LA JOLLA, Calif. – Despite a flurry of shots on goal, UC San Diego (2-3-3) could not comeback against a determined Washington State (1-1-3) in a tight 1-0 loss. The result handed the Cougars their first win of the season, and the Tritons' second home loss of the season.
Lana Gilligan led the Tritons with the ball, recording two out of four shots on goal. Ava Tibor contributed another four shots, while Allie Luo slotted in two. As a team, UC San Diego fired 12 shots on the night, including nine in the second half.
Washington State outpaced UC San Diego on every metric, good and bad. The Cougars finished with four corners, 14 fouls and three offsides compared to the Tritons' three, 12 and zero, respectively.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Two Triton shots on goal and heavy possession in the visitor's half highlighted a relatively quiet first half. Both sides exchanged fouls, with the hosts racking up five to the visitors' three.
The moderate first 45 minutes primed a slow start to the second half. Natalie Abel went down in the 59th minute following an elbow to the side but returned near the end of the match.
A minute after the injury, the Cougars pounced on a errant backfield pass and finished on an empty net to secure a lead that they sustained until the final whistle.
TRITON TIDBITS
- UC San Diego is now 0-1-1 all-time against Washington State; their contest last season ended in a 1-1 tie in Pullman.
- The Tritons wore their navy-blue kits, with goalkeeper Charlotte Wilfert in baby blue, for Thursday's match.
- UC San Diego starters included Charlotte Wilfert, Ava Tibor, Kat Harris, Chloe Yates, Alexis Nguyen, Kennadi Borg, Natalie Abel, Anya Lin, Talisa Lin, Lana Gilligan and Allie Luo. Gilligan made her first home start of the season.
QUOTABLE
"I was pleased with our effort tonight," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04. "At halftime I challenged them to up the intensity in the second half, and we did that. It was a physical match and we didn't back down."
UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts University of San Francisco on Sunday. The 2 p.m. kickoff is free to attend at Triton Soccer Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available via UCSDTritons.com. Sunday is bulid-your-own-sundae day and the team will sign postgame autographs.
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 began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-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 earned 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 Divisions I and II.
