FULLERTON, Calif. – A goal by Cal State Fullerton's Isabella Cruz in the 47th minute proved to be the difference as the host Titans held off visiting UC San Diego, 1-0, in a Big West women's soccer match Thursday night at Titan Stadium.
Cal State Fullerton (6-9-3 overall, 4-3-2 Big West) is now 4-0 against UC San Diego since the Tritons moved to Division I in 2020. The victory moved The Big West 2023 regular season champions into a third-place tie in the conference standings with one match remaining.
With Thursday's loss, the Tritons (2-12-3, 0-6-2 Big West) are unable to earn a berth in the six-team Big West Championship. UC San Diego has two matches left on its docket.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego came out in attack mode and controlled play for a good portion of the first half. The Tritons had an early scoring chance in the fifth minute when senior
Raquel Kalpakoff fired a shot point-blank that was saved by Fullerton keeper Mia Ranson. The Tritons collected the rebound, but
Skylar Enge's shot sailed high from the top of the box.
Cal State Fullerton had six first half corner kicks, but UC San Diego held a 10-9 advantage in shots (5-2 in terms of shots on frame). In the 44th minute, junior
Lauren Rocco raced up the left wing and provided a great centering feed to
Ellie Trevino, but the sophomore's shot was high and the match was scoreless at the half.
Cal State Fullerton jumped out in front early after halftime, when Isabella Cruz scored a goal in the 47th minute – just 71 seconds into the second half. Shots (6) and corner kicks (3) were even in the second 45, but the Tritons were unable to net the equalizer.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons held a slim 16-15 shot advantage. The Titans earned nine corner kicks to UC San Diego's three.
- UC San Diego used the same Starting XI for the fourth consecutive match.
- The Tritons used a season-low five players off the bench.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Ginny Fronk finished with three saves. Ranson had seven stops for Cal State Fullerton.
- The Tritons wore their white kits with Fronk in red.
UP NEXT
The Tritons conclude their road schedule Sunday night at UC Riverside. Action begins at 6 p.m. with a live broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats 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.
