No. 12 UCSD Men Rally for 2-1 Overtime Win

October 22, 2016

TURLOCK, Calif. - The 12th-ranked University of California San Diego men's soccer team overturned a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 for the fourth time this season, rallying to upend Stanislaus State in overtime in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) match at Warrior Stadium on Friday.

With a sixth consecutive victory, UC San Diego improved to 12-1-2 overall and 7-1-1 in the CCAA. The Tritons vaulted back over Sonoma State and into sole possession of first place in the table, with the Seawolves suffering a 1-0 loss late at Chico State. Last-place Stan State dropped to 2-10-3 overall and a still-winless 0-9 in league play.

At 93:12, senior center back and captain Kuba Waligorski poked a loose ball into the right side with his right foot off of UCSD's 11th corner kick of the night. It was the Poland native's first goal of 2016 and first since his initial year as a Triton in 2014.

Senior winger Justice Duerksen took that corner kick, with redshirt sophomore right back Jeff Powers getting his head to it. The ball came back off of the Warriors' junior goalkeeper Tomas Zajfert, with Waligorski in the right place at the right time to push his shot into the corner. Powers was credited with his third assist.

"It was a great win tonight," said ninth-year UC San Diego head coach Jon Pascale. "The team showed a great spirit coming from behind against a team that was much better than their record. Stanislaus really gave us problems early in the match. It took us a while to settle in and start creating quality chances. Once we got the equalizer, the team never looked back. It wasn't our best performance, but we grinded out three key points tonight."

In the 18th minute, a ball over the top by Duerksen from the left was latched onto by senior forward Sam Palano, but his attempt from the right diagonal was blocked away by his defender.

The Tritons had a 5-0 shot advantage before the home side finally came up with an attempt, but with that opener, took the lead. Substitute Alejandro Sanchez provided the feed for Sean Bender, who found the back of the net just inside the right post at 22:45 for only the fifth goal this season off of the nation's No. 1 defense.

Moments later, redshirt junior striker Malek Bashti gathered nicely and faced the target before unleashing a strike from 25-plus yards out for which Zajfert had to dive full-stretch for to his left, to save it out for a corner kick.

In the 38th, senior midfielder Nick Palano's right-footed free kick was parried over the crossbar with some difficulty by Zajfert, out to another corner kick.

The halftime numbers were still largely in favor of the Tritons, up 10-1 in shots and 5-0 in corners, but with the lone goal going the way of the Warriors.

The first attempt on frame by either side in the second half did not come until the 64th minute, and probably should have tied it. Duerksen played a clever cross from the left, and Sam Palano managed to produce a full bicycle kick around the penalty spot, but Zajfert came up with an equally-spectacular reaction to tip it over the bar.

Within two minutes, in the 66th, the score was indeed back to level. Duerksen again provided the accurate service from his left flank after collecting Sam Palano's deft flick. Sophomore winger Christian Cordell met it with his head at the far post, sending the ball back across the goalmouth and into the left-side netting for his fourth on the year and second in as many games. It was Duerksen's second assist.

Fifth-year senior Cameron McElfresh made one second-half save. Zajfert came up with five stops for the Warriors.

UCSD out-shot Stan State, 20-3. The Tritons' 11 corner kicks were a season high, eclipsing their 10 from the season opener back on Sept. 1. The Warriors did not earn a single one.

UC San Diego continues a four-game road stretch to conclude the regular-season schedule this Sunday afternoon, Oct. 23, in Hayward against Cal State East Bay. Kickoff at Pioneer Stadium is set for 11:30 a.m.

Triton Notes: The Tritons have the league's longest current win streak ... This is their longest since a seven-gamer from Sept. 20-Oct. 11, 2013 ... UCSD has reached the 12-win mark for the second time in Jon Pascale's ninth year in charge, having gone 14-3-5 in 2013 ... Sean Bender's goal snapped UCSD's latest shutout stretch at 353:12, with the goals-against average now at a still-CCAA-best 0.317 ... Christian Cordell's equalizer marked the sophomore's first collegiate road goal ... Kuba Waligorski's goal was his first collegiate game-winner, third tally of his career, and first since Oct. 26, 2014, at Humboldt State ... The Tritons have won two straight meetings in Turlock, after a 2-0 decision in 2013 ... UCSD is 3-1-1 on the road in 2016, with three wins in a row after starting with a scoreless draw and 1-0 loss ... The Tritons are an unbeaten 3-0-2 in overtime contests this season ... UCSD kept the opponent without a corner kick for the first time since Sept. 21, 2012, at CPP ... The 11 corner kicks were the most in over five years, at least going back through 2011.

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