LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego sophomore
Max Carvalho scored a pair of goals 18 seconds apart, leading the Tritons to a 4-3 victory over visiting Cal Poly in a Big West match on Saturday night at Triton Soccer Stadium.
The Tritons scored four first half goals on the way to victory, improving to 7-6-2 overall while evening their Big West mark at 3-3. The Mustangs fell to 1-10-3 overall and 1-2-3 in Big West action.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego wasted little time jumping out in front in the match. In the ninth minute,
Alessandro Allen took a free kick, serving the ball inside to
Noah Sonenstein. The center back re-directed the ball with a terrific header to put the home team in front, one-nil.
The Tritons added to their lead just two minutes later when
Nick Cirrito raced in and was fouled inside the box by Cal Poly goalkeeper Gabe Penner. Cirrito fired a shot into the top of the net on the ensuing penalty kick, giving UC San Diego an early two goal advantage.
UC San Diego added to its lead in the 31st minute when Carvalho scored a pair of goals just 18 seconds apart. The Triton sophomore registered a sliding strike on a feed from
Mason Haubrich and
Jack Hagan. 18 seconds later, it was Carvalho again – this time unassisted – to make the score 4-0.
UC San Diego held a 7-3 shot advantage in the first half and Cal Poly earned the only two corners of the period. Triton goalkeeper
Dominic Peters made the only first half save for either side.
Cal Poly built some momentum early in the second half. Oscar Baudey scored in the 50th minute to make it 4-1 Tritons. The Mustangs added another when Jackson Kestler scored in the 61st minute and Kestler scored his second of the night in the 82nd minute to make the final score 4-3.
Carvalho was looking for the hat trick in the 85th minute. His shot was saved but the rebound came right to Cirrito who tapped it in. However, the assistant referee's flag was up and the goal was disallowed.
QUOTABLE
TRITON TIDBITS
- The team wore red armbands in memory of John Foltyn III's father, John Jr., who passed away earlier this week. Foltyn III checked into the match in the 42nd minute and played 19 minutes.
- Sonenstein's goal was the first of his career at UC San Diego.
- Cirrito's fourth goal of the season was the 15th in his Triton career. He is UC San Diego's career Division I leader with nine goals.
- Carvalho doubled his career goal total and now has four.
- Dylan Huy played the second 45 in goal for the Tritons making a career-high six saves.
- UC San Diego wore its navy kit on Saturday.
UP NEXT
The Tritons continue Big West play on Wednesday night when they host CSUN at 7 p.m. inside Triton Soccer Stadium. Admission is free, and the match will air live on ESPN+ with Taylor Quellman and Sal Zizzo calling the action.
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.
