IRVINE, Calif. – In their final match of the 2023 season, UC San Diego men's soccer fell to host UC Irvine on Saturday night in a 3-1 result.
The Tritons finish at 4-11-3 overall and 3-5-1 in Big West play. This is UC San Diego's final season of their reclassification and the team will be eligible next season to participate in postseason competition.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the first half, the Tritons had four chances with
Andrew Valverde and
Max Carvalho leading the way. UC San Diego was able to create opportunity for eight shots, out shooting their hosts by four shots. UCI struck first in the 11th minute to go ahead at 1-0. They remained in the lead for the entirety of the first 45.
The Anteaters struck again in the 52nd minute extending their lead to 2-0. The Tritons responded in the same minute to pull within one.
Andrew McGee set the field with a hard drive down the left side, sending a cross in to
Jack Hagan who dumped it to Carvalho who set it down for Iñaki Iribarren to bury.
Attempting to equalize in the 54th minute,
Evan Wellerstein was able to score on a header, however the referee ruled a foul happened before the goal was made, revoking the goal and taking the score back to 2-1.
UCI then pulled further away with an insurance goal in the 57th minute to make the score 3-1.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Iñaki Iribarren scored his eleventh goal tonight on an assist from Max Carvalho and Jack Hagan.
- Tonight's assist was Carvalho's third on the season and Hagan's second.
- On the season, the Tritons were only shut out two times, once by then No. 4 Denver (4-0) and by Big West opponent Sacramento State (0-0).
- UC Irvine remains undefeated in their all-time record at 3-0 over the Tritons.
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 has begun a new era 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 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
