The UC San Diego men’s soccer team (4–7–4, 3–3 Big West) battled Cal Poly (6–4–5, 3–1–2 Big West) on Wednesday evening at Triton Soccer Stadium, achieving a triumphant 1–0 result. Despite a rough start, the Tritons were able to regain their confidence on the field due to an unexpected first-half goal. With this win, UCSD passed Cal Poly — previously undefeated in the conference — to move into second in the Big West.
The match began with a cluster of hungry Mustang attacks on the Triton goal. Facing intense pressure early in the game, UCSD was forced to change their strategy.
Kicking off the Tritons’ momentum, senior midfielder Andrew McGee used his open space to take on four Mustang players, creating a foul and an ultimately unsuccessful free kick. Freshman forward Ryan Namdar was presented with a golden 1-on-1 opportunity minutes later, but the Cal Poly goalkeeper was able to make the save to keep it scoreless.
Despite these missed looks at goal, the Tritons would eventually have their play of the night: a corner kick in the 27th minute. After the cross rattled around in the box, freshman forward Kai Oppenheim shot the ball low towards the center of the goal, beating the keeper for a crucial score. UCSD subsequently made the most of their momentum and controlled possession of the ball throughout the rest of the first half.
Cal Poly had several chances to tie the game in the second half. Though they came close to scoring on corner kicks and long-range shots, the Mustangs could not get the ball in the net.
The game intensified on both sides in the closing stages; both teams gave it their all in the match’s last seconds, with a barrage of headers and throw-ins. UCSD’s possession in the final minutes were crucial for securing their 1–0 result.
Man of the match Kai Oppenheim spoke with The UCSD Guardian after the game. “I couldn’t be prouder of the boys. I think that this is one of those games that is really a test of character and our values, and I think we did an excellent job performing and supporting each other. The results speak for themselves.”
Wednesday’s win against Cal Poly followed last week’s 2–0 victory against Sacramento State, marking two wins in a row for the Tritons. “I think we are just proving to ourselves and everyone that we are a winning team and that we are here to compete and are trying to make the play in the NCAA tournament which is our goal,” Oppenheim said.
The Tritons celebrated alongside head coach Jon Pascale. “I give the guys a lot of credit because whatever we were doing in the beginning wasn’t working and wasn’t looking good. I give credit to Cal Poly; they made it real hard for us, but we really just stuck to our game plan and started to find our forwards a little bit,” Pascale said. “Our guys battled really hard and managed to not let Cal Poly get in the goal.”
Looking forward to the Tritons’ next match, Oppenheim said, “as awesome of a win this game was for us, it’s important to focus on the next one. Staying consistent, sticking to our core values, and [continuing to] work hard will help us improve for the next match.”
UCSD took on Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, unfortunately losing 3–1. The Tritons hope to get back to winning ways with a 7 p.m. home tie against UC Riverside on Wednesday before a trip to UC Davis on Saturday.
