SEASIDE, Calif. - Senior co-captain Cassie Callahan’s (Coronado/Coronado HS) penalty-kick goal in the 84th minute lifted UC San Diego women’s soccer team to a critical 1-0 victory over Cal State Monterey Bay in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) action Friday at the Otter Sports Complex.

With a second straight win, UCSD improved to 6-5-2 overall and an even 3-3-1 in the CCAA. Cal State Monterey Bay fell to 6-6 overall and 3-4 in league play. The Tritons remain a perfect 11-0 all-time against the Otters, with CSUMB still scoreless over the last 418:38 against UCSD.

For the second match in a row, the Tritons used three points from a victory to vault over their opponent in the 12-team CCAA standings. Having done just that with a 5-1 home triumph over Cal State East Bay last Sunday, they began play Friday two points back of the Otters. The 1-0 result enabled them to leapfrog Monterey Bay and into sole possession of seventh at 10 points with four matches to play. The top six teams in the final standings qualify for the CCAA Championship.

The host Otters were called for an infringement in their own penalty area late, and Callahan converted the spot kick at the 83:28 mark. It was her fourth goal of the season to tie her for the team lead, and the second penalty-kick tally of her career in three tries. It was also her team-best third game-winning score of 2014, to give her 11 as a fourth-year Triton.

The first shot by either side in the match was a header in the 18th minute by Triton freshman Aimee Ellis that went over the crossbar. UCSD’s junior goalie, Kelcie Brodsky, then saved consecutive efforts by Otter Hannah Cobb in the 23rd and 24th.

UCSD’s first attempt on target came from redshirt sophomore forward Kiera Bocchino in the 26th, but Monterey Bay goalie Lily Garza was equal to the task.

The home side registered the first three shots following the interval, but Brodsky denied Sierra Townsend after Shoshana Wangerin and Regan Porteous had both gone wide of the mark. Brodsky then turned away Wangerin in the 61st and Cheryl Tom just two minutes later to keep the game scoreless.

Tritons Katie O’Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School) and Maile Nilsson (San Diego/The Preuss School UCSD) came up with a header in the 70th and a shot in the 77th, respectively, but neither local product could get past Garza.

After Callahan’s goal, CSUMB had one last chance to score, but Cobb’s effort went high over the frame with 3:36 remaining in regulation.

Brodsky collected six saves in the Triton net to increase her league-leading total to 61 on the year. She notched her second individual clean sheet of the year and 16th of her career. Garza, a senior, had three stops for the Otters, who led in shots, 10-6.

Longtime UCSD head coach Brian McManus employed the same starting 11 for the fifth straight match.

“It was daylight robbery at the end,” said McManus. “We played so well in the first half, but couldn’t get the goal. (Monterey Bay) started playing much better in the second half, and then we probably got away with what could have been a penalty shot against us about 15 minutes in (to the second half). That could have been disastrous. We got the call late, Cassie (Callahan) stepped up, and buried it nicely.

“To win like this was huge. If we had lost, it could have meant the season was over. Every game is a playoff game right now. We have to keep on winning. Nobody’s helping us.”

UCSD continues a four-match road stretch at SF State this Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2 p.m.

#TritonsRising