LA JOLLA, Calif. — Matteo Saffer's 89th minute goal gave UC San Diego men's soccer a 1-1 draw with Cal Poly in the Pac-12 opener on Wednesday night at Triton Soccer Stadium.
A true freshman, Saffer was playing in just his second collegiate match while making his first collegiate start. His goal was assisted by fellow center back
Keenai Braun and Cal Poly transfer
Oren Stuppel.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Cal Poly opened the scoring early with a goal in the 6th minute. The Mustangs earned a free kick just outside the box, and Colin Pearce stepped up to deliver a goal directly on the restart.
The Tritons did well to bounce back after giving up that goal, registering three first half shots on target. UC San Diego goalkeeper
Nic Thiele only needed to make one save before the break.
The first half got bogged down by a combined 17 fouls. Both teams went into the half with three yellow cards each.
UC San Diego was on the front foot after halftime, with Stuppel getting a shot on goal in the 53rd minute. The second half was more free-flowing as only 10 total fouls and two yellow cards were handed out.
Cal Poly sat deep to try and preserve the lead as the match progressed. That resulted in the Tritons holding an 11-1 advantage in second half shots, although Stuppel's early effort was the only one that forced a save. The Tritons' pressure eventually gave way to Saffer's equalizer. Stuppel whipped a ball into the box, with the two center backs staying up in search of a goal. Braun headed the cross down to Saffer, who took a touch before firing a low shot through traffic to tie the match.
TRITON TIDBITS
- Saffer led the Tritons with three shots on target to go along with his first collegiate goal.
- Masayuki Fujita played 37 minutes off the bench in his first match of the season.
- Wednesday's match was the seventh meeting all-time between the two teams and the first to end in a draw.
- The Tritons have scored three goals in the 84th minute or later this season, with Saffer's finish the team's latest goal thus far.
- Stuppel is one of three Cal Poly transfers on the UC San Diego roster (Sean McTague, Liam Murdin) but the only one to play on Wednesday.
QUOTABLE
"I am proud of the way the guys played," head coach
Jon Pascale said. "There was a lot of edge in the game, so to be able to get through the second half and play a little bit smarter and control the possession was great from our group. It was great to get a goal to tie it."
UP NEXT
The Tritons continue Pac-12 play with a road match at Gonzaga this Saturday, Oct. 3. The match begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be broadcast for free on YouTube.
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.
