LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego scored three quick first half goals and built a four-nil lead over visiting CSUN, then the Tritons had to hang on for a 5-3 victory over the visiting Matadors Thursday night inside Triton Soccer Stadium. For UC San Diego (4-8-4 overall, 3-3-2 Big West), the five goals scored are the most the Tritons have scored in a Division I match. Sophomore
Lindsey Park scored twice for the Tritons, who are tied for fifth in The Big West with 11 points.
CSUN fell to 1-13-3 (1-5-2) with Thursday's setback.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego jumped out to a fast start. Junior captain
Courtney Hilliard sprinted into the box in the third minute, finding
Lizzy Teran racing up the left flank. The senior's left-footed shot was true, and the Tritons had a quick one-nil advantage – their fastest strike of the season.
The Tritons added to their lead in the 13th minute, when freshman
Alexis Nguyen fired a ball in from the right corner, a perfect feed to sophomore
Lindsey Park who came inside the 18 and redirected the ball into the back of the net.
The Tritons weren't done. Just six minutes later, it was Nguyen getting the attack started once again. This time, it was Hilliard who finished to make the score three-nil.
The Tritons three-goal first half marked the biggest offensive output in a single half this season. CSUN earned six first half corner kicks, compared to two for UC San Diego.
UC San Diego continued its assault after halftime, with
Camryn Borg finding the back of the net in the 49th minute to give the Tritons their fourth goal of the match – equaling a season high.
The Matadors scored three straight goals to draw within a one – including a successful PK by Izabel Reyes in the 51st minute.
With UC San Diego's lead down to one at 4-3, Park scored again. Her strike in the 66th minute off a feed from
Lizzy Teran made the score 5-3 Tritons.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The goal by Lizzy Teran in the third minute was the first of her UC San Diego career. Lindsey Park's scores were her second and third of the season (four career), Hilliard's was number three in 2023 (fourth career), and Borg scored for the first time this season (fourth career).
- The five-goal output was UC San Diego's highest scoring match since the then-Division II Tritons earned a 5-2 win over Humboldt State on Oct. 11, 2019.
- Teran made her seventh start of the season for the Tritons.
- UC San Diego remained unbeaten against CSUN in Division I play, improving to 4-0.
- The Tritons wore their blue kits Thursday night with Fitzgerald in baby blue.
QUOTABLE
UP NEXT
UC San Diego concludes its home schedule at Triton Soccer Stadium Sunday afternoon vs. UC Riverside. Prior to the match, the Tritons will honor their eight graduating seniors. Sunday's match kicks at 2 and will air live on ESPN+ and KSDT Radio with live stats on UCSDTritons.com. Admission to UC San Diego home matches is free.
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 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 84 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.
