SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Tenth-ranked University of California San Diego gave up three goals in an eight-minute span late and lost to Cal State San Bernardino, 3-1, in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's soccer action at Premier Field on Thursday afternoon.
UC San Diego had entered the game a winner of seven straight and an unbeaten 8-0-1 over its last nine. The Tritons dropped to 13-2-2 overall and 8-2-1 in the CCAA. Cal State San Bernardino improved to 8-5-1 overall and 6-4-1 in league play, while also revitalizing its postseason hopes.
Following the conclusion of all play Thursday, UCSD was left in a first-place tie with 18th-ranked reigning West Region champion Cal Poly Pomona, a 4-0 winner at home later over Cal State San Marcos, as well as Saturday's road opponent for the Tritons in a regular-season finale with giant postseason implications. Kickoff at Kellogg Field is slated for 2 p.m., after the women square off at 11:30 a.m.
Not only will the CCAA title be on the line on Saturday, with UCSD in search of its first conference crown, but the Tritons and Broncos were 2-3 in the latest NCAA West Region poll. The top two teams in the final edition host regional play. Saturday's winner would earn the league title outright, but a tie could bring into play a three-way tiebreaker, with Sonoma State lurking two points back.
The initial shot by either team on the day did not come until the 23:25 mark, when UCSD's redshirt junior forward Malek Bashti found the post. Within two minutes, Coyote Ivan Quintero produced the first attempt on target, fifth-year senior goalkeeper Cameron McElfresh making the save. The Triton defense also cleared a Luca Falcone header off the line toward the end of the period, in the 38th minute.
Following the halftime break, at 54:11, UCSD struck first, Bashti shooting into the right corner from close range for his third of the year. Senior forward Sam Palano was credited with his team-best seventh assist.
The home side leveled matters at 74:23, however, from the penalty spot as Diego Casillas notched his sixth. It was just the sixth goal surrendered in 2016 by the nation's top defense.
Cal State San Bernardino then managed to grab the winner as well, Quintero hitting the back of the net at 81:40 off of a deflected pass for his third. The Coyotes even had time for a shock insurance strike, just 23 seconds later, courtesy of Falcone.
McElfresh finished with four saves in goal for UCSD. Jacob Huber had two stops for the Coyotes.
Thursday's result meant the first time the Tritons gave up multiple goals in a match this season, and first time they allowed as many as three, since another 3-1 road defeat, at Cal State LA, in a CCAA Tournament first-round contest last Nov. 3.
Triton Notes: UCSD is 4-2-1 on the road in 2016, with its four-game win streak snapped after starting with a scoreless draw and 1-0 loss ... The Tritons also had their streak snapped at three straight games with multiple goals, which was their first such run since a four-game stretch from Sept. 9-18, 2014.
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