UC San Diego

LA JOLLA, Calif. — The road to the title continues! UC San Diego is Big West Championship Final bound for the first time in program history after taking down Cal State Fullerton, 1-0, on Saturday at Triton Soccer Stadium. The Tritons (12-3-5, 7-1-3 Big West) secured the historic victory behind Lana Gilligan's first-half goal and a six-save shutout from Charlotte Wilfert.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons came out attacking early, with Natalie Oca and Alexis Nguyen each recording attempts in the eighth minute before Ava Tibor put a shot toward the bottom right corner in the 14th minute, forcing a save from the Titans' goalkeeper. Cal State Fullerton responded with several opportunities through the middle of the half, but Charlotte Wilfert made three saves to keep the match scoreless. UC San Diego continued to generate chances, earning two additional corner kicks before breaking through late in the opening period.

The Tritons found the breakthrough in the 41st minute when Lana Gilligan finished a chance off assists from Kiki Vostermans and Chloe Yates to give UC San Diego a 1-0 advantage. The Tritons carried the lead into halftime.

UC San Diego continued to create opportunities after the break, with Jenna Grider recording the first attempt of the second half in the 47th minute. From the 59th through 63rd minutes, the Tritons generated another stretch of attacking pressure, including saved attempts from Olivia Shih and Tibor, a shot over the crossbar from Nguyen, another Grider attempt, and an effort from Oca following a corner kick.

The Titans increased their pressure in the final 20 minutes, but Wilfert came up with three crucial saves in a six-minute stretch, denying attempts from Jaidyn Williams and Isabella Contreras between the 71st and 76th minutes. The Tritons continued to threaten late, with Tibor and Shih each forcing saves in the closing minutes, before UC San Diego closed out the 1-0 victory.

The Titans finished with an 18-13 advantage in shots, while both teams recorded six shots on goal. Gilligan led the Tritons with the game-winning goal, while Tibor put all three of her attempts on frame. Wilfert finished with six saves to earn the shutout.

TRITON TIDBITS

• UC San Diego improved to 12-3-5 overall and 7-1-3 in Big West play, advancing to the Big West Championship Final for the first time in program history.
• Lana Gilligan scored the game-winning goal in the 41st minute, her goal assisted by Kiki Vostermans and Chloe Yates.
• Charlotte Wilfert recorded six saves to earn her ninth shutout of the season.
• The Tritons finished with 13 shots, including six on goal, while Cal State Fullerton recorded 18 shots and six shots on goal.
• Ava Tibor led UC San Diego with three shots, all of which were on target. Olivia Shih added two shots on goal.

QUOTEABLE


UP NEXT
The Tritons head to Orem, Utah, for the Big West Championship Final on Saturday, November 14, at 4 p.m. PT, where they will face Utah Valley with a chance to capture the program's first Big West Championship title.
 
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.