FULLERTON, Calif. — UC San Diego defeated Cal State Fullerton, 2-1, Saturday at Titan Stadium, improving to 9-3-5 overall and 5-1-3 in Big West play. The Tritons scored twice in the final minutes to overcome a late Titans lead, with
Natalie Oca equalizing in the 87th minute before
Leilah Raad scored the game-winner in the 89th. The victory continues the best start in program history as the Tritons earned their fifth conference win of the season. UC San Diego outshot Cal State Fullerton, 22-8, and held an 11-2 advantage in shots on goal.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons generated the majority of the first-half chances, recording 11 shots while limiting the Titans to one attempt.
Anya Lin and
Alexis Nguyen each put shots on goal in the opening nine minutes, but Cal State Fullerton's goalkeeper made both saves to keep the match scoreless.
UC San Diego continued to apply pressure, generating six shots and a corner kick during a 10-minute stretch from the 18th to the 27th minute.
Leilah Raad,
Ava Tibor, Nguyen, Oca and
Jenna Grider each contributed attempts during the sequence.
Charlotte Wilfert saved the Titans' lone shot of the half in the 36th minute, while
Kiki Vostermans added three late attempts as the teams entered halftime tied 0-0.
The Tritons picked up where they left off after the break, creating another wave of chances. Following a corner kick in the 51st minute, Tibor,
Olivia Shih,
Kat Harris and Nguyen each put attempts on frame, but the Titans kept the match scoreless. UC San Diego continued to press following another corner in the 69th minute, with Vostermans,
Karize Madero,
Kennadi Borg and Raad each recording shots.
Cal State Fullerton broke through in the 86th minute to give the Titans a 1-0 lead.
The Tritons responded immediately. Oca found the equalizer in the 87th minute, scoring her third goal of the season to bring UC San Diego level at 1-1. Less than two minutes later, Raad finished a pass from
Cadee Borg to put the Tritons ahead, 2-1. The late strike marked the second career goal for Raad and completed the comeback.
UC San Diego held off the Titans in the closing seconds to secure the road victory. The Tritons finished with a commanding 22-8 advantage in shots, including an 11-2 edge in shots on goal. Craycroft recorded nine saves for Cal State Fullerton, while Wilfert finished with one save for UC San Diego.
TRITON TIDBITS
- The Tritons improved to 9-3-5 overall and 5-1-3 in Big West play, continuing the best start in program history.
- UC San Diego recorded a 22-8 advantage in shots and an 11-2 edge in shots on goal.
- Natalie Oca scored her third goal of the season, equalizing in the 87th minute.
- Leilah Raad scored her second career goal, delivering the game-winner in the 89th minute off an assist from Cadee Borg.
- Alexis Nguyen and Kiki Vostermans each recorded four shots to lead the Tritons in attempts.
QUOTEABLE
"I thought the girls executed the game plan perfectly and showed desire and grit throughout the game. We would have felt very slighted if this game had ended 1-0. We were disappointed to give up the goal, but besides that moment, I thought we did a great job. The mentality we showed tonight was a never-say-die mentality. At any phase of the game, we still believed in ourselves and didn't go away from the things that had been working. We really believed in what we were doing, and the performance showed and the result came our way. This team can do anything, and we need to believe in ourselves and have that confidence as we go through this last week of the season. With two games left, we're not going to take our foot off the gas. We're going to keep playing our best soccer to prepare us to make a real good run in the playoffs," said UC San Diego head coach
Kristin Jones '04.
UP NEXT
The Tritons continue Big West play on the road at Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday, October 28, at 7 p.m. in Bakersfield, Calif.
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.
