UC San Diego

LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego men's soccer battled the elements and visiting Oregon State on Saturday night at Triton Soccer Stadium, ultimately falling 1-0.
 
The result solidified the Beavers' (7-1-4, 3-0-1) place at the top of the Pac-12 standings. The Tritons (6-4-2, 1-1-2) remain in third.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams had penalty kicks early in the first half but failed to convert. Oregon State's in the 9th minute was not called live, but the center referee awarded a penalty after video review for a foul inside the box. Triton goalkeeper Nic Thiele then made a big diving save to his right side to keep the match scoreless.
 
UC San Diego's penalty was called live in the 16th minute and was not challenged by the Oregon State coaching staff. Adam Dunbar played a cross to Oren Stuppel, who held the ball up in the box before being dragged down. Dunbar stepped up to take the penalty for the Tritons, but his effort rattled off the crossbar.
 
The Beavers then scored in the 32nd minute. A combination play down the left side created an opening near the penalty spot, with the ensuing shot fired home for the lone goal of the match.
 
Oregon State finished the first half with an 8-6 shot advantage. The penalty kick and goal were the only two shots on target for the visitors in the match. UC San Diego had one first-half shot on goal when Ryan Namdar headed a shot on frame in the 42nd minute after a long throw-in from Nate Morgan.
 
The second half opened with a chance for Oregon State. A diving header in the 49th minute hit the crossbar.
 
From there it was all UC San Diego, with the Tritons out-shooting Oregon State 9-4 after the break. But the Tritons only managed one shot on target in the second half, which came in the 77th minute on a long-range effort from Sean McTague.
 
The hosts' best chance at an equalizer came in the 85th minute. Oregon State committed a foul at the top of the box, resulting in a second yellow card to Max Eisenberg. The Beavers then had to play the final minutes with only 10 men, and the Tritons got a free kick from a quality spot. Matias Mott took a shot directly from that restart, but his effort missed high.
 
The Tritons initiated two video reviews in the final 10 minutes in hopes of being awarded a penalty, but neither were given by the referee.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The Tritons have earned penalty kicks in three-straight games, but have only converted one.
• Thiele's save came on the first penalty kick he faced in his career.
• Masayuki Fujita made his first start of the season.
• 773 fans braved the weather brought on by Tropical Storm Rachel.

QUOTABLE
"Great effort by the team tonight," head coach Jon Pascale said. "We went toe to toe with a very good opponent. The margins were thin, and I am confident the team will be ready to get back to work and continue moving forward as we prepare for Sacramento State."
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons will have three nonconference matches over the next two weeks, with the first coming on the road at Sacramento State. That match will be on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
 
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 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 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.