LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego dropped a tightly-contested Big West match by a 1-0 score to visiting Hawai'i Thursday night at Triton Soccer Stadium. Hawai'i, the conference's leader in shots per game at nearly 16, was limited to just eight shots on Thursday, but the Rainbow Wahine got a 26th minute goal and made it stand up in the road win.
The victory was the seventh in a row for Hawai'i (9-6, 5-0 Big West), who now sits alone atop the conference standings. UC San Diego (2-11-2, 0-5-1) remains in search of its first Big West win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego came out determined and the Tritons largely controlled the run of play in the first half. The Tritons held possession for 63% of the half with a 7-4 advantage in shots and two corner kicks to none for Hawai'i. However, the Rainbow Wahine got the only goal of the half when Nalani Damacion scored her fifth of the season in the 26th minute to put the visitors in front, one-nil, at the half.
After halftime, the Tritons again showed a lot of energy and determination but were unable to equalize. UC San Diego ripped six second half shots but could not find the back of the net. Hawai'i goalkeeper Kennedy Justin made seven saves in posting the clean sheet.
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego's campus mariachi band, La Joya del Sur entertained the fans pregame and at halftime.
- Hawai'i was flagged six times for offsides.
- Seniors Raquel Kalpakoff (three) and Natalie Abel (two) led UC San Diego in shots taken.
- Freshman Kat Harris made her second consecutive start and played all 90 minutes on the back line.
- With tonight's Rainbow Wahine victory, UC San Diego's lead in the all-time series is now 3-2. Thursday marked UH's first-ever win in La Jolla.
- The Tritons wore their navy kits with Fronk in red.
QUOTABLE
"I was pleased with our level of commitment specifically on the defensive side of the ball and more determination in the box," said UC San Diego head coach
Kristin Jones '04. "This was a very sound defensive game for us, but to be honest, a lot of it comes down to confidence. We talk a lot about team concepts, but we don't always show that belief in ourselves as individuals. We'll do everything we can to give them that confidence for the remaining games."
UP NEXT
The Tritons will host UC Davis in a Big West match Sunday 2 p.m. It's the annual UC San Diego Pink Match for breast cancer awareness at Triton Soccer Stadium and admission is free. The game can be seen live on ESPN+ with live statistics available 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.
