RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC San Diego goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald made four saves to register her second clean sheet of the season, but the Tritons were unable to break through on the offensive end as UC San Diego and host UC Riverside played to a scoreless draw at UCR Soccer Stadium Thursday night.
 
The Tritons (1-6-3) have now played to a draw in back-to-back matches. The Highlanders (2-2-6) tied for the fifth consecutive match.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Riverside had a breakaway opportunity from Alexandra Hargrave in the 20th minute, but Triton keeper Keara Fitzgerald stepped out of the six to challenge and made the stop. Less than a minute later, on the other end, Triton forward Kennedy Carter raced down the center and fired a shot that sailed just high to keep the match scoreless.
 
In the 34th minute, Lucy Tang got loose inside the 18 and though her shot was wide, it was deflected out of play to earn UC San Diego its second corner of the match. However the Tritons were unable to take advantage, and the match remained deadlocked.
 
Late in the 43rd minute, UC San Diego left back Allie Luo was knocked to the ground by a Highlander and drew the first yellow card of the match as she stood up and tried to regain her footing.
 
Neither team was able to muster a shot in the final moments of a scoreless first half. UC San Diego earned three first half corners to two for UCR. Fitzgerald made four saves.
 
In the second half, the Highlanders looked to break through, but the Triton defense remained strong. UCR out-shot UC San Diego, 4-0, over the first 30 minutes of the period but could not score.
 
In the 82nd minute, Tang raced down the right flank and attempted a cross to a cutting Ashlynn Kolarik, but the pass was too strong and the Highlanders avoided further trouble with a goal kick.
 
UC San Diego made a push in the 87th minute when Carter fired a shot from 14 yards out and forced UC Riverside keeper Cassia Souza to make her first save of the night.
 
The Tritons earned a deep throw-in with just 30 seconds remaining, and Luo found Kolarik but her header trickled just wide of the goal and the match ended in a draw.
 
QUOTABLE


TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego is now 1-1-2 on the road this season, unbeaten in its last three away from home.
• Natalie Abel had scored in three consecutive matches for UC San Diego before being held off the board Thursday.
• Fitzgerald is The Big West leader in saves with 60 in 2022.
• Christina Oddone was issued a yellow card in the 88th minute, her first of the season.

 
UP NEXT
The Tritons continue their three-game road trip on Sunday, when UC San Diego visits Cal State Fullerton. The match kicks off at 5 pm 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.