LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego (2-4-4, 0-1 Big West) could not come back from a first half goal, falling to Cal State Bakersfield (4-4-1, 1-0 Big West) by a 1-0 scoreline on Thursday at Triton Soccer Stadium. The result marks just the Tritons' second loss to the Roadrunners in their 14-game history.
Lana Gilligan led in the final third with two of six shots on goal, with Allie Luo and newcomer Kennadi Borg contributing two shots a piece. Charlotte Wilfert held strong in goal, making five saves to keep the Tritons in it until the end.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Thursday's match remained even throughout the first half hour, with each side logging shots. The Tritons forced four saves, while all the Roadrunners' shots flew astray, during this period.
No matter, the Roadrunner's first shot on goal in the 31st minute proved effective. A well-placed bounding shot, combined with a slick field, snuck the ball past the Triton defense for the opening score.
The Tritons kept the pressure on with seven second half shots, including a laser from Chloe Yates that bounced off the crossbar in the 73rd minute.
Lana Gilligan drove in another promising shot that grazed just over the crossbar ten minutes later.
The Roadrunners put on ample pressure of their own, recording five shots on goal that prompted several pivotal saves from
Charlotte Wilfert. Ultimately, however, the first half score held strong through the final whistle.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons now hold a 0-2-3 record in conference openers since joining The Big West in 2020; their last loss came in their inaugural season, a 2-1 loss to Long Beach in the 90th minute.
- UC San Diego is now 9-2-4 all time against Cal State Bakersfield.
- The Tritons wore their navy blue kits, with goalkeeper Charlotte Wilfert in baby blue, for Thursday's match.
- The Tritons posted a season-best 17 shots, with a season-high nine on frame.
- 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.
QUOTABLE
"When they dropped formationally after they scored, it gave us a lot of time on the ball so we were able to bring them in to a lot of possession opportunities," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04. "It felt like we deserved a goal in the first half with how much of the [possession] we had. Any time a team allows us to have the ball, we're going to be really comfortable in that situation. We lacked a little bit of creativity when it mattered the most, and we need to work on that before our next game."
UP NEXT
UC San Diego heads back on the road for a Big West battle against Cal Poly on Thursday. The Tritons are 2-4 against the Mustangs, with their last match resulting in a 2-0 victory on Senior Day. The 7 p.m. kickoff will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live statistics available via 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 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.
