LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego scored three second half goals to rally for a 3-1 victory over visiting Hawai'i on Sunday afternoon at Triton Soccer Stadium. After the Rainbow Wahine scored in the 61st minute to go in front, the Tritons scored three unanswered over the next 20 minutes to earn the win.
The Tritons (2-8-5 overall, 1-2-3) earned their first Big West victory of the season. Hawai'i is now 5-3-2 on the season (2-2-2 Big West).
HOW IT HAPPENED
The match opened with action on both ends of the pitch over the first 15 minutes with each team earning an early corner. In the 15th minute, Hawai'i had a breakaway chance but UC San Diego's defense came up strong with a big tackle from
Christina Oddone before the Rainbow Wahine could attempt a shot.
In the 18th minute,
Courtney Hilliard took a feed and fired a rocket shot from just outside the area, but Hawai'i keeper Lauren Marquez made the waist-high save to keep the match scoreless.
The Rainbow Wahine had a great look from point-blank range in the 21st minute but the re-direct from Eliza Ammendolia sailed high, resulting in a UC San Diego goal kick.
Hawai'i held a slim 6-5 shot advantage in the first half, earning four corner kicks to three for the Tritons.
In the second half, UC San Diego captain
Kennedy Carter had a shot saved in the 48th minute but the rebound came back to Carter and her second shot attempt sailed high.
Hawai'i broke through with a goal from Fabiola Zamora that richoched off the cross bar in the 61st minute. However, the lead didn't last long for the Rainbow Wahine. Tritons midfielder
Camryn Borg ripped a shot from 35 yards out that found the back of the net to level the score at 1-1.
In the 72nd minute,
Lucy Tang was fouled in the box leading to UC San Diego's first penalty kick of the season. Carter took the shot but Marquez lunged to her right and made the save.
Tang had her own opportunity to break through, putting the Tritons on top in the 81st minute thanks to a brilliant pass from
Allie Luo.
Less than two minutes later, freshman
Lindsey Park took advantage of a terrific cross from
Ashlynn Kolarik to net Park's first career score, cementing the win for UC San Diego.
QUOTABLE WITH COACH KRISTIN JONES AND LUCY TANG
TRITON TIDBITS
- Tang's goal was her first of the season and the fifth of her Triton career.
- Senior Sophia Bruno and Ava D'Arcangelo each drew first half bookings. It was Bruno's first of the season and the second yellow card for D'Arcangelo.
- Sunday was the fifth time this season UC San Diego was issued two yellow cards.
- Following Sunday's action, UC San Diego improved to 3-0-0 all-time against, Hawai'i, also downing the Rainbow Wahine in 1997 and 2018 – when the Tritons competed in NCAA Division III and II respectively.
- The victory was the Tritons' first at home this season.
UP NEXT
The Tritons are back in action on Thursday at Triton Soccer Stadium when they host Long Beach State at 7 p.m. Admission is free for all. The match will also be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats on UCSDTritons.com.
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.
