LA JOLLA, Calif. - Freshman forward Gabi Hernandez tallied her fourth score of the season less than two minutes into the match and with Courtney Capobianco and Hayley Johnson adding goals, the UC San Diego women's soccer team rolled to a 3-1 victory over Humboldt State Sunday.
The Tritons, at 9-2 overall and 7-2 in California Collegiate Athletic Assocation play, have now reeled off four victories in a row while picking up wins in seven of their last eight matches. UCSD's strong play sets up a pivotal non-conference matchup at home on Thursday against Western Washington, a squad that is sitting atop the Great Northwest Athletic Conference standings after toppling defending national champion and No. 1-ranked Seattle Pacific.
"That is a massive game for us on Thursday," Tritons' head coach Brian McManus said. "Hopefully it's coming at the right time."
With the loss Sunday the Lumberjacks fall to 7-5-0 overall and 4-4-0 in league play. The Tritons, with 21 points in the conference standings, keep pace with Cal State L.A.'s 22. The Golden Eagles topped Cal Poly Pomona Sunday to remain atop the CCAA South Division.
In Sunday's match against HSU, Hernandez's score at the 1:15 mark exhibited how well the UCSD offense is clicking. With freshman midfielder Jessica Wi sending in a cross from the right side, Hernandez elevated above her defender and sent a header to the right of HSU junior goalkeeper Kelly Sandberg, giving the Tritons an early 1-0 lead.
Although the two squads saw multiple scoring chances through the midway point of the first half, the next goal didn't come until the 39th minute. As junior midfielder Lisa Bradley took an angled run toward the box, she sent a low crossing liner into a charging Capobianco. In one-timer fashion, Capobianco sent the ball skidding to the right of Sandberg and into the back of the net. For Capobianco it was her second goal of the season.
Roughly 10 minutes into the second half, UCSD struck again. As freshman defender Hayley Johnson moved the ball up the left side, she sent a long shot toward the net from about 25 yards out. The ball stayed up and Sandberg could only get a piece of it before it landed in the back of the goal. The score marked the first of Johnson's career.
In the 77th minute, a hard tackle by a Tritons' defender in the UCSD defensive box would give the Lumberjacks a penalty kick and a chance to get on the scoreboard. Sophomore midfielder Sarah Nakamota placed the attempt hard and to the right of Tritons' sophomore goalkeeper Kristin Armstrong to cut the lead to 3-1. The lone HSU score of the match ended Armstrong's shutout streak at 354 minutes, with the previous goal allowed coming on Sept. 20 against Chico State.
The Lumberjacks ended up outshooting the Tritons in Sunday's match, 12-8. Both squads inserted their backup goalkeepers, HSU's Jennie Paugh and UCSD's Kimberly Cushing, in the later portion of the match.
