PULLMAN, Wash. – UC San Diego senior Raquel Kalpakoff scored her team-leading third goal of the season in the 21st minute and the Tritons hung on late to earn a 1-1 draw with host Washington State Sunday afternoon at Lower Soccer Field. It was a stellar performance by the Triton defense all afternoon to earn the impressive road result. Making her first career start, sophomore goalkeeper Bella Barretto needed to make just five saves for UC San Diego (1-5-1).

Playing their first season as an affiliate member of the West Coast Conference, the Cougars are now 2-2-2 in non-conference play after Sunday's result.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons earned the match's first corner kick in the 18th minute, but a Triton foul on the service prevented a scoring opportunity. Play was physical in the midfield on both sides in the match's first third, but neither team could mount a true scoring chance early. In the 21st minute, freshman Lana Gilligan eluded two defenders and had a great look with the left foot, but WSU goalie Nadia Cooper kept the match scoreless.
 
Moments later, senior Raquel Kalpakoff possessed a loose ball and fired a rocket from the top of the box that found the back of the net to put the Tritons up, one-nil.
 

21' | Raquel puts the Tritons on top in Pullman!#HeresToIt x #GoTritons pic.twitter.com/WhU9J44j0v

— UCSD Women's Soccer (@UCSDwsoc) September 8, 2024

The Cougars responded with some pressure on the other end of the pitch. Washington State earned a pair of corner kicks in the ensuing minutes. In the 30', Rajanah Reed ripped a shot that was saved by sophomore goalkeeper Bella Barretto. The Cougars played the rebound and Barretto made another stop. Washington State got off a third shot before Barretto was able to corral the ball and stop the momentum. Three shots in 43 seconds, three saves by Barretto.
 
In the 37', Reed took a feed from Naomi Clark to tie the match at 1-1. The Tritons were hoping for an offsides call on the play, but the flag stayed down.
 
In the second half, Washington State earned a corner kick in the 66' and Reese Tappan ripped a shot that caromed off the crossbar. The Cougars took the rebound, but a shot was off-target over the net. On the other end, junior Lindsey Park had a takeaway in a dangerous position, but her quick shot sailed just high, and the match remained level at 1-1.
 
Each team had one final chance in the last minute of play. Gilligan had a clean look, but Cooper made the stop. After a foul on the other end, the referee stopped the clock and WSU had a free kick with just seven seconds remaining. The Cougars' Julianna Duckett had a great scoring opportunity, but Park headed the ball away to save the match and garner a result for the Tritons.
 

Lindsey Park with the game-saving header in the final seconds...Tritons get a result at WSU!#HeresToIt x #GoTritons pic.twitter.com/dXF47XT8hu

— UCSD Women's Soccer (@UCSDwsoc) September 8, 2024

TRITON TIDBITS

• Kalpakoff's goal was the eighth of her UC San Diego career, ranking second all-time in the program's Division I history.
• Triton sophomore Bella Barretto made her first career start in net for the Tritons, finishing with a career-high five saves.
• Washington State held a 25-7 advantage in shots and earned nine corners to one for UC San Diego. However, only six of the Cougars' 25 shots were on-frame as the UC San Diego defense kept them off balance all afternoon.
• Sunday was the first-ever meeting between the Tritons and Cougars. They'll square off again next fall in La Jolla.
• UC San Diego is now 0-2-1 against West Coast Conference opposition this season. The Tritons will host Pacific later this month in their final non-conference match.
• The Tritons wore their blue kits Sunday afternoon with Barretto in baby blue.

 
QUOTABLE
"I feel lucky to coach this team," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04 on the field following the match. "The level of commitment we showed all day on defense and there at the end – we were not going to lose. The way our defense played in the box: they had nine corners and couldn't score a goal off any of those – and that is a strength of their team."
 
Jones on Lindsey Park's play as time expired: "That was an example of what the team did all game. She stayed alert, stayed ready, and was ready to sacrifice her body to make sure that ball was not going in the back of the net."
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego concludes its stint of three straight matches away from home on Thursday night when the Tritons visit crosstown rival San Diego State. Kick-off is slated for 7 p.m. from the SDSU Sports Deck, with links to live video and 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.