The UCSD women’s soccer team continued its quest for its second consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II Championship, beating Cal Poly Pomona 1-0 on Saturday night at Triton Soccer Stadium in a first-round match.
In their fourth meeting of the season, the Tritons were able to squeak past the Broncos for the third time this season.
In contrast to the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship game one week ago when UCSD dominated Pomona en route to a 2-0 win, the visitors quickly took control of the game and kept the Tritons under pressure throughout the game.
“”We didn’t come out to play in the first half,”” Triton head coach Brian McManus said. “”They threw everything at us, but the bottom line is they didn’t score and I knew we had a chance in the second half.””
In the threatening first half, Pomona managed six shots and five corner kicks while UCSD had one errant shot and no corner kicks in the same time. Triton goalkeeper Kami Poma made three saves to keep the game scoreless.
Traditionally stronger in the second half, the Tritons took control of the game for a short time after the half and managed to score the game-winning goal.
In the 52nd minute, Erika Alfredson capitalized on a mistake by Pomona all-CCAA keeper Katie Kreps, pouncing on a loose ball and scoring her 14th goal of the season.
“”[Amy] Goker crossed the ball and the keeper dropped it and it fell right between her legs. I was following the shot and the ball was right there,”” Alfredson said.
“”Sure, it could be considered luck, but only a class player like Erika would have been there to put the ball away,”” said McManus about Alfredsons goal.
The goal gave Cal Poly Pomona a sense of urgency as it began to see its season slipping away. Pomona managed six more shots in the game, forcing Poma to make another three saves. Pomona also narrowly missed two clear chances in the second half, coming up just wide both times.
UCSD’s defense had an unusually weak game. While the six shots on goal were only two above the season average for the Tritons, the Broncos penetrated the defense at will. Pomona’s inability to finish not only kept UCSD in the game, but eventually gave UCSD the win.
Other than the fateful 10-minute stretch early in the second half, the UCSD offense also lacked the creativity and final touch that were so apparent throughout the season.
Next up for UCSD is an NCAA quarterfinal meeting next weekend with San Antonio’s University of the Incarnate Word, which upset powerhouse Regis University 3-1 in the first round of the playoffs.
The Crusaders are ranked ninth in the nation and sport an 18-1 record. They are led by senior Brooke Hopkins, an All-American last year who came in third in the nation in points scored, with 57. She is currently University of Incarnate Word’s all-time leading scorer with 175 points and also is the all-time leading goal-scorer. Sophomore goalie Missy Howard has also been a prescence for the Crusaders, averaging 1.52 goals allowed per game and posting six shutouts on the season for Incarnate Word.
The game is scheduled to kick off on 5 p.m. on Sunday Nov. 18 at UCSD’s own Triton Soccer Stadium.