UC San Diego

LA JOLLA, Calif. — UC San Diego fell to Cal Poly, 1-0, Saturday at Triton Soccer Stadium, moving to 5-3-4 overall and 1-1-2 in Big West play. The loss marked the Tritons' first Big West setback of the season.

The Tritons outshot the Mustangs, 16-10, including a 12-8 advantage in the second half, but were held to three shots on goal. Cal Poly scored early in the match and held off a pair of strong UC San Diego pushes in the second half to secure the shutout.

UC San Diego created several opportunities after halftime, including a late stretch in which the Tritons recorded five shots and a corner between the 78th and 86th minutes. Ava Tibor had a chance to level the match from the penalty spot in the 86th minute, but her attempt was saved.

Charlotte Wilfert made two saves in the second half to keep the Tritons within one, while Natalie Oca led UC San Diego with four shots. Tibor and Chloe Yates each recorded two shots, with one of each player's attempts on goal.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal Poly took an early lead on a penalty kick in the fourth minute to put the Mustangs ahead, 1-0.

The Tritons responded with immediate pressure, as Olivia Shih recorded a shot and UC San Diego earned a corner less than two minutes later. The Tritons added another corner in the 14th minute before Yates put a shot on goal in the 22nd minute. Shih sent another attempt high moments later, while Oca added a shot in the 33rd minute.

UC San Diego came out with pressure to begin the second half, with Kennadi Borg recording a shot and the Tritons earning a corner in the 48th minute. Yates and Anya Lin added attempts as the Tritons continued to search for an equalizer.

Wilfert made saves in the 66th and 76th minute to keep the deficit at one. The Tritons continued to generate opportunities through Karize Madero, Oca and Kiki Vostermans before making their strongest push of the match late.

UC San Diego recorded five shots and a corner between the 78th and 86th minutes, including back-to-back attempts by Oca. Tibor then stepped to the penalty spot in the 86th minute, but her attempt was saved to preserve the Mustangs' lead.

The Tritons continued to push in the closing minutes, but Cal Poly held on for the 1-0 victory.

TRITON TIDBITS

• Natalie Oca led the Tritons with four shots.
• Ava Tibor and Chloe Yates each recorded two shots and one shot on goal.
• UC San Diego outshot Cal Poly, 16-10, including a 12-8 edge in the second half.
• The Tritons have gone exactly one month since their last loss.
• UC San Diego is now 2-6-0 all-time against Cal Poly.
• Saturday marked the Tritons' first Big West loss of the season.
• The Tritons celebrated the teams of 1996 and 2001, both of which won national championships.

QUOTABLE
"I think everybody's disappointed with the result. I think that that was a game that we definitely feel like we could have won. I think our possession was good, obviously in the second. Even a little bit more dominant. I think it's hard to play against a team that's OK with allowing us to have the ball just sitting back a little bit, and I think for the rest of the conference we're going to see more of those kinds of game plans because we are so good in possession. So we've got to find ways to just be more dangerous. Obviously we set ourselves up to be able to tie the game, and that's, I think, what's a little bit disappointing. But I think just moving forward we've got to just remember how this feels and learn some things from it and move on. We've got to move on to the next game. There's a lot of soccer left," said UC San Diego head coach Kristin Jones '04.

UP NEXT
The Tritons hit the road Saturday, Oct. 10, traveling to UC Riverside for a 7 p.m. Big West matchup.

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.