ST. GEORGE, Utah – Dixie State scored a late second half goal and made it stand up as the Trailblazers downed UC San Diego, 1-0, Thursday night at Greater Zion Stadium in the men's soccer season opener for both sides.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego earned three corner kicks in the first half and surrendered only one. The two teams combined for only three shots in the first 45 minutes (two for the Tritons) – none of which were on-target.
 
In the final 30 seconds of the first half, the Trailblazers earned a free kick from 30 yards out but were unable to capitalize with a shot attempt as the scoreless first half drew to a close.
 
In the second half, Dixie State had a scoring chance in the 60th minute as Larsen Rogers had a shot attempt but Tritons' keeper Dominic Peters ranged to his right to make the save. It was the first shot on frame for either side on the night.
 
The Trailblazers had another opportunity in the 73', and this time they capitalized as Daniel Brubaker scored off a feed from Gian Gargurevich to take a one-nil advantage.
 
Dixie State out-shot UC San Diego, 8-6, and the Tritons had four corners to the Trailblazers' two. Each side was cautioned in the final minutes of the match.
  
QUOTABLE
"We made a few too many mistakes and ultimately they had their moment, put a couple plays together and that led to a goal," said UC San Diego head coach Jon Pascale. "It was tough to lose that one. We need to put ourselves in better situations in the future. We'll learn from it and get ready for UNLV."

TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego and Dixie State met for just the second time. In the only prior match-up, the Tritons earned a 2-1 victory during the 2014 season in La Jolla.
• The temperature at Greater Zion Stadium was 98 degrees at kick-off Thursday night.
• The Tritons wore their traveling blue kits, but they should have also worn name tags. In all, 13 Tritons saw action for the first time ever in a UC San Diego uniform on Thursday – including six of the 11 starters.

UP NEXT
The Tritons wrap up their season-opening two-game road swing on Sunday evening, when UC San Diego visits UNLV. The match is set to begin at 6 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
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.