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UC San Diego

Ryan Namdar dribbling
Andrew Drennen/UC Riverside
2
UC San Diego UCSD (6-3-2, 1-0-2)
2
UC Riverside UCR (3-5-3, 0-1-1)
UC San Diego UCSD
(6-3-2, 1-0-2)
2
Final
2
UC Riverside UCR
(3-5-3, 0-1-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC San Diego UCSD 0 2 2
UC Riverside UCR 1 1 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Another Late Rally Gives Tritons Draw at UC Riverside

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — UC San Diego men's soccer brought the drama to another Pac-12 showdown on Wednesday night, scoring in the 80th and 87th minutes to rescue a 2-2 draw at UC Riverside. Both goals were scored by Ryan Namdar.
 
The Highlanders (3-5-3, 0-1-1 Pac-12) scored in the 20th and 65th minutes. The Tritons (6-3-2, 1-0-2) now have an 89th-minute equalizer, an 89th-minute game-winner and an 87th-minute equalizer in their last three matches.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Riverside's goal in the first half came on a give-and-go at the top of the box after a dribbling run from the left side. The Highlanders saw a shot find the top left corner to open the scoring.
 
The Tritons had two shots saved off the goal line by UC Riverside defenders in the first half. Adam Dunbar had a strong run in from the right wing in the 16th minute before playing the ball over to Gavin Allegaert. Dunbar's ball meant Allegaert's shot beat the goalkeeper, but a Highlander defender was waiting on the goal line to block the attempt.
 
UC San Diego's second near-goal of the first half came in the 42nd minute. Sean McTague played a through ball to Sean Ueda, who's shot got underneath the UC Riverside goalkeeper. But the on-rushing keeper got enough of the ball to slow it down, allowing a defender time to run back and make a last-ditch clearance.
 
Triton goalkeeper Nic Thiele made all five of his saves in the first half. Halftime saw UC Riverside with a 9-2 shot advantage.
 
The visiting Tritons came out of the break on the front foot and ultimately accumulated a 12-2 edge in second-half shots. UC San Diego also had a 6-2 edge in corner kicks in the final 45 after UC Riverside enjoyed a 4-1 advantage in the first half.
 
Despite the one-way traffic in the Tritons' favor, it was the hosts who scored first in the second half. A cross from the left side skipped through to an open attacker, who fired home a quick finish to extend UC Riverside's lead to 2-0.
 
UC San Diego's pressure eventually paid off on a corner kick in the 80th minute. Matias Mott played a left-footed, in-swinging ball that found Namdar, who out-jumped his defender to head home his first goal of the night.
   
Mott and Namdar would then team up again just seven minutes later. Mott sent an early cross into the box, where Namdar was through on goal after out-running the Highlander backline. His headed shot attempt was thwarted when a UC Riverside defender pulled his jersey from behind, resulting in a penalty kick for the Tritons. Namdar took it himself, sending the goalie the wrong way to equalize the match.
   
TRITON TIDBITS
  • Mott's assist was the sophomore's first collegiate point.
  • Namdar's brace was his second of the season. He leads the Tritons with five goals on the year.
  • The Tritons have now scored six goals in the 84th minute or later this season, five of which have been equalizers or game-winners.
  • After not having any penalty kicks in 2025, the Tritons have earned one in back-to-back games. 
QUOTABLE
"It was a great match tonight," head coach Jon Pascale said. "I thought we got off to a slow start but grew into the match. Riverside played a great first half, but we still created some clear opportunities. We were on the front foot the entire second half. Giving up a second goal against the run of play was disappointing, but the guys were never phased and kept attacking. The resilience in this group is amazing. We thought our depth would play a big difference, and it did. We were the fresher team at the end."
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons return home to welcome Oregon State to Triton Soccer Stadium this Saturday, Oct. 10. The match begins at 7:00 p.m., with tickets available through Triton Box Office.
 
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.
 
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