UC San Diego

LAS VEGAS — After four-straight wins to open the season, UC San Diego men's soccer suffered a 1-0 loss at UNLV on Thursday evening. The Rebels also became the first team to score against the Tritons this year.
 
Temperature at kickoff was 100 degrees, with the high in Las Vegas reaching 106 earlier in the day. Both teams had stretches of good play throughout the match, but both also frequently struggled to put the final touches on offensive chances.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
An evenly-matched first half saw each side with early chances. Sean Ueda had a shot on goal for the Tritons in the second minute, followed by one for the Rebels three minutes later.
 
UNLV finished the half with a 6-4 advantage in shots, including a 3-2 edge in shots on goal. UC San Diego goalkeeper Nic Thiele had two saves in quick succession in the 30th minute. He stopped one chance out for a corner kick before registering another save on the ensuing set piece.
 
Ryan Namdar had the Tritons' other shot on goal before halftime. He found enough space in the 35th minute to test the Rebel goalkeeper, but not enough to find the back of the net.
 
The second half tilted a bit in UC San Diego's favor in every category except goals. The Tritons had a 5-2 shot advantage, putting four of those effort on target. UNLV's goal was the Rebels' only shot on frame in the second half.
 
Three of the Tritons' shots on goal came in the first 10 minutes after halftime. Gavin Carlson had one that was set up by a throw-in, with Sean McTague registering the other two.
 
UNLV's goal came in the 70th minute. A counterattack sprung a runner down the right wing, who cut inside to the left to create space for a far-post finish.
 
The Tritons were unable to generate much offensively after the goal. Their only other second-half shot on goal outside of the first 10 minutes came from Adam Dunbar, who had a desperation attempt from outside of the box in the final minute. The Tritons also had a chance in the final seconds when a loose ball fell to Matias Mott at the top of the box, but he was unable to connect strongly enough with the bouncing ball.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The Tritons' shutout streak ends at 429:59, their longest in Division I by nearly two games (251:33 in 2022).
• UC San Diego was one of two programs nationally to enter Thursday without a goal conceded (UNCW).
• The Tritons' last four matches have all ended 1-0 (three wins, one loss).

QUOTABLE
"We are all disappointed in the result," head coach Jon Pascale said. "We played hard and to the end. I am looking forward to seeing the group respond on Sunday. We will have another challenging opponent and will need to play well to get a result."
 
UP NEXT
The Tritons finish their road trip this Sunday, Sept. 13, at Utah Tech. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. PT on MW+.
 
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.