SAN FRANCISCO – UC San Diego concluded its opening weekend trip to the Bay Area with a 3-0 setback at USF on Sunday afternoon inside Negoesco Stadium. The Tritons fell to 0-2 with the loss and the Dons are now 1-1 after the victory. San Francisco picked up a goal in the first half and two in the second to earn the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
San Francisco had a good scoring opportunity in the 16th minute after earning a free kick just outside the 18 because of a Triton foul. Lindsey Chau played the ball into the box where Jackie Koerwitz leaped and redirected the ball with a nice header. But Triton goalkeeper Ginny Fronk read the play well and made the save to keep the match scoreless.
 
The Dons broke through in the 34th minute when Kaitlyn Sasadeusz scored USF's first goal of the young season to put the home team on top 1-0 – a score that would hold through the remainder of the first half. UC San Diego earned a pair of free kicks in the final 90 seconds but was unable to convert either into scoring chances.
 
USF out-shot the Tritons, 7-3, in the first half. Neither team earned a corner kick.
 
In the second half, the Dons extended their lead to two-nil in the 55th minute. San Francisco earned a corner kick – the first of the match for either side – and Sydney Harpster converted to extend the lead.
 
The Tritons increased pressure on the other end of the pitch, with senior Natalie Abel getting a pair of shots, both of which sailed wide. Early in the 71st, UC San Diego earned its first corner of the match. Skylar Enge played it in and the Tritons had a couple of looks – including a shot from Ava Medrano that was saved by USF keeper Kira Ybarra.
 
USF's Chau added a goal from distance in the 85th minute to close out the scoring.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• San Francisco held a 13-7 advantage in shots – including a 6-1 edge in shots on goal.
• UC San Diego sophomore goalkeeper Ginny Fronk was credited with three saves.
• UC San Diego midfielder Skylar Enge was issued a yellow card in the 28', her first and the team's second of the season.
• San Francisco now leads the series 3-1 between these two sides, including a 3-0 record since the Tritons moved to Division I.
• The Tritons wore their blue kits Sunday afternoon with Fronk in red.

 
QUOTABLE
"We need to do a better job of limiting mistakes," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04 following the match. "USF capitalized on three bad moments from our team, and that was the difference in the game. We were fatigued after how much we put into [the season opener at Cal] and it was evident the second goal from USF really took the wind out of our sails today."
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego returns to La Jolla for three straight at home. The Tritons' home opener against Pepperdine will take place Thursday at 4 p.m. Admission is free. The match airs 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.