It is one thing to win a game and another to dominate it, and it is safe to say that the UCSD women’s soccer team did just that in its game against rival Cal State Los Angeles on Sept. 25. With a 4-0 shutout victory, the Tritons grabbed the No. 1 spot in the California Collegiate Athletic Association’s South Division.
The Tritons have taken the place of Cal State Los Angeles in the No. 1 spot in the CCAA South Division after keeping the Golden Eagles scoreless during their match on Sept. 24, scoring all four goals in the second half.
“It feels good to beat a dirty team on their home field where we had never won before,” senior midfielder Kelly Cochran said.
The girls were up against some very tough odds, but they predicted the challenges they faced, and overcame them on the field.
“We knew that their field does not allow us to pass as easily and accurately as we are used to because it is mounded and bumpy in areas,” sophomore goalkeeper Jessica McGovern said. “We also knew that they like to foul and take dives, emphatically falling over when one of us taps them to convince the referee, and we also dealt with their aggression by surpassing them with intensity and determination.”
The passion of the battle came out clear as both teams remained scoreless going into halftime — not unusual for UCSD, which has tended to be a second-half team in the past. The team proved it yet again by earning all four of its goals after the break.
Senior midfielder Megan Dickey took the initiative by earning the first goal for the Tritons just two minutes into the second half on a pass from junior forward Kathy Sepulveda.
“[Cochran] played a long ball past the defense deep into the left corner for me to run onto,” Sepulveda said. “I got there first as the defense and our players crashed the box anticipating the cross. [Dickey] held her run and screamed for the ball, so I took a look, saw she was open at the top of the box and I played her a ball which popped up on the bumpy field. Thankfully, she followed through and her touch put it away.”
Despite her excitement about the goal, Dickey admitted, however, that the first goal may have given the team a false sense of security.
“I feel that we got overconfident to an extent,” Dickey said. “We broke down a little after that and it took some time to reorganize our style of play and get comfortable again.”
Junior midfielder Chelsea Campbell delivered the second goal just 28 minutes later with a shot past the Cal State Los Angeles goalie. Thanks to the joint effort of senior forward Alise Malley, who sent Campbell the pass the Tritons leat ahead to a 2-0 lead.
The final points were both tallied by Cochran in the 84th minute on a pass from junior midfielder Lauren Segars and the 88th minute on a penalty kick.
“I think our most solid attribute in the game was that each player who stepped on the field focused on their individual jobs,” Cochran said. “We played as a team all over the field and showed some urgency and desire from the start.”
After advancing their record to an impressive 8-1-1 overall and 5-1-1 in CCAA play, the Tritons return home for two more important games against Sonoma State on Sept. 29 at 7 pm and Humbolt State at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 1.
“Sonoma State is the team that is first place in North Division at the moment and they have two points more than us in and are first overall in the CCAA, so this is looking like a civil war, North vs. South,” McGovern said. “We are also not overlooking Humboldt. It seems that when you are the top team, every game is huge because all the teams beneath you are gunning for you.”
