IRVINE, Calif. – UC San Diego got a big second half score from redshirt freshman Ava Tibor, but the Tritons were unable to net a game-winner and had to settle for a 1-1 draw Sunday vs. UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium. With their second consecutive tie, the Tritons are 2-3-4 in Big West action (4-6-8 overall) with 10 points in the conference standings. The top six teams will qualify for The Big West Championship beginning one week from today.
 
With Sunday's draw, the Anteaters are 4-2-3 with 15 points in Big West play. UCI sits at 7-4-7 overall.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Irvine was aggressive from the jump, and that mindset paid off early. In just the sixth minute, UCI's Ella Colombini scored to put the Anteaters in front. Her shot was already the third of the match for the home team. The Tritons settled in thanks to some strong play in the latter portion of the first half. But the Anteaters outshot the Tritons, 8-2, over the first 45 minutes.
 
Knowing what was at stake, UC San Diego came out with a marked increase in intensity after halftime. In the 65th minute, Natalie Abel played a ball into the box where a cutting Allie Luo deflected it perfectly to Ava Tibor whose quick touch leveled the score. As Tibor's ball hit the back of the net, the UC San Diego bench erupted.
 
The Tritons kept pushing forward and had additional scoring chances late in the match. In the 82nd minute, Natalie Abel ripped a shot from distance that caromed off the left post. About 45 seconds later, Lindsey Park sent a ball in that was saved by UCI. UC San Diego had a corner in the 87th minute but the Tritons were unable to convert.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The goal by Ava Tibor was her team-leading sixth of the season and established a new program record for most goals in a season by any player since UC San Diego moved to Division I. Tibor's mark also leads all Big West freshmen.
• Senior back Allie Luo was issued a yellow card in the 52nd minute, her second of the season.
• Senior midfielder Corinne Wilson logged a career-high 30 minutes Sunday.
• Triton back Jenna Grider made her fifth consecutive start on the back line, logging all 90 minutes.
• UC San Diego leads the series between these two programs, 1-0-4, since the Tritons joined The Big West in 2020. Sunday's draw was the fourth consecutive in the series.
• The Tritons wore their navy kits with Wilfert in baby blue.

 
UP NEXT
UC San Diego plays its final regular season match on Thursday when the Tritons host UC Santa Barbara for a 7 p.m. kick inside Triton Soccer Stadium. Admission is free, and the action can be seen on ESPN+ with a link to live stats on UCSDTritons.com. Prior to the match, UC San Diego will recognize and thank seven members of the program on Senior Night.
 
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.