UC San Diego

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — UC San Diego defeated UC Riverside, 2-0, Saturday at UC Riverside Soccer Stadium, improving to 6-3-4 overall and 2-1-2 in Big West play. The victory marked the Tritons' most wins in a single season during the program's NCAA Division I era and extended the program's best start in Division I history.

Leilah Raad converted a first-half penalty kick for the first goal of her collegiate career before Natalie Oca added a second-half goal, also the first of her collegiate career, to secure the shutout victory. The Tritons outshot UC Riverside, 18-4, and held an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal, while Charlotte Wilfert made one save.

HOW IT HAPPENED
UC San Diego applied early pressure, with Anya Lin and Oca recording shots in the opening eight minutes. Wilfert made an early save on UC Riverside's attempt in the 11th minute to keep the match scoreless.

The Tritons continued to generate chances through the middle of the first half, earning corner kicks and recording attempts from Cadee Borg, Raad and Ava Tibor. UC Riverside's goalkeeper  made several saves to keep the match even, including a stop on Tibor's shot in the 27th minute.

UC San Diego broke through in the 39th minute when Raad converted a penalty kick to give the Tritons a 1-0 lead. Molly Blom and Kiki Vostermans added shots on goal late in the half as UC San Diego carried its advantage into the break.

The Tritons continued their attack after halftime, with Alexis Nguyen, Kat Harris and Tibor recording attempts before Oca found the back of the net in the 56th minute to double the lead to 2-0.

UC Riverside looked to respond with a corner kick and two shots following Oca's goal, but the Tritons' defense held firm. UC San Diego continued to create opportunities through Chloe Yates, Lin and Lana Gilligan while earning several more corner kicks in the closing minutes.

Wilfert and the Triton defense preserved the shutout through the final whistle, securing the 2-0 road victory.

TRITON TIDBITS

• The Tritons recorded the most wins in a single season during the program's NCAA Division I era.
• The victory extended UC San Diego's best start in Division I program history.
• Leilah Raad and Natalie Oca each scored their first goals of their collegiate careers.
• UC San Diego outshot UC Riverside, 18-4, and held an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal.
• Charlotte Wilfert made one save to earn the shutout and her sixth shutout of the season.

QUOTEABLE
"I'm really happy with the performance today. I think our team proved that we can win games in different ways. We were a lot more dynamic going forward and put Riverside under a lot of pressure. I thought we were composed and calm when the moment called for it, and we made good decisions, especially considering the rain and playing on turf. Proud of Leilah for stepping up and burying the penalty. And for Natalie, I'm just really proud of her. She's put in a lot of work to learn the winger position and has been creating good opportunities for herself, so it was just a matter of time before she found the back of the net. I know how much she's been wanting to score for the team, and I'm happy she's getting the reward for all her hard work. Every game in the Big West is a big game, and we need to build on this momentum and keep finding ways to get three points," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04.

UP NEXT
The Tritons return home Wednesday, Oct. 14, hosting Sacramento State in a Big West matchup at 7 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium.

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.