PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown scored a pair of goals just over three minutes apart in the second half as the host Bears (3-1-0) topped visiting UC San Diego (1-2-2), 2-0, in a women's soccer match Sunday morning at Brown's Stevenson-Pincince Field. The Tritons held one of the nation's top offenses in check for over 47 minutes on a humid Rhode Island morning, before the Bears broke through.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Brown came out on the attack Sunday morning, but the UC San Diego defense stood tall. Sophomore Allie Luo made several key tackles and Triton goalkeeper Keara Fitzgerald played strong in net to keep the Bears off the scoreboard.
 
In the 43rd minute, the Tritons had their first shot on goal of the match. Freshman Emily Fitzgerald sent one in from the 18, but Brown goalkeeper Clare Gagne made the stop. The Bears held a 10-5 advantage in first half shots, but Keara Fitzgerald registered five saves.
 
Shortly after halftime, Brown broke the scoreless deadlock when Brittany Raphino scored her second goal of the season. That strike in the 48' made the match one-nil in favor of the home team. Three minutes and 20 seconds later, the score was 2-0 when Raphino and Joy Okonye fed Naya Cardoza.
 
Fitzgerald finished with seven saves in goal for UC San Diego.
 
QUOTABLE
"We persevered their attack over the first ten minutes, and really settled in and had a strong defensive first half," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04. "[Brown] is a really good team – among the best we'll play all season – and those two quick goals in the second made things difficult for us. Our entire back line played well against a strong attack and I thought Camryn Borg had a great game."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Brown is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll.
• The Bears held a 20 to seven advantage in shots and seven corners to two for the Tritons.
• UC San Diego wore its blue kits Sunday morning.
• Temperature was 82 degrees at game time, and it felt hotter on the FieldTurf playing surface. The teams took hydration breaks throughout the match.

UP NEXT
UC San Diego returns to La Jolla for the first of three straight at Triton Soccer Stadium on Thursday when they host San Diego State. The match will be broadcast on ESPN+ 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.