive box, senior goalkeeper Peter Akman rushed out to clear it out of danger. HSU junior midfielder Josh Suggs beat Akman to the ball though, flicking it ahead. Past the last line of defense, Suggs placed an easy shot into the open net to cut the Tritons' lead to 2-1.
Junior forward Mikel Samaniego had a chance with roughly eight minutes to play in regulation to build upon UCSD's lead as he lined a hard shot toward the net from the top of the 18. HSU goalkeeper David Zwick, who entered the match at halftime to replace Verle, made a nice diving stop to his right though to prevent another Tritons' score.
Despite earning a corner kick in the final minute and seeing the ball bounce around the box, the Lumberjacks failed to tie the match before the final buzzer sounded.
Akman ended up tallying four saves on the afternoon.
Up next for the Tritons is a home and away series with Cal State East Bay, starting with a 12:30 p.m. match in Hayward on Friday. UCSD then hosts the Pioneers on Sunday at 12 p.m. CSUEB sits at 1-10 overall and 0-7-0.
