SAN JOSÉ, Calif. – UC San Diego received a pair of second half goals from
Omar Sabbagh, and the Tritons defense posted a clean sheet in a 2-0 men's soccer victory at San José State on Thursday evening. The win was UC San Diego's first over a Division I opponent, improving the Tritons to 2-4 on the season.
The Spartans fell to 2-3-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Each team had a couple of early shots, but they were off target. San José State had a scoring chance in the 37' but UC San Diego keeper
Dominic Peters made the save to keep the match scoreless.
Moments later,
Cory Daley was issued a yellow card, but the Spartans couldn't take advantage of the set piece.
San José State held a 5-1 lead in shots through 45 minutes, though three were off frame. Peters made a pair of saves in the first half for the Tritons to keep the match scoreless.
In the second half, the Tritons dialed up the pressure on the offensive end.
Cooper Lachenbruch (65') and
Noah Sonenstein (68') added shots on goal, but Spartans' keeper Eric Waltz kept the match scoreless.
It wouldn't stay that way for long. In the 72nd minute, Sabbagh fired a shot with his right foot that found the back of the net to Waltz's right, putting the Tritons up one-nil.
UC San Diego managed to maintain its lead and fend off San José State pressure. The Tritons'
Jake Serpa drew a foul in the 87', earning UC San Diego a set piece.
Sabbagh gave the Tritons a two-goal advantage with his strike off the right foot in the 87th minute to seal the victory.
Peters ended the night with four saves to post the clean sheet.
QUOTABLE
"We defended well in the first half and were able to break and counter in the second half," said UC San Diego head coach
Jon Pascale. "The guys stuck with the game plan. San José State has some good players; this was a very nice win for us."
TRITON TIDBITS
- Thursday evening's match was the first-ever between UC San Diego and San José State.
- Sabbagh's goals were the first of his career.
- UC San Diego's clean sheet was the second this season for the Tritons (Sept. 3 vs. Marymount CA).
- UC San Diego out-shot the Spartans 9-5 after halftime. Overall, each team had 10 shots.
- The Tritons are 1-3-0 away from home so far this season.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego returns to action next Wednesday, when the Tritons visit San Diego. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Torero Stadium on the USD campus.
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.
