IRVINE, Calif. — UC San Diego men's soccer battled UC Irvine to a 1-1 road draw on Wednesday in the conference opener for both teams.
 
The Tritons are now 0-6-3 (0-0-1 Big West) on the year. UC Irvine moved to 5-3-2 (0-0-1).
 
Nolan Premack recorded four saves in goal, with UC Irvine taking 13 shots in total. James Redington and Adam Dunbar led the offense effort with two shots each, including one on target for both. The Tritons' equalized in the 59th minute on an own goal after the Anteaters went ahead with just seconds left in the first half.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The match began with the Tritons displaying an aggressive offensive approach, registering six shots before the break. Kai Oppenheim's attempt hit the woodwork in the 25th minute, and an effort from Dunbar was saved shortly after.
 
UC San Diego kept UC Irvine from creating chances for much of the half, but it was the home side who ultimately struck first on the Anteaters' lone shot of the first half. UC Irvine's Misael Gonzalez Lopez scored with less than 10 seconds to go before the break to put the Anteaters ahead 1-0 at halftime.
 
The Tritons opened the second half with more pressure as Redington had a shot saved in the 47th minute. Their efforts eventually resulted in the equalizer in the 59th. Nate Morgan sent in a cross that was headed toward goal by Ryan Namdar, with his effort then redirected into the back of the net by an Anteater defender.
 
Most of the pressure down the stretch came from UC Irvine, with the hosts registering 12 second-half shots to the Tritons' three. Premack made all four of his saves in the second and did enough with the rest of the defense to see the match finish in a 1-1 draw.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• UC Irvine is one of six Triton opponents this season to spend time ranked in the national Top 25.
• Freshman Adam Dunbar made his first collegiate start on Wednesday.
• UC San Diego now holds a 9-7-4 record all-time against UC Irvine. 

QUOTABLE
"I am proud of the team tonight," head coach Jon Pascale said. "After a disappointing match versus San Jose State, we came out and played our best first half of the season. We gave up an unfortunate goal seconds before halftime. A lot of teams would have imploded, but we showed great resilience to come back and equalize to get a point on the road against a good team."
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons' home Big West opener is this Saturday, Oct. 4, versus UC Davis. The match begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. Admission to all matches at Triton Soccer Stadium 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 has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-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 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered 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 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.