UCSD Women Await Home Opener Thursday Night

September 11, 2014

 

THE SCHEDULE
Match 3
vs. Azusa Pacific (0-3, 0-0 PacWest)
Thursday, Sept. 11 • 4:30 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

Match 4
vs. California Baptist (1-2, 0-0 PacWest)
Saturday, Sept. 13 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

TRITONS BEGIN HOME PORTION OF 2014 SCHEDULE
The UC San Diego women's soccer team begins the eight-match home portion of its 2014 schedule this week. After traveling to play two Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents to get the new campaign underway last week, the Tritons now foray into the Pacific West Conference (PacWest). In fact, they will take on the two teams that were picked to finish in the top two slots in the PacWest. UCSD hosts Azusa Pacific in its home opener on Thursday, Sept. 11, at 4:30 p.m., and California Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m., at Triton Soccer Stadium. Thursday's contest will kick off the first Triton soccer doubleheader of 2014, with the UCSD men meeting Dixie State at 7 p.m. Both games will have live stats. All regular-season matches at Triton Soccer Stadium are free to attend.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK
UCSD returned from Washington state with a split of its first two matches of the new season last week. The Tritons fell 2-1 at No. 25 Seattle Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 4, before cruising past Saint Martin's two days later, 3-0. Freshman Jordyn McNutt provided the lone goal late against the Falcons, and tallied what proved to be the game-winner against the Saints after just 32 seconds, adding assists on each of the other two scores. Those goals came from senior co-captains Cassie Callahan and Izzy Pozurama. Pozurama had the assist on McNutt's opener, with all three goals coming in the first half. Kelcie Brodsky came up with seven saves against SPU and combined on the shutout of SMU with fellow junior Itzel Gonzalez.

MILESTONE STRIKE FOR CALLAHAN
All-American central midfielder Cassie Callahan notched her 20th career goal to cap the scoring in last Saturday's 3-0 win at Saint Martin's. 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 last Thursday, Sept. 4, 2-1 at then-25th-ranked Seattle Pacific ... 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 of Cassie 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 442-74-47, 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 COUGARS
Azusa Pacific (0-3) was picked by league head coaches to come out on top in the 13-team PacWest race in 2014. Despite that fact, the Cougars have struggled out of the gate and will come to La Jolla Thursday still looking for their first win. APU's early-season schedule has, however, included top competition. The Cougars have lost 1-0 to undefeated Sonoma State, 2-0 to No. 8 Cal State Stanislaus, and most recently, 1-0 to No. 3 Western Washington on Monday. All three games thus far have been at home in Azusa.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 8-1-1. The teams have not met since a 1-1 draw in La Jolla on Sept. 14, 1999, during UCSD's final season in Division III.

ABOUT THE LANCERS
California Baptist (1-2) took up the second position behind league favorite Azusa Pacific in the PacWest's preseason coaches' poll. CBU is coming off of a 1-0 home loss to third-ranked Western Washington on Wednesday night. Saturday will mark the Lancers' 2014 road debut, with all three of their games so far coming at home. CBU previously dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to now-eighth-ranked Cal State Stanislaus, and blanked another of UCSD's CCAA rivals in Chico State, 2-0. The Lancers made their first NCAA Championship appearance a year ago.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD is a perfect 10-0 all-time against CBU. The teams have not met since a 3-0 Triton victory in La Jolla on Oct. 16, 2000, during UCSD's first season in Division II.

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 has two non-conference road dates next week. The Tritons first make the short trip across town to take on Point Loma on Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 4:30 p.m. UCSD then travels to Carson for a non-conference meeting with CCAA rival Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday night, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m.

#TritonsRising

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