LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego men's soccer honored five seniors on Saturday night at Triton Soccer Stadium before a 2-2 draw with California Baptist.
Tyler Cash and
Adam Dunbar had the goals for the Tritons.
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The result saw the Tritons (7-6-3, 1-1-3 Pac-12) end the night in fourth place in the Pac-12 standings. The top four teams at the end of next week's regular season finale will qualify for the Pac-12 Championship. The Lancers (10-3-2, 3-1-2) are currently first in the conference.
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Keenai Braun,
Sean McTague,
Nate Morgan,
Oren Stuppel and
Nic Thiele were honored on Senior Night. All five played meaningful roles in the match.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
California Baptist had a 9-2 shot advantage in the first half, but it was the Tritons who would go into the break up 1-0 after a wonder goal from Cash. Thiele restarted play with a goal kick, which bounced long and was flicked on by
Ryan Namdar. Cash took one touch before unleashing a long-range volley to put the Tritons in front in the 38th minute.
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That shot was UC San Diego's first of the game. The second came in the 42nd minute when Namdar had an opportunity after a defensive miscue, but his effort rolled wide.
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Thiele made four first-half saves, including one right after the Tritons' goal on an open attacker at the back post. Neither goalkeeper made a save in the second half.
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Dunbar added another long-range goal in the 77th minute to put the Tritons up 2-0.
Jack Nishimoto collected a loose ball and made his way past a defender to set up Dunbar's finish.
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CBU then got one back less than a minute later. A Lancer attacker drove to the end line, with his cut-back pass finding an open teammate to bring the score to 2-1.
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The equalizer then came in the 84th minute. A line-breaking pass up to CBU's striker was flicked back to the top of the box, where a waiting attacker was able to convert.
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Neither side was able to register a shot after that point, bringing the match to its 2-2 final score.
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TRITON TIDBITS
- Cash has scored in two-straight games and now has four goals on the year.
- Dunbar has two goals on the season.
QUOTABLE
"This group is pretty special," head coach
Jon Pascale said of the senior class. "What they have done with the young guys is incredible. They really integrated them into the program and gave them a clear picture of what the culture should look like by example. These guys have been in the program for a number of years. They were not all first-year starters. They had to work their way up. They had to pay their dues. They sat on the bench and had to cheer their teammates on, and they have gotten their opportunities and they have not looked back. I could not be happier for them to see them out there battling, performing and playing well. They have so many qualities that just embody what we are all about."
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UP NEXT
The Tritons finish the regular season across town at San Diego State next Saturday, Oct. 31. Only the winner is guaranteed a spot in the Pac-12 Championship, with numerous scenarios still in play for that final weekend.
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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 inÂ
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.comÂ
or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.
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