It was cold, dark and overcast. Rain from the morning and previous day had made Triton Soccer Stadium a muddy, slippery playing field. In other words, it was perfect weather for a soccer game.
Guardian
On Oct. 26, the UCSD women’s soccer team shutout the Cal State San Bernardino Coyotes to win its last home game of the season 3-0.
The Tritons not only held on as leaders in the South Division of the California Collegiate Athletic Association, but also extended their winning streak to four games and improved their conference record to 12-2. The team is undefeated at home this season.
CSUSB controlled the first few minutes of the game with dominant play. Luckily, the Tritons were able to score early at the 11:33 mark when junior midfielder Megan Mendoza, assisted by junior forward Shannon Harrelson, scored off a corner kick mishandled by Coyote goalkeeper Amanda Hernandez.
Later in the game, sophomore midfielder Christine Kwon came in for Harrelson at the 32:40 mark. Kwon immediately made her presence known by scoring the second goal of the night. Assisted by Mendoza and junior midfielder Kristen Conahan, Kwon made a clear shot past Hernandez at 34:57.
In the second half, the Tritons earned two corner kicks early on, but were unable to convert either of them into goals. At the 59:49 mark, Harrelson made a breakaway, but was unable to score due to an offside call.
With less than 20 minutes of play left, freshman Lindsey Treankler attempted a goal, but it was too high and bounced off the top crossbar of the goal. Kwon was there and scored the third and final goal of the night at 73:25.
Five minutes later, UCSD defender Molly Carlson went down after a collision with a Coyote. She came out of the game minutes later, but did not suffer any serious injuries. Cal State San Bernardino forward Michelle Lopez had the last attempt to score at the 88:60 mark when Triton sophomore goalkeeper Jamie Lautenschleger left the goal open. Fortunately for the Tritons, the attempt was wide and the Coyotes did not score.
Cal State San Bernardino’s Hernandez played the whole game, making two saves and allowing the three goals. UCSD’s starting goalkeeper, junior Kami Poma, played to the 73:25 mark, making one save, and Lautenschleger, her replacement, also allowed no goals in the combined shutout.
Despite a score of 3-0, this was a hard-fought win. Having played the Coyotes once early in the season, UCSD head coach Brian McManus knew that winning on the game would be no walk in the park.
“”Last time we played [San Bernardino], we sneaked a 1-0 win,”” McManus said. “”San Bernardino dominated in the first 15 minutes of play. If they had scored during that time, they probably would have won the game by two, even three points. They definitely played the whole game.””
Kwon was arguably the most valuable player of the game. Her two goals gave UCSD the cushion they needed to secure a win. With one assist, Harrelson constantly challenged the Coyotes to play their best. Carlson and midfielder Erica Porter teamed up to put the ball into optimal play, which helped the rest of the team shutout the visitors.
The Tritons next play Cal Poly Pomona on Oct. 29. A win would give UCSD a berth in the playoffs with a first-place standing in the division. Cal Poly Pomona is currently second in the division, only one game behind UCSD. If the Tritons lose, they would have to win the following game against Grand Canyon University on Nov. 2 to clinch the wild card spot.
The last home game is also Senior Night, which honors Triton seniors who are playing their last game at UCSD. This year, the lone senior is midfielder Lauren Jacobs. In her four years of playing, Jacobs played in 73 games, scored 14 goals and had six assists. She graduates this year from Eleanor Roosevelt College with a degree in human development.
