LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald made six saves but it wasn't enough as visiting Idaho topped host UC San Diego by a 2-0 score in the women's soccer season opener for both teams in front of a spirited crowd at Triton Soccer Stadium on Thursday evening.
 
The Vandals (1-0) out-shot the Tritons (0-1), 17-7, in the victory.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Vandals struck first with an early score. In the seventh minute, Savannah Foster re-directed a header into the net, giving the visitors a one-nil advantage.
 
Idaho tried to add to its lead in the 26th minute, but Fitzgerald made a terrifc stop, keeping the deficit at one goal.
 
 
In the 40th minute, UC San Diego earned its first corner kick of the match. Mika Celeste sent it into the 18 where Katelyn Meyer was racing in, but her shot was stopped by Idaho keeper Kira Witte.
 
The Vandals held an 11-3 advantage in first half shots, with seven on frame. Fitzgerald made six saves over the first 45 minutes.
 
In the second half, the Tritons increased their pressure. UC San Diego had a great scoring chance in the 52nd minute, but the header from Camryn Borg was stopped.
 
 
In the 62nd minute, the Vandals increased their lead to 2-0 on a goal by Maddy Lasher.
 
QUOTABLE
"It was great to get so many players some minutes," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04. "We saw inspiring performances by a few freshmen, and it really did lift the returners into playing more physically. [Idaho] was a team that won almost every battle against us physically, and their anticipation was a lot sharper than ours'. To be honest, [our performance] was a step up from our exhibition game [Saturday against Grand Canyon]. I'd like to see us be a little more clinical on the offensive side of the ball."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Four Tritons made their first UC San Diego starts: transfers Camryn Borg and Natalie Abel, sophomore Courtney Hilliard, and freshman Allie Luo.
• 19 Tritons saw action in the first half of play and five of UC San Diego's six freshmen saw action in the match.
• Idaho's Savannah Foster was issued a yellow card in the 75th minute.
• The Vandals earned nine corner kicks compared to two for the Tritons.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons return to the pitch on Sunday when UC San Diego hosts No. 17 Pepperdine (1-0) at Triton Soccer Stadium. Action gets underway at 2 p.m., and admission is free. For those who cannot attend, the match will air live on ESPN+ with Steve Quis and Natasha Belak-Berger 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.