UCSD Soccer Teams Set to Wrap Up Regular Season

The No. 7 women’s soccer team needs just a single point from either of this weekend’s home matches with San Francisco State and Cal Poly Pomona to clinch the top seed for the CCAA Championships. UCSD won both of its prior contests with the two schools this season.

In first place in the CCAA South with 33 points, UCSD (11-1-4, 10-1-3) is the only team that has clinched a berth in the Championships at this point. Cal State L.A., second in the South with 27 points, is the only team that can catch the Tritons for the tournament’s top seed. Even if that were to happen, and it's a long shot, UCSD is assured of playing in Turlock Nov. 4-6. The Tritons will be appearing in their 12th consecutive CCAA Championships.

Prior to Sunday’s match against Cal Poly Pomona at 2:30 p.m., nine Triton seniors—Kristin Armstrong, Sarah Garland, Sarah McTigue, Lindsay Mills, Katie Kuykendall, Sara Spaventa, Courtney Capobianco, Shelby Wong and Anne Wethe—will be honored for their years of service to the UCSD women’s soccer program. The San Francisco State game is at 7 p.m. Friday.

UCSD recorded its second and third consecutive shutouts on Friday and Sunday since suffering its only loss on Oct. 14 to CSULA. On Friday against Humboldt State, junior midfielder Shelby Wong accounted for the first three goals of a 5-0 Triton win, recording her first career hat trick by the 52nd minute. Taryn Bales and Alexa Enlow also scored for the Tritons.

In Sunday’s 2-0 win over Sonoma State, Sarah McTigue headed in the Tritons’ first goal off a corner kick by Hayley Johnson in the 48th minute. Courtney Capobianco added some insurance five minutes from full time by heading in a rebound after Sara Spaventa hit the cross bar from 22 yards away.

MEN'S SOCCER

The UC San Diego men’s soccer team will wrap up the regular season this week against San Francisco State (4:30 p.m. Friday) and Cal Poly Pomona (noon Sunday).

Although UCSD (8-8-0, 7-7-0) currently sits five points out of a playoff spot with 21 points, there is still an outside opportunity for the Tritons to earn the fourth and final seed for the CCAA Championships. UCSD would need to win twice and hope that a number of other scenarios take place. UCSD has not competed in the CCAA Championships since 2005.

After coming into last weekend’s matches on a four-match losing streak, UCSD rebounded for a pair of one-goal victories over Humboldt State and Sonoma State. On Friday against Humboldt, UCSD trailed 1-0 early and then 2-1 at the half, but responded with a pair of second half goals to take a 3-2 win over the Lumberjacks. Alec Arsht scored twice for the Tritons.

Junior forward Evan Walker scored in the 106th minute on Sunday against the CCAA North Division’s top team, Sonoma State, to hand the Tritons a 2-1 victory over the Seawolves in double overtime. Walker slipped a pass from Andrew Keimach into the corner of the net for his second goal this year. Cory Wolfrom opened the scoring for UCSD five minutes into the second half by hitting the top right corner of the net from the left edge of the goal box.

The Tritons need one win in their last two matches to match their conference win total from 2010. Thirteen of the Tritons’ 16 matches this season have been decided by a single goal. UCSD is 7-6 in those contests.

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

The No. 18 UC San Diego women's volleyball team got strong performances from its middle blockers to lead the Tritons to their fifth straight win, a 3-0 blanking of league opponent Cal State Dominguez Hills Saturday. Scores were 25-17, 25-19 and 25-22 at RIMAC Arena.

UCSD improved to 15-4 overall and 11-4 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The struggles continued for Dominguez Hills, which fell to 1-18 overall and remained winless in the league at 0-15.

UCSD has now won the last 30 meetings with CSUDH and owns a 43-1 record in the all-time series. It was the second consecutive sweep for the Tritons, who downed CCAA opponent Cal State L.A. in three sets Friday night.

UCSD goes back on the road to play at Chico State on Friday and at Cal State Stanislaus on Saturday.

MEN'S WATER POLO

The 10th-ranked UC San Diego men’s water polo team used a first quarter hat trick by Graham Saber and a 5-0 run to put away Occidental 16-4 in Western Water Polo Association play on Saturday morning at Canyonview Pool.

The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Tritons, who improve to 12-7 overall and 10-3 in WWPA play. After picking up its first conference victory on Wednesday, Occidental drops to 4-16 overall and 1-8 in conference competition.

On Friday, UCSD led early but could not hold off No. 11 Loyola Marymount, as the Lions took a 14-10 win over the Tritons in Western Water Polo Association play at the Burns Center.

UCSD returns to Canyonview Pool Friday evening as the Tritons take on No. 12 UC Davis at 6. UCSD downed UCD 11-10 in the ninth place game of the Socal Tournament on Oct. 2.  

CROSS COUNTRY

The UC San Diego cross country teams opened their postseason slate on Saturday, competing in the 2011 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships at Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa.

The Tritons finished third out of eight teams running in the men’s 8k, while UCSD took fourth place in a field of 12 schools competing in the women’s 6k race. The Triton men finished third for the second year in a row, while the women moved up one spot after claiming fifth place in Whittier in 2010.

Chico State maintained its current stranglehold of the conference championships, winning both the men’s and women’s titles for the fourth consecutive year.

“Although we had some very good individual performances, we didn’t quite accomplish our team goals this weekend,” head coach Nate Garcia said after the conclusion of the day’s events. “There was some really good battles out there and we fought hard, but we know we’re capable of performing better. It’s just a matter of going out and doing it.”

The Tritons now will prepare for the NCAA Division II West Regional Championships, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 5 at Plantes Ferry Regional Park in Spokane, WA.

—Compiled from press releases issued by the UCSD Sports Information Office