LA JOLLA, Calif. — The first Pac-12 Men's Soccer Players of the Week for the 2026 season see two honored from UC San Diego as Gavin Carlson is the Defensive Player of the Week and Oren Stuppel is the Offensive Player of the Week.
 
Both played key roles in the Tritons' lone match last week, a historic 7-0 win over visiting Navy. Seven goals are the most by UC San Diego men's soccer since Oct. 10, 1997, spanning the entirety of the team's Division I and Division II eras.
 
Carlson was the lone Triton to play all 90 minutes on Thursday. The center back led the defense to a clean sheet, holding Navy to seven shots with three on target. Carlson also registered an assist in the 45th minute to help UC San Diego to a 3-0 lead at half time. The true freshman was making his collegiate debut.
 
Stuppel made his UC San Diego debut on Thursday, with the graduate transfer from Cal Poly starting in midfield for the Tritons. His first match in La Jolla started on the front foot with a brace in the opening seven minutes. Stuppel played 48 minutes and finished with three shots, all of which were on target.
 
Carlson is a native of Hamel, Minnesota, majoring in business economics at Warren College. Stuppel is a native of Los Angeles, California, earning a master's degree in quantitative finance.
 
The Tritons will be back in action this Thursday, Aug. 27, at Houston Christian. The match begins at 5:30 p.m. PDT on ESPN+.
 
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.