LONG BEACH, Calif. – UC San Diego and Long Beach State battled to a scoreless draw in Big West action Thursday evening on George Allen Field. Both teams entered the match fighting for a Big West playoff berth and needing a victory and the accompanying three points, but the two sides settled for the draw and one point in the standings.
With just two matches remaining, UC San Diego is 2-3-3 in Big West action (4-6-7 overall), and the Tritons currently sit four points out of a playoff spot with nine. Long Beach State has ten points with its 2-2-4 conference mark (5-6-5 overall). The top six teams in The Big West standings will qualify for the conference championship.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the 16th minute, Triton junior
Alexis Nguyen registered the first shot of the match for either side, but LBSU keeper Aurora Schuck made the save. Nguyen was the only player in the match to fire multiple shots on goal – ripping three.
Shortly after the second half began, the Beach had their best scoring chance of the match. LBSU earned a corner kick just 80 seconds into the second period which ultimately led to Radisson Banks ripping a shot from distance. Wilfert elevated and punched the ball over the net, leading to another corner, but keeping the Beach off the board.
In the 89th minute, LBSU's Banks was issued a yellow card for unsporting behavior. That ultimately led to the Tritons earning their second corner kick of the match in the 90th minute, but UC San Diego was unable to get a shot.
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego goalkeeper Charlotte Wilfert was credited with three saves Thursday night. Wilfert's clean sheet was her eighth of the season and fourth in Big West play.
- Senior midfielder Corinne Wilson logged a career-high 28 minutes Thursday.
- Triton back Jenna Grider made her fourth consecutive start on the back line, logging all 90 minutes.
- Thursday was UC San Diego's first-ever point against Long Beach State in Big West action. The Beach leads the Division I series between these two programs, 4-0-1.
- The Tritons wore their white kits with Wilfert in red.
UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays its final regular season road match on Sunday when the Tritons travel to UC Irvine for a 1 p.m. kick. 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.
