After clinching the California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament title on Nov. 9, the UCSD women’s soccer team took its first step toward an NCAA championship on Nov. 15. In a game that saw multiple chances slip through the cracks for the Tritons, it took a freshman substitute to serve the game-winning ball in a 1-0 contest against Cal State San Bernardino.
Back it up: UCSD (left) eliminated rival Cal State San Bernardino, 1-0 in front of 938 fans at the NCAA Division II Far West Regional Playoffs on Nov. 15.
Freshman midfielder Alise Malley came onto the field with 10 minutes left to play in the game and paid immediate dividends. Her fresh legs took advantage of a fatigued Cal State San Bernardino defense. Malley worked the ball to the right side of the penalty box and lofted a service into the mix on the lone score of the game.
Senior defender Sarah Schopbach, who picked up All-CCAA Honorable Mention honors earlier in the week, managed to redirect the cross with a flick of her head. The ball was tipped by the opposing goalkeeper, but still snuck inside the left post. The goal was Schopbach’s second of the season.
“”Alise looked up the whole way,”” UCSD head coach Brian McManus said. “”She didn’t panic and played a good ball.””
Keeping up with Jones: Triton Kristin Jones fights for control of the ball on Nov. 15.
When CCAA Freshman of the Year and All-CCAA First Team member midfielder Kelly Cochran went down late in the game with a leg cramp, McManus had a few forward options on the bench. Senior forward Shannon Harrelson, who scored twice in the CCAA final match, hadn’t played since midway through the second half and seemed a likely choice. But McManus went with Malley and once again proved the depth of this year’s team.
“”Alise had pace, and that’s what you’re looking for when people are tired,”” McManus said.
The score came with four minutes left on the game clock, following 86 minutes of heartbreakingly close scoring chances that never materialized. Cochran earned foul after foul in the Cal State San Bernardino end, including two fouls rough enough to merit yellow cards. UCSD had 10 corner kicks, 20 free kicks after fouls and 18 total shots, but just couldn’t find the net. After bowing out in the first round of the NCAA playoffs last year in a penalty kick shootout against UC Davis, the Tritons were looking to end the game in regulation time.
The best of the spoiled chances came with under 20 minutes remaining. Following a free kick into the box by All-CCAA Second Team senior defender Christine Wensel, the ball bounced around the goalie area and wasn’t cleared. It fell to fellow All-CCAA Second Team senior midfielder Kristen Conahan, but at point blank range, Conahan didn’t have enough of an angle to beat the goalie, and she knocked the ball right off the goalie’s hands and away.
“”We had a few mistimed runs, but nothing you wouldn’t see at the pro level,”” McManus said. UCSD came into the game with a total of 61 goals while only allowing 17.
Senior forward Kristin Jones, the CCAA Most Valuable Player of the Year, had another strong game and finished with three shots, two on net. But even her frustration at the inability to put one away showed when she threw her hands up in the air and slowly walked back up the field after her cross was sent right at the Cal State San Bernardino goalie.
Also playing a strong game were sophomore sweeper Heather Szafraniec and freshman midfielder Megan Dickey, who came on as a substitute in the second half. Szafraniec kept her composure in the back and helped weather the few scoring chances Cal State San Bernardino had in a nervous 0-0 tie game, where one misplay leading to an opponent goal could have sent the Tritons home for the winter.
Dickey played a strong midfield and bent a couple of free kicks around defensive walls, only to see them both just clear the crossbar.
The game drew nearly 1,000 fans, adding to the playoff atmosphere.
UCSD will now play host to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Nov. 17, facing the Toros for the second time in three games after UCSD bested them in the CCAA finals. The game against Cal State Dominguez Hills will finish the NCAA first round, with three more rounds remaining.
Earlier in the day, Cal State Dominguez Hills defeated Seattle Pacific, 2-1, in semifinal action at Triton Soccer Stadium. Their victory earned them a berth into the Far West Regional finals against UCSD. Game time for the Nov. 17 match is 7 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium.
