LA JOLLA, Calif. – The UC San Diego men's soccer team begins its first Division I season this week with a pair of matches on the road. The Tritons will visit Dixie State on Thursday night and UNLV on Sunday evening. UC San Diego was slated to begin Division I play last year, but the season was canceled by the Big West due to COVID-19.
 
This week's opponents are largely unfamiliar. The Tritons haven't faced Dixie State since the programs' lone meeting in 2014, and UC San Diego has not battled UNLV since 1982.
 
DETAILS
Match 1
UC San Diego (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big West) at Dixie State (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WAC)
Thursday, August 26
7:30 p.m. MT
Greater Zion Stadium, St. George, Utah
Watch | Live Stats
Series Record: UC San Diego leads, 1-0-0
Last Meeting: at UC San Diego 2, Dixie State 1 (2014)
 
Match 2
UC San Diego (0-0-0, 0-0-0 Big West) at UNLV (0-0-0, 0-0-0 WAC)
Sunday, August 29
6:00 p.m.
Johann Memorial Field, Las Vegas, Nev.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Series Record: UNLV leads, 2-0-0
Last Meeting: UNLV 1, UC San Diego 0 (1982)

ABOUT THE TRITONS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 0-0-0
Big West: 0-0-0
Home: 0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0-0
Streak: N/A

ABOUT THE TRAILBLAZERS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 0-0-0
WAC: 0-0-0
Home: 0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0-0
Streak: N/A

ABOUT THE REBELS
Roster | Schedule | Stats
Overall: 0-0-0
WAC: 0-0-0
Home: 0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0
Neutral: 0-0-0
vs. Ranked Opponents: 0-0-0
Streak: N/A

UC SAN DIEGO AND COVID-19
UC San Diego's nationally renowned Return to Learn program was created to return to in-person teaching, learning, conducting pioneering research and serving our communities in the safest way possible. The program has three adaptive pillars that are central to our strategy to resume on-campus activity: risk mitigation, viral detection, and intervention.

For the latest information on UC San Diego and COVID-19, please visit the University's Return to Learn site.

ATTENDING THE MATCHES
Per the current COVID-19 guidelines set by the state of California, the County of San Diego and the Big West Conference, fans are permitted to attend home games at Triton Soccer Stadium. However, all fans are required to wear a mask covering their nose and mouth at all times – regardless of vaccination status – and food is not permitted inside the stadium. Admission to UC San Diego home soccer matches is free, but parking permits are required seven days per week on campus. For UC San Diego Parking information, click here.

GAME DAY HAS A NEW LOOK
Triton fans now have a whole new way to access game day information, as game programs have gone digital! Fans can visit UCSDTritons.com/MSgameday from their smart phone or scan the QR code at the entrance to Triton Soccer Stadium for everything they need to know about each home game, including updated rosters, schedules, and stats for each team, as well as links to watch on ESPN+.

COVERING THE TRITONS
Media members wishing to cover a UC San Diego match in-person at Triton Soccer Stadium this season must notify a member of the Athletics Communication staff no later than 10 a.m. on gameday. All media members will need to complete a UC San Diego symptom screening form on the day of the match prior to arriving on campus.

Following the conclusion of each home contest, a video highlight melt and video postgame interviews will be made available for media members to download.

ON THE MOVE
After 20 seasons playing as an NCAA Division II team, the entire athletics program has begun a four-year transition to NCAA Division I, culminating in full DI status as a member of the Big West Conference for the 2024-25 academic year. At that time, all sports will be eligible for conference and NCAA postseason play.

LONG-AWAITED DEBUT
The 2021 season marks the Triton soccer programs' first in Division I. The Big West Conference canceled the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

??: Some highlights from Media Day today pic.twitter.com/oqOBK0R5Sx

— UCSD Men's Soccer (@ucsdmsoc) August 18, 2021

STOUT DEFENSE
UC San Diego's defense held strong – a trademark of the program – during the 2021 exhibition season. The Tritons outscored their opposition by a combined 4-0 score over two preseason matches.
 
GOING POLLING
The Big West has revealed the preseason poll and preseason All-Conference squad as determined by the conference's head coaches. As the Tritons head into their first year in the Big West, they were picked ninth with 30 points in the coaches poll. UC Davis and UC Santa Barbara sit atop the poll in a first-place tie.
 
READY TO ROLL
It has been 645 days since the Tritons last competed. Last time out, the Tritons took part in the 2019 NCAA Division II tournament, facing Midwestern State (Texas) on Nov. 21, 2019. UC San Diego hasn't played a regular season match since Nov. 2 of that year. Both the 2019 regular season finale as well as the 2019 NCAA Tournament match took place on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles.
 
HEAD COACH JON PASCALE
Jon Pascale, a three-time CCAA Coach of the Year (2012, 2013, 2016), has posted a 130-61-40 (.649) record to date in his 14th year in charge of the UC San Diego men's soccer program. The Tritons have posted nine straight campaigns with an overall record of .500 or better.
 
PREMIER DEFENSE
UC San Diego has developed a reputation under head coach Jon Pascale of being a strong defensive unit and has ranked in the top 17 nationally in the NCAA Division II in team goals-against average in six of the program's last seven seasons at that level. In 2019, UC San Diego posted a streak of 492 minutes, two seconds without allowing a goal, and the Tritons posted nine clean sheets that season.
 
HOME SUCCESS
Including the postseason, UC San Diego is 85-26-18 (.729) at Triton Soccer Stadium under Jon Pascale.
 
TRITON SOCCER STADIUM GETS A NEW LOOK
While the team was unable to compete last year because of the pandemic, Triton Soccer Stadium underwent a renovation to prepare for Division I. The venue now features 663 blue fixed seats, a brand new Triton-gold press box, ADA and companion seating, and new international-style field side signage.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
UC San Diego returns to Triton Soccer Stadium for its home opener on Friday, Sept. 3. The Tritons will host Marymount (Calif.) at 6 p.m. in a match that will be televised live on ESPN+.
 
UC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Most UC San Diego home men's and women's basketball games, men's and women's soccer matches, men's and women's volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego soccer, visit UCSDTritons.com/live.
 
UC SAN DIEGO ATHLETICS LAUNCHES WEEKLY PODCAST
As part of UC San Diego's transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast, Tritoncast. Produced by UC San Diego Athletics Communications, Tritoncast features in-depth interviews with UC San Diego personalities including scholar-athletes, alums, coaches, and administrators. Triton fans will get an inside look at the UC San Diego Athletics Department as the program transitions to NCAA Division I and the Big West Conference. New episodes of Tritoncast are available each week on the most popular podcasting apps, including Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Audible, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and Vurbl. In addition, each episode can be heard and downloaded on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow Tritoncast on Twitter @Tritoncast.

GET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO SOCCER
Keep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. The team's handle is @ucsdmsoc.

FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!

GEAR
For the latest Triton apparel and accessories, click here.
 
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 has begun a new era 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 garnered 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. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.