Three Games in Seven Days for UCSD Women

September 16, 2014

 

THE SCHEDULE
Match 5
at Point Loma (1-2, 0-0 PacWest)
Tuesday, Sept. 16 • 4:30 p.m.
PLNU Soccer Field • San Diego
Live Audio/Video • Live Stats

Match 6
at Cal State Dominguez Hills (0-3-1, 0-0 CCAA)
Friday, Sept. 19 • 6 p.m.
Toro Stadium • Carson
Live Stats

Match 7
vs. Cal State L.A. (4-0, 0-0 CCAA)
Monday, Sept. 22 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

TWO SHORT ROAD TRIPS BEFORE MONDAY HOME DATE FOR TRITONS
The UC San Diego women's soccer team rounds out the non-conference portion of its 2014 schedule with three games over seven days beginning Tuesday, Sept. 16. The Tritons make two short road trips, first across town Tuesday to Point Loma for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff, and then to Carson this Friday, Sept. 19, for a 6 p.m. start against California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) foe Cal State Dominguez Hills inside Toro Stadium. The stretch ends on Monday night, Sept. 22, as UCSD takes on a second straight CCAA opponent in a non-conference tilt, in undefeated Cal State L.A. Kickoff at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m.

The Tritons conclude a curious block of games Tuesday of playing the top three teams, in order, in the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) preseason coaches' poll. They beat favorite Azusa Pacific in double overtime last Thursday, 2-1, before falling 2-0 to California Baptist on Saturday, both at home. Tuesday's road opponent, Point Loma, was picked to finish third.

All three games this week will have live stats. Tuesday's game at Point Loma can be watched live online, with audio, for a pay-per-view fee of $8.95. All regular-season matches at Triton Soccer Stadium are free to attend.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK
UCSD completed a second straight week with a split of two games. The Tritons rallied from 1-0 down to tip reigning PacWest and preseason league favorite Azusa Pacific in double overtime in their home opener on Thursday, Sept. 11. A Jordyn McNutt corner kick found the head of fellow freshman Sophia Hyver at the back post for an 83rd-minute equalizer against the Cougars before Izzy Pozurama won it at the 101:08 mark with assists going to both McNutt and Hyver. UCSD then suffered a 2-0 setback in front of 684 spectators in La Jolla to California Baptist two nights later.

GREAT COLLEGIATE INTRODUCTION FOR LOCAL ROOKIE
Jordyn McNutt, a San Diego native and true freshman out of nearby University City High School, has made an exceptional impression thus far in her very first year of college soccer. From her position as a wing midfielder, she currently paces UCSD with eight points from two goals and a team-best four assists. McNutt has started all four matches, and provided a pair of two-assist efforts against Saint Martin's and Azusa Pacific, setting up both goals in the latter contest, a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph in double overtime.

MILESTONE STRIKE FOR CALLAHAN
All-American central midfielder Cassie Callahan notched her 20th career goal to cap the scoring in a 3-0 win at Saint Martin's on Saturday, Sept. 6. No fewer than 10 of those strikes, including the one in Washington, have come off of headers. Callahan led UCSD in goals, assists, total points, shots and shots on goal in each of the past two seasons. She and fellow senior Izzy Pozurama, a 2012 All-CCAA Second Team selection, are second-year captains in 2014.

TRITON NOTES
UCSD is now 13-1-1 in season openers in the Division II era, having suffered its first loss this year, 2-1 at then-25th-ranked Seattle Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 4 ... UCSD was picked to finish fifth by league head coaches in the CCAA preseason coaches' poll, garnering two of the 12 first-place votes ... The 2014 senior class is made up ofCassie CallahanKylie HillKiley Leshin and Izzy Pozurama ... Opposite those four seniors and 18 total returners on the 27-player 2014 UCSD roster are nine newcomers ... Eight players are from San Diego, in Cassie Callahan(Coronado/Coronado HS), Maile Nilsson (San Diego/The Preuss School UCSD), Maxia Espino (Chula Vista/Hilltop HS), Devon Roncoroni (San Diego/Bonita Vista HS), and newcomers Jordyn McNutt (San Diego/University City HS), Katie O'Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School), Anna Nilsson (San Diego/The Preuss School UCSD) and Taylor Ramos (San Diego/Coronado HS) ... Anna is the younger sister of Maile.

