SAN FRANCISCO - Kian Malek and Evan Walker scored their
first goals of the season, leading the UC San Diego men's soccer team to a 2-0
victory Sunday at San Francisco State. Tritons' goalkeeper Jesse Brennan recorded
a career-high six saves en route to posting his third shutout of 2010.
"After we went up 2-0, we did a good job of weathering the storm," UCSD head coach Jon Pascale said. "They put together some decent chances but I thought our defense did well. Brennan had to deal with a number of different crosses, long throw-ins and corner kicks, but he made a lot of good decisions today."
It marked the second-straight win for UCSD, now standing at 2-4-2 overall and
2-3-1 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association. SFSU falls to 3-4-1
overall and 1-4-1 through league play.
Despite being outshot 15-9 and earning two corner kicks to the Gators' nine,
the Tritons demonstrated efficiency with the smaller number of chances. At the
40:45 mark, a corner kick from Malek deflected off of SFSU keeper Michael
McNeill and into the net. The momentum gained from that score carried into the second
half, when Walker finished a breakaway chance to put UCSD up 2-0 in the 53rd
minute.
Both squads started slow on offense, with a total of just seven shots attempted
in the first half. The pressure escalated in the second period, with the Gators
taking 11 shots while the Tritons attempted six.
Playing under clear and sunny San Francisco skies, UCSD's patience on offense
paid off in the chances for Malek and Walker. The two sophomores now have three
career goals each.
The Tritons' defense held tough through the 90 minutes, particularly in the
final 10. In fact, the SFSU offense registered its final shot of the day at the
78:18 mark.
The two-score margin is the largest for a Tritons' victory over the Gators
since Sept. 22, 2002, a 4-0 win in La Jolla. Sunday marked the 12th meeting
between the two teams, with UCSD stretching its advantage to 6-4-2.
The match against SFSU concludes the Tritons' four-match road swing. Up next,
UCSD will host Cal State San Bernardino on Friday at 4:30 p.m. before taking on
Cal Poly Pomona Sunday at 12 p.m.
