UCSD Women Back on the Road for Two

October 3, 2013

 

THE SCHEDULE
Match 9
at No. 9 Cal State Stanislaus (7-0-1, 5-0-1 CCAA)
Friday, Oct. 4 • 7 p.m.
Warrior Stadium • Turlock
Live Stats • Live Video

Match 10
at Cal State East Bay (2-6, 2-4 CCAA)
Sunday, Oct. 6 • 2 p.m.
Pioneer Stadium • Hayward
Live Stats

TOUGH ASSIGNMENT LOOMING FOR TRITONS IN TURLOCK
UCSD is back on the road this weekend. The Tritons are now in second place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) South Division at 3-2-3 overall and 2-1-3 in league play. They play at ninth-ranked and undefeated North Division leader Cal State Stanislaus this Friday night, Oct. 4, at 7 p.m., and at Cal State East Bay on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m. Both games will have live stats, with the Stanislaus match also featuring live video (no audio) on Warrior TV, courtesy of Ustream.

ROAD DOMINANCE
In holding onto draws at Chico State and Cal State San Bernardino away from home two weekends ago, UCSD stretched its remarkable unbeaten streak in regular-season road matches to 30. The Tritons have gone 21-0-9 in such contests since a 2-1 loss in Arcata to Humboldt State on Sept. 17, 2010. Their only defeat outside of La Jolla in all of 2012 (11-1-3) came against West Florida in the national title match in Evans, Ga. UCSD is 2-0-2 on the road thus far in 2013.

AROUND THE CCAA
At nine points, UCSD currently sits four points behind South Division leader Cal State San Bernardino. The teams still have one meeting left, in La Jolla next Friday, Oct. 11 (4:30 p.m.) Three other teams are within two points of the Tritons. No. 9 Cal State Stanislaus is two points ahead of No. 15 Sonoma State atop the North. Statistically speaking, junior All-American midfielder Cassie Callahan (Coronado/Coronado HS) is tied for seventh with four goals scored, and ninth with 10 points. Freshman Jamie Benedetto is tied for 10th in goals (3) and tied for 12th in points (6). Sophomore goalkeeper Kelcie Brodskyis second in the league with 44 saves, third in save percentage (.830) and sixth in goals-against average (1.04).

CALLAHAN LEADS TRITONS AGAIN
Callahan was named the Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week on Tuesday, Sept. 17, after having a hand in all four Triton goals in a pair of divisional road wins. She converted her 61st-minute penalty kick for the lone score at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sept. 13, before assisting on Izzy Pozurama's 49th-minute equalizer and then heading in both the winner and the clincher in a 3-1 defeat of Cal State L.A. on Sept. 15. Callahan has 10 points from four goals and two assists this season, and 17 goals for her career. No fewer than eight of those scores have come via header.

TRITON NOTES
With three ties and a loss over the past two weekends, UCSD is in the midst of its first four-game winless stretch ever under 27th-year head coach Brian McManus ... UCSD is rated No. 6 in the West Region, down from No. 5 ... The Tritons' highest National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) national ranking this season has been No. 3 in the preseasonedition ... They were last rated No. 23 on Sept. 17 ... UCSD has had at least six freshmen and sophomores, with at least three true freshmen, start all eight matches so far in 2013 ... The Tritons started a high of five true freshmen vs. Humboldt State (9/27) ... UCSD has overturned two 1-0 halftime deficits to rally and win this season, with a 2-1 home decision in the opener vs. then-21st-ranked Seattle Pacific (9/5) and a 3-1 victory at Cal State L.A. (9/15) ... Benedetto's first collegiate goal came just 24 seconds into the 1-1 draw at CSUSB (9/22) ... Callahan, Pozurama and Rachel Leslie (Santee/West Hills HS), the lone senior on the 2013 roster, are Triton tri-captains.

HEAD COACH BRIAN McMANUS
McManus is in his 27th season in charge of the UCSD women's soccer program. With a career record of 437-69-45, he has achieved the most wins (one more than Gabe Mejail of Merrimack College) in NCAA Division II women's soccer history. McManus' career winning percentage of .834 is among the top 10 in college women's soccer annals, both overall and Division II only. He ranks fourth among all divisions in wins. McManus has directed UCSD to seven national championships and a record eight CCAA crowns, with the Tritons advancing to the national semifinals an incredible 15 times in his 26 years. Under his guidance, UCSD has qualified for the NCAA postseason all 13 seasons during the Division III days and all but one of 13 years (2004) since the move up to Division II, including the last eight in succession.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS
No. 9 Cal State Stanislaus enters the weekend at 7-0-1 overall and 5-0-1 in the CCAA. The lone blemish was a 2-2 draw at No. 15 Sonoma State on Sept. 20. The first-place Warriors are a perfect 6-0 at home, outscoring opponents there, 19-2. They come off of a pair of wins in Turlock last weekend, 2-0 over SF State on Friday and 2-1 over Cal State Monterey Bay on Sunday. The latter triumph came courtesy of a Sabrina Williamson goal with just 3:06 left in the second overtime. Three-time All-American forward Karenee Demery again leads the team as a senior, with her 20 points from eight goals and four assists second-best in the nation. Junior Katelyn Nebesnick has added five goals and three assists, while Williamson has a team-best five assists. Fellow sophomore Chelsea Lewandowski (0.59 GAA, 16 saves, four shutouts) is the Stanislaus goalie. Gabriel Bolton is the Warrior head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 11-3-2. The teams faced off twice in 2012, with the visiting Warriors first taking the regular-season meeting in La Jolla, 1-0 on an Apryl Whitney goal at 86:41. The Tritons avenged that defeat with a 2-1 decision in the CCAA Championship semifinals Nov. 2 in Carson, getting their own late winner at 86:09 from Gabi Hernandez after Callahan and Demery's strikes had cancelled each other out earlier in the second half. UCSD last won in Turlock in 2009, 4-0.

ABOUT THE PIONEERS
Cal State East Bay is 2-6 overall and 2-4 in league play. The Pioneers are in fourth in the North. They played to a home split last weekend, falling 1-0 to Cal State Monterey Bay before blanking SF State, 3-0. The latter result gave them just four goals over eight matches on the year, scored by four different players. Junior midfielder Ariana Gordon has provided two assists. Senior Donna Williams (1.40 GAA, 41 saves, two shutouts) is the regular goalkeeper. Amy Gerace is in her 13th year in charge at East Bay. The Pioneers first host Cal Poly Pomona on Friday night prior to entertaining the Tritons on Sunday. They are 1-4 at home in 2013.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD has never lost to Cal State East Bay, having taken all six prior meetings since the Pioneers joined the CCAA for the 2009 season, including all three in Hayward. Most recently, the Tritons stormed back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to down the Pioneers in double overtime, 3-2, last Oct. 26. Pozurama scored the unassisted winner at 101:47 after Callahan had equalized in the 79th minute.

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 atUCSDTritonsGear.com.

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THE BIG PICTURE
We want to reward you for posting your creative photos. Tweet and Instagram your pics from any UCSD Athletics event and include our #TritonsRising hashtag. At the end of every month, we'll pick our favorite photos and dole out some swag to the winners!

UP NEXT
Following the upcoming road weekend, UCSD will round out the 2013 regular season with seven of its final eight games at home, beginning with a season-long six-match homestand over the remainder of the month of October. South Division leader Cal State San Bernardino is first up on Friday, Oct. 11. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m.

#TritonsRising

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