The No. 9 women’s soccer team lost a game for the first time in over a month on Oct. 16, dropping its match against Cal State Stanislaus 2-1.
The Tritons (13-2-0 overall, 9-2-0 California Collegiate Athletic Association) came into the game riding a month-long, nine-game winning streak, during which they notched six-straight shutouts.
Heavy favorites to win against the then-unranked Warriors, the Tritons came out expecting to use their normal tactics: early scores and defensive stops. However, it was Stanislaus that scored first, setting the tone and giving the Tritons the unfamiliar feeling of a deficit.
It was Warriors’ freshman midfielder Katie Brown who left the Tritons trailing with her goal in the 38th minute. Sophomore midfielder Michelle Couto and sophomore forward Cherie Early assisted Brown on the score.
The teams battled evenly until the 80th minute, when UCSD junior forward Alise Malley notched her fifth goal of the season unassisted. Malley’s equalizer came with the Tritons playing a man short after junior defender Allie Avina received a red card.
The match was filled with penalties, with the teams combining for 30 fouls, two yellow cards and a red card. Triton head coach Brian McManus was assessed with a yellow card of his own, adding to the Tritons’ penalty problems.
The game appeared headed for extra frames as time ticked down in the last minute of the 1-1 tie. However, Cal State Stanislaus’s Marti Teunissen took a pass from Grace Cochran with 23 seconds remaining and beat UCSD freshman goalie Mia Shirley for the score and the win.
The win was huge for the Warriors, pushing them into the top-25.
The last-second goal was heartbreaking for the Tritons, but despite the loss, they are still poised for a strong playoff performance. Only three regular season games remain before the CCAA Championships from Nov. 4 to Nov. 6.
Before the playoffs, UCSD will face Cal State Dominguez Hills at home on Oct. 22.
From there, they will depart for San Bernardino, to face the Coyotes on Oct. 26. Finally, they will close out the regular season at home against Cal State Los Angeles on Oct. 29.
