LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego's four-match unbeaten streak came to an end Sunday afternoon as the Tritons fell to Cal State Fullerton, one-nil, inside Triton Soccer Stadium. CSF's Camryn Cruz scored the lone tally of the match in the 33rd minute to propel the Titans to the win.
 
With three matches remaining, UC San Diego is 2-3-2 in Big West action (4-6-6 overall), and the Tritons currently sit two points out of a playoff spot with eight. With Sunday's victory, Fullerton has 13 points (4-2-1 BW, 11-2-2 overall). The top six teams in The Big West standings will qualify for the conference championship.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal State Fullerton possessed early and came out firing before UC San Diego settled into the run of play. By the end of the half, possession stats were even at 50% apiece. The Titans broke through in the 33rd minute to take a one-nil lead when Cruz collected a loose ball inside the box and deposited it into the back of the net.
 
Both teams had nine first half shots and three first half corner kick opportunities.
 
After halftime, UC San Diego was unable to net the equalizer. Cal State Fullerton outshot the Tritons, 10-5, in the second half, and the Titans netted the only two second half corner kicks.  
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego goalkeeper Charlotte Wilfert had six saves Sunday. Her 71 saves and 4.44 saves per game are both tops in The Big West.
• Triton back Jenna Grider made her third consecutive start on the back line, logging all 90 minutes.
• The Titans lead the Division I series between these two programs, 5-0.
• The Tritons wore their white kits with Wilfert in baby blue.

 
QUOTABLE
"The seven points [over the prior three matches] kept us in contention, but we know what's on the line," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04. "We know that we need three wins [in the remaining three matches]. The team can use today as motivation. We didn't play our best and Fullerton earned that result. When we play well, we're a hard team to beat. We need to remember what has been working when we're playing well."
 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego heads out on the road for the final time in Big West play for a pair of matches next week. On Thursday, the Tritons visit Long Beach State for a 6 p.m. match. The action can be seen on ESPN+ with a link to 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 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 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 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.