LA JOLLA, Calif. – A late goal on a penalty kick from Caitlin McCarthy would not be enough for UC San Diego at home on Sunday afternoon. Grand Canyon University had the second half momentum, as the Antelopes beat the Tritons, 4-1, in women's soccer action at Triton Soccer Stadium.

With the loss, UC San Diego falls to 2-5-1 (0-0-0 Big West) and Grand Canyon improves to 7-2-0 (0-0-0 Western Athletic Conference).
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

The match was scoreless through nearly the entire first half, but a foul by Lizzy Teran in the box with 12 seconds left on the clock allowed Grand Canyon a penalty kick opportunity. Lindsey Prokop slid the ball past Keara Fitzgerald to give the Antelopes a 1-0 advantage going into the second half.

The Tritons had strong ball movement in the first half. Maddy Samilo created multiple shot opportunities from the right flank, but the Tritons couldn't find the back of the net.

In the second half, it was Prokop again who put it past Fitzgerald for the second time on a counterattack breakaway in the 50th minute that gave the Lopes a 2-0 lead. 10 minutes later, Grand Canyon scored its third goal of the game on a free kick just from outside the penalty box.

The Tritons scored their first goal of the contest with just two minutes to spare. Lizzy Teran was tripped up inside the penalty box and Caitlin McCarthy capitalized on the PK opportunity, sending it past the keeper to make the score 3-1 Lopes.

With less than a minute remaining, Grand Canyon scored again to make the final score 4-1. Fitzgerald stepped up to defend and sent the ball across the field. It was intercepted by the Antelopes and sent into an empty net with Fitzgerald caught out of the goal.
 
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TRITON TIDBITS

· Grand Canyon recorded its first ever win against the Tritons. UC San Diego leads the all-time series record 10-1
· This marks the first time the Tritons and Antelopes have faced off in 15 years (2006)
· Sunday's match was the final non-conference match before the UC San Diego begins its Big West slate
· The Tritons were awarded nine corner kick opportunities
· Raquel Kalpakoff had the first touches of her colligate career against Grand Canyon. In the freshman's first game played with the Tritons, she recorded a shot on goal.
· McCarthy's goal is her second of the season
· Fitzgerald has 22 saves on the season through five games played
 
UP NEXT

The Tritons begin Big West action on Thursday, September 23 at Long Beach State. First kick is set for 6:00 PM and will be available to watch live 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.