LA JOLLA, Calif. – On Senior Night, UC San Diego fell to CSU Bakersfield, two-nil, in men's soccer action on Saturday evening at Triton Soccer Stadium – the second straight 2-0 setback for the Tritons.
UC San Diego is now 4-11 overall (1-7 Big West Conference) while the Roadrunners improved to 6-8-1 (5-3-0).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Neither team was able to score in the first half. The Tritons held a slight edge in shots, 8-7, leading to five saves for CSU Bakersfield keeper Scott Pengelly.
Nick Shor made two saves for the Tritons.
CSUB broke the scoreless deadlock with a goal in the 68' from Niklas Roessler. Less than 10 minutes later, the Roadrunners added to their lead with a score from Ricardo Soza. For both Roessler and Soza, it was the first goal of the season.
The Tritons out-shot the Roadrunners, 12-11, and possessed the ball for 53% of the match, but UC San Diego was unable to score.
QUOTABLE
"I thought we had a good first half, but credit to Bakersfield for really controlling the second half right from the opening whistle," said UC San Diego head coach
Jon Pascale. "I would've liked to send [the seniors] off on a better note. They've been an incredible group of guys who have had such a positive impact on the program. I know they'll all be successful in their next phase of life."
TRITON TIDBITS
- Saturday was senior night in La Jolla. Prior to the match, UC San Diego honored Jonah Bryan, Nick Cirrito, Shaheen Daneshvar, Mason Haubrich, Noah Sonenstein, Jordon Vice, Collin Wagstaff, and Zach Wong – all of whom played their final home match as a Triton.
- Center back Adam Walker made his first career start for the Tritons on Saturday.
- Saturday night's home finale was played before a season-high crowd of 844 at Triton Soccer Stadium.
- The Tritons conclude play at Triton Soccer Stadium with a 2-4 record on their home pitch in 2021 – their first season of Division I play.
UP NEXT
The Tritons wrap up their first Division I season next Saturday when they travel to UC Riverside to face the Highlanders in a Big West match. The contest is slated for a 7 p.m. start.
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
