LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego goalkeeper
Dominic Peters registered nine saves, but Santa Clara's Eduardo Lopez Perez found the back of the net in the 108th minute to lift the visiting Broncos to a one-nil win over UC San Diego on Saturday night inside Triton Soccer Stadium.
The double overtime win improves Santa Clara's record to 4-1-0, while the Tritons fell to 1-4-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half featured a quick pace and some scoring chances for each side, but neither team was able to score. UC San Diego goalkeeper
Dominic Peters made four first half saves as Santa Clara fired six shots. Santa Clara had four corner kicks but was unable to capitalize. UC San Diego had one first half corner.
Santa Clara held possession for 54% of the first half.
In the second half, Santa Clara drew its second yellow card of the match in the 52' when Nick Cudini committed a hard foul on the Tritons'
Cory Daley, forcing Daley to the sidelines. UC San Diego was unable to capitalize on the free kick.
Moments later, the Tritons delivered a well-placed cross to
Nick Cirrito who had a strong redirect, but his shot sailed high in the 54th minute.
Santa Clara had perhaps its best scoring chance of the second half in the 82nd minute, but UC San Diego's defense held strong, ultimately sending the match to overtime.
After a scoreless ten minute overtime period, the two teams moved into the second extra session. The match ended at the 107:20 mark on Lopez Perez's goal, a header off a Broncos' corner kick.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- Saturday night's match was the first-ever between UC San Diego and Santa Clara.
- UC San Diego and Santa Clara each played its first overtime match of the season.
- Shots were even at 13 apiece through regulation, but Santa Clara had all four overtime shots.
- The Broncos earned 10 corner kicks to the Tritons' three.
- Peters' nine saves were a career-high.
UP NEXT
The Tritons are back in action on Thursday night, when UC San Diego visits San José State. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
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.
