LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego (4-8-5 overall, 3-3-3 Big West) closed out its final home match of the season on Sunday surrounded by family and friends celebrating the team's eight seniors, all of whom played an integral role in holding off a determined UC Riverside to a scoreless tie inside Triton Soccer Stadium. UC San Diego remains in seventh  and UCR sits at tenth in The Big West following Sunday's result.
 
UCR's (2-10-6 overall, 2-5-2 Big West) tie on Sunday extends its drought to seven matches without a victory.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego put on the pressure early with a through ball from freshman midfielder Alexis Nguyen in the sixth minute. Junior forward Courtney Hilliard picked it up in the right corner of the 18-yard box, taking a touch before smashing a shot into UCR goalkeeper Cassia Souza who made the save.
 
The Tritons kept up the intensity throughout the first half and yielded another promising chance with six minutes left in the half. Junior forward Audrey Reed nestled a cross into the six-yard box, finding near-post-bound sophomore Lindsey Park who headed the ball into the top left corner. It would take a Herculean effort from Souza to keep the header out of the net.
 
UC San Diego out-shot UCR, putting in 11 shots to the Highlander's 4. Fitzgerald picked up her fourth clean sheet of the season, perhaps her easiest with just one UCR shot on target. The Triton's defense was vigilant throughout, forcing three offsides against a possession-heavy Highlander attack.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Prior to the match, the Tritons honored the team's eight seniors (six seniors and two grad students) who played their final home match at Triton Soccer Stadium on Sunday. Camryn Borg, Kennedy Carter, Keara Fitzgerald, Emily Killeen, Sarah Kowack, Mackenzie May, Katelyn Meyer, and Lizzy Teran were all recognized for their tireless service over the years.
• Sarah Kowack and Emily Killeen made their first starts of their Triton careers Sunday.
• The Tritons recorded six shots on goal while conceding just one to the Highlanders.
• Lindsey Park drew a yellow card in the 87th minute, and Emily Killeen picked up the first of her career a minute later.
• UC San Diego remained unbeaten against UCR in Division I play with a 1-0-2 record.
• The Tritons wore their white kits Sunday afternoon with Fitzgerald in red.

QUOTABLE

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego closes out its conference schedule with a drive north to San Luis Obispo on Thursday evening vs. Cal Poly. The Tritons took a close 1-0 loss last October to the Mustangs, who won the conference in 2022. Thursday's match kicks off at 7 p.m. and will air live 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 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.