LA JOLLA, Calif. – Junior defender Cooper Lachenbruch led the Tritons with an assist and a goal, serving a corner to senior defender Noah Sonenstein in the 67' and scoring a free kick in the 80' as the UC San Diego men's soccer team defeated Vanguard University 3-0 on Monday night in an exhibition match at Triton Soccer Stadium.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons dominated the Lions in the first half, leading in shots 8-6. With crosses from senior forward Nick Cirrito and a total of 8 corners, the Tritons unleashed dangerous attacks from the wings. The Lions' defensive line successfully held off the Tritons and first half ended in 0-0 tie.
 
The second half remained scoreless until the Tritons began to capitalize on its set pieces. A corner by Lachenbruch connected with senior defender Noah Sonenstein in the 67' to give the Tritons a 1-0 lead. Lachenbruch continued to provide, finding the top right corner of the net on a free kick in the 80'. Sophomore forward John Foltyn maintained the Tritons' momentum, turning his defender inside the box and scoring in the 82'. UC San Diego ended the game on top, winning 3-0.
 
QUOTABLE
"The commitment to doing all the little things that go into winning games was there," said UC San Diego head coach Jon Pascale. "I think we got to see a couple of great goals, two of them off of free kicks which I was really happy about."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Junior goalkeeper Nick Shor started his first match for the Tritons.
• Sophomore transfer John Foltyn scored his first goal for the Tritons.
• The Tritons' last preseason game was in September of 2019.

UP NEXT
The Tritons will be back in action on Aug. 21 against cross-town opponent Cal State San Marcos. The two teams kick off at 6 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium in the preseason's final exhibition match.
 
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.