LA JOLLA, Calif. - Senior striker Alessandro Canale’s first-half brace got things going for the UC San Diego men’s soccer team in a 4-0 romp over Cal State San Marcos in a non-conference contest at Triton Soccer Stadium on Sunday night.

With a third straight win coming over a six-day stretch this week, UCSD improved to 4-1 on the year overall. Cal State San Marcos dropped to 4-2 after having opened its campaign with four consecutive victories. It was just the fourth meeting between the teams, all in La Jolla, and first since a 1-0 decision in favor of the Tritons to begin the 2009 season. UCSD has won the last three.

The Tritons extended their streak of games in which they have allowed no more than one goal now to 31, and indeed finally notched the shutout they sorely needed and sought after. UCSD had surrendered a single score in nine successive matches without a shutout dating back to late in the 2013 campaign. The Tritons have ranked in the top five nationally in Division II in goals-against average the last two years.

Canale, a Venice native who transferred in from Santa Monica College prior to the 2013 season, achieved his first two-goal effort in a Triton uniform, both strikes coming within a span of 6:20 late in the first half.

At 36:06, he calmly nodded in a cross from the left by freshman winger Zachary Lagotta (San Diego/Cathedral Catholic HS). Lagotta had received a short pass from senior left back Nick Roberts, sped down the left flank and beat his defender to the end line before providing a perfect ball.

In the 43rd minute, senior playmaker Brandon Bauman’s steal put the ball at Sam Palano’s feet, with the sophomore forward slotting a pinpoint through ball to Canale on the right edge of the penalty area. Canale’s right-footed shot was true and found the left-side netting. He had yet to score in 2014 prior to Sunday night.

UCSD broke the game further open during another short stretch midway through the second half. At 56:23, sophomore Gerrit van Zyll notched his first collegiate goal off another feed from Roberts, beating a couple of defenders on the left edge of the box and shooting right-footed into the upper right netting.

Less than four minutes later, Palano capped the scoring with his second of the year. Bauman headed the ball down toward his feet after a defensive deflection, and the Lafayette product’s right-footed shot found the lower right corner just beyond the outstretched fingertips of diving Cougar goalie Zach Sheppard.

Earlier in the contest, Canale had thought he had tallied his first goal of the year in the 30th minute, when he headed in a corner kick from freshman Sean Pleskow, but the goal was disallowed as Canale was adjudged to have committed a foul.

In the 26th minute, Canale had back-to-back efforts denied by Sheppard, showing a good bit of skill on the latter to turn his defender before firing from a narrow angle. He produced game and UCSD career highs of six shots and four shots on goal.

In posting his first individual clean sheet of the season and fourth of his career, junior goalkeeper Cameron McElfresh made a pair of saves. Sheppard had three stops for CSUSM, which actually wound up with the 18-13 shot advantage. UCSD made its opportunities count.

A total of 22 Tritons saw action on the night, with freshman Nolan Mac making his collegiate debut for the final 10 minutes at left back. Seventh-year head coach Jon Pascale actually trotted out a new-look defense with, from left to right along the back line, Roberts, Kuba Waligorski, Brett Sampiere (Solana Beach/Torrey Pines HS) and Matthew McClure all in new spots. Needless to say, it worked.

UCSD is now midway through a season-long four-match homestand. Two Pacific West Conference foes make the trip down to La Jolla in the week ahead, with California Baptist on Thursday, Sept. 18, and Azusa Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 20. Both kickoffs at Triton Soccer Stadium are set for 7 p.m.

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