NEW YEAR, NEW FORMAT IN CCAA
The CCAA has made changes to its regular-season and tournament formats in men's and women's soccer for the 2014 season. The six-team, two-division alignment is no more, now with just one 12-team league table. Rather than a 16-game regular-season schedule with two matches against divisional opponents and one against out-of-division foes, each team will face one another once, for a total of 11 CCAA contests. The top six teams in the final standings advance to the CCAA Championship, up from four in prior years. The first- and second-place finishers get first-round byes, with those two games held at campus sites of the higher seeds. The venue for the 2014 CCAA Championship semifinals and final has yet to be determined. The winner on the women's side will once again gain automatic entry into the NCAA Championship.

HEAD COACH BRIAN McMANUS
Brian McManus is in his 28th season in charge of the UCSD women's soccer program. With a career record of 443-75-47, he has achieved the second-most wins (three behind Gabe Mejail of Merrimack College) in NCAA Division II women's soccer history. McManus' career winning percentage heading into 2014 of .828, ranks among the top 10 in college women's soccer annals, both overall (No. 9) and Division II only (No. 4). He is fifth among all divisions in wins. McManus has directed UCSD to seven national championships and a record eight CCAA banners, with the Tritons advancing to the national semifinals a remarkable 15 times in his 27 years. Under his guidance, UCSD has qualified for the NCAA tournament all 13 seasons during the Division III days, and all but two of 14 years (2004, 2013) since the move up to Division II. Last season marked the first time McManus' Tritons missed a CCAA Championship, having qualified for 13 straight after joining the conference.

ABOUT THE SEA LIONS
Point Loma (1-2) was picked by league head coaches to finish third in the 13-team PacWest race in 2014. All three of the Sea Lions' games so far this season have come against UCSD's CCAA opponents. They most recently dropped a 2-0 decision at Cal State L.A. on Saturday. Point Loma began the year with a 2-0 home win over Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sept. 4, before falling 1-0 to Sonoma State, also at home, two days later.

SERIES HISTORY
These two programs have met just once previously, with UCSD winning 1-0 at home on Oct. 28, 2000, during its first season in Division II. The Tritons went on to become national champions that year, with Point Loma still in the NAIA. These days, the teams are NCAA Division II West Region rivals.

ABOUT THE TOROS
Cal State Dominguez Hills (0-3-1) begins the week winless and is still searching for its first goal of 2014 after 380 scoreless minutes. The Toros host defending PacWest champion and preseason league favorite Azusa Pacific on Wednesday night, prior to welcoming the Tritons into Toro Stadium on Friday evening.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 22-17-5. The teams split their two meetings in 2013, with each winning on the road. The lone goal in a 1-0 Triton victory in Carson on Sept. 13 came from a 61st-minute Cassie Callahan penalty kick. The Toros won 2-0 in La Jolla on Oct. 18. UCSD was unbeaten over its previous nine (6-0-3) against the Toros since a 2-1 overtime loss in La Jolla in the 2009 regular-season finale. The Tritons have won six straight over CSUDH in Carson and are unbeaten in their last nine (8-0-1) there since a 1-0 defeat on Oct. 23, 2004.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Cal State L.A. (4-0) takes its unblemished overall record into tough road dates at California Baptist on Wednesday and Azusa Pacific on Saturday prior to its Monday trip to La Jolla. The Golden Eagles have outscored their four opponents, 10-1, and most recently blanked Point Loma at home, 2-0, on Saturday.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 16-9-1. The Tritons had won three straight prior to their 2013 season finale, when they dropped a difficult 1-0 decision at home as current Golden Eagle senior Andrea Lammers scored with just 42 seconds left in double overtime. UCSD needed to win that contest in order to qualify for a 14th straight CCAA Championship. The Tritons took last season's first meeting, 3-1, in Los Angeles on Sept. 15, overturning a 1-0 halftime deficit through a Izzy Pozurama equalizer and two Cassie Callahan goals.

GEAR HERE
UCSD Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online to provide a web-based, on-demand option for UCSD apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours. Visit the site at UCSDTritonsGear.com.

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UP NEXT
UCSD opens the 11-game CCAA slate next week. The Tritons complete their home-and-home set with Cal State L.A. in Los Angeles on Friday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., before hosting Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 2 p.m. Both contests make up the second halves of doubleheaders with the UCSD men.

#TritonsRising

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