LA JOLLA, Calif. - Sam Palano’s 80th-minute goal completed the comeback as the ninth-ranked UC San Diego men’s soccer team edged Saint Martin’s University, 2-1, in the 2014 season opener for the NCAA Division II West Region non-conference foes Thursday night at Triton Soccer Stadium.

Palano marked the occasion of his first career start, by tallying his first collegiate goal, at 79:08 to break a 1-1 deadlock. The sophomore from Lafayette took a short pass from true freshmanZachary Lagotta (San Diego/Cathedral Catholic HS) and found the back of the net. Lagotta had earned a starting job on the wing in his debut.

SMU (0-1), a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) from Lacey, Wash., had opened the scoring in the 16th minute as a Matt Beaulaurier throw-in from the left side somehow found its way all the way across the Triton penalty area, leaving McKray Kohn to simply tap the ball into the empty net at the far post.

UCSD (1-0) equalized with mere seconds left in the first half. Senior central midfielder Brandon Bauman, who was given the captain’s armband by Triton head coach Jon Pascale, slammed a poor clearance right-footed into the bottom left corner of the goal from just outside the penalty box with under a minute to play before the intermission. Freshman Uly de la Cal had taken a throw-in from the left side, and after taking a bounce, a headed attempt to clear by an SMU defender fell to Bauman.

Junior Cameron McElfresh made his sixth career start in goal and first since his 2012 freshman season, taking over for 2012 and 2013 California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Most Valuable Defensive Player Josh Cohen. He needed to make a single save.

McElfresh and his brand-new center-back tandem in front of him of redshirt sophomore transfer Kuba Waligorskiand true freshman Kyle Panganiban largely settled down after the early Saints goal. UCSD ultimately extended its streak of games without allowing more than one goal to 27 since a 3-0 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills late in the 2012 campaign. Pascale’s starting lineup included four newcomers in all after losing 10 seniors and seven starters off of the 2013 roster.

Of the Tritons’ four returning starters, Alessandro Canale and Brett Sampiere were unavailable Thursday. Bauman and senior left back Matthew McClure are the others.

The result meant a second straight come-from-behind season-opening triumph for the Tritons after another 2-1 decision, that one in overtime, in Riverside against California Baptist to begin the 2013 campaign.

UCSD outshot SMU on the night, 16-10, with sophomore Malek Bashti’s four attempts leading all players.

In addition to Lagotta, Waligorski, Panganiban and de la Cal, Charlie Keating, Sean Pleskow and Eric Young also made their first college appearances, with Keating starting in central midfield alongside Bauman.

Senior Saints goalie JJ Olson wound up with four stops. Kohn took three shots.

UCSD remains in home non-conference action this Saturday night, Sept. 6, as it welcomes in another GNAC opponent in Western Washington. Kickoff at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m.

Triton Notes: This was just the second all-time meeting between UCSD and SMU, with the Saints having previously posted a 1-0 victory in La Jolla back on Sept. 3, 2011 … The Tritons are now 11-3-1 in season openers in the Division II era.

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