LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego men's soccer controlled large aspects of the match on Wednesday night but ultimately walked away with one point after a 1-1 home draw with UC Santa Barbara. The Tritons now have four ties through five Big West matches.
Adam Dunbar capitalized on a feed from
Evan Wellerstein in the 82nd minute to equalize the match. UC Santa Barbara opened the scoring on a solo effort in the 70th.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The match was all Tritons from the jump as the hosts started strong with four shots and a corner kick in the first 10 minutes.
James Redington had the best look at goal in the first half, with his long-range effort in the 27th minute just barely tipped over the bar by the Gaucho goalkeeper.
The Tritons kept the pressure on but ultimately went into the break scoreless. At that point the hosts had a 9-6 advantage in shots and a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks after holding 56% possession through the first 45 minutes.
A red card in the 55th minute to UC Santa Barbara goalie Owen Beninga further tipped the match in the Tritons' favor. A through ball to
Gavin Allegaert at the top of the box saw the Triton forward beat the on-rushing Beninga to the ball, with Beninga subsequently chopping down Allegaert. The Gauchos went down to 10 men for the rest of the contest after the red card for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity.
Allegaert was later the set-up man for a prime Triton opportunity as he sent a cross to
Cole Barrett in the center of the box in the 58th minute. The midfielder's subsequent shot just missed as he hit the left post.
The rest of the match was more of the same as the Tritons kept their foot on the gas, but it was ultimately UC Santa Barbara that would strike first in the 70th minute. An unfortunate giveaway in the back by the Tritons gave the Gauchos' Kaden Standish a free run at goal, which he capitalized on to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
UC Santa Barbara retreated further into a low block after going in front, but the Tritons were still able to find the equalizer 12 minutes later. Wellerstein sent a pass down the right side that broke multiple lines of defense and fed Dunbar for a look at goal. The freshman fired a shot at the near post that beat the keeper.
The Tritons searched for a winner in the match's final minutes but were left with the 1-1 draw. The night ended with UC San Diego tied for seventh in The Big West standings, one point away from the final spot in The Big West Championship with four matches remaining.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Wellerstein's assist was the first of his career. The redshirt junior leads the team with three goal contributions this season.
- Dunbar joins Wellerstein as the only Tritons with multiple goals in 2025.
- Forward Brian Arens made his first start of the year.
QUOTABLE
"I thought the guys did great tonight," head coach
Jon Pascale said. "From start to finish, we were in control of the game for the most part. UC Santa Barbara certainly had their moments because they are a good team, but I thought our guys were hungry and played inspired. The energy was great, and everybody that played contributed."
UP NEXT
The Tritons hit the road this weekend for a match at CSUN on Saturday. ESPN+ has the broadcast, which begins at 7:00 p.m.
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.
