After every loss, the UCSD men’s soccer team seems to rebound with no problem at all.
Guardian
After losing to California State University Dominguez Hills and Sonoma State University, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds respectively in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, in back to back matches, UCSD went on an eight-game streak without a loss, compiling a record of 6-0-2.
The great streak came to a halt, however, when they traveled to Cal Poly Pomona to face a talented Buffalo team. Their loss in Pomona displayed their injury woes, as Brady Bernard and Ryan Mizumoto were among those missing.
Before the final stretch toward the playoffs, the UCSD men’s soccer team partook in an alumni match on Oct. 28 featuring UCSD soccer players from years past.
The older team received a surprise: one of the previous UCSD players, Robert Cramplit, flew all the way from Japan with his wife to play in this game. The game was a great one, ending in a 4-4 tie.
“”It was a wonderful event to partake in,”” said head coach Derek Armstrong. “”Seeing previous players from older days mixing with the new talent we have was nice.””
After the Alumni match came United States International University on Oct. 30, the last match for the Tritons before they play rival Sonoma State University on Friday. This game was no easy task. USIU is a Division I school that has won 14 games this year, beating teams with great winning records.
The game was a struggle from start to finish. USIU was hot, and its strength and quickness hurt the wounded Tritons. The game ended in a 3-0 victory for USIU, as its dominance could be accredited to their Division I stature.
“”They were very good, being more physical and pounding the ball around the field,”” Armstrong said. “”With Brady [Bernard] and both Ryans [Blair and Mizumoto] out, we couldn’t handle them.””
It is obvious to see that the UCSD men’s soccer team is ailing, struggling to find offense and a consistent rhythm.
“”We must regroup our team for the championship run,”” Armstrong said. “”We will have Brady Bernard and Ryan Blair back, so we should have all the elements to win.””
While commenting on the Somona State match, Armstrong said he expects a “”good match from both sides and a tight match throughout.””
“”We don’t know if they know about our injuries or not, and I have yet to hear of any major news concerning them,”” Armstrong said. “”If they take us lightly, we have the capability to win the match.””
As for the CCAA championship games the UCSD women’s soccer team plays on Thursday, starting off the postseason. Then on Friday, at a time to be announced, UCSD will face Sonoma State University for a chance to play the No. 1 seed, CSU Dominguez, in the CCAA Championship match.
“”Who doesn’t want another shot at Dominguez Hills?”” asked freshman Jeremy Cookson. “”They’re definitely a great team and I’d really like a chance to play them again. But we’ll see. From here out all that matters is the next game. We can’t get ahead of ourselves.””
At the end of it all, Bobby Saadati was the leader in points for the Tritons, amassing 22 points with nine goals and four assists. Though injured, Bernard placed second with nine points on two goals and five assists. UCSD accumulated an overall record of 11-4-2, going 9-3-2 in league play.
