Sports

UCSD Men's Hoop Games to Be Aired on ESPN Radio

ESPN Radio 1700 will carry 16 games live; women's soccer team falls to Chico State in playoffs.

The Athletics Department announced Tuesday that ESPN Radio 1700 will carry 16 Triton men’s basketball games live locally during the 2011-12 season.

Beginning with UCSD’s home opener against California Collegiate Athletic Association rival Cal State San Bernardino on Nov. 22, ESPN 1700 will broadcast a total of 12 home games and four road contests, marking the first time UCSD basketball will air on terrestrial radio.

Craig Elsten, who is entering his third season as the voice of Triton basketball through UCSD’s online broadcasts, will serve as play-by-play announcer, while Jack Cronin, executive producer at XX Sports 1090 and ESPN 1700 in San Diego, will handle the color commentary duties.

Under the agreement, UCSD coach Chris Carlson will make a weekly appearance on the Coach John Kentera show, which airs Monday through Friday from 6-9 p.m. on XX 1090. Carlson will debut on the Coach Kentera show Wednesday at 8:15 p.m.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with the University of California San Diego,” Tex Meyer, vice president and general manager at ESPN Radio 1700 said of the agreement. “The pairing of 1700 ESPN and Triton basketball is a winning combination and the staff at ESPN 1700 looks forward to serving UCSD and its fan base in Southern California.”

Carlson, who is now in his fifth season as head coach of the Tritons, was equally excited about the partnership.

“We’re very pleased that fans in San Diego will be able to listen to our broadcasts this year,” Carlson said. “We play in one of the best Division II conferences in the country and I think people will be genuinely pleased with all that UCSD basketball and the CCAA has to offer.”

After finishing with an overall record of 11-17 in 2010-11, the Tritons got off to a good start this season, going 2-1 in three games at the Disney West Coast Tip-Off Classic Nov. 4-6 to capture the tournament crown for the second consecutive year. UCSD defeated Chestnut Hill College and Dominican, while falling to Western Washington during the three-day event in Anaheim.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

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The UC San Diego women’s soccer team tripled Chico State in shots, but the Tritons could not find the net in their 1-0 loss to the Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Sunday afternoon at Triton Soccer Stadium.

UCSD out-shot CSUC 14-4 in the contest, but it only took one strike from Wildcat striker Lisa Webster to make the difference. Chico (12-6-4) advances to the third round of play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

The Tritons fell in back-to-back games for the first time this season and will end the year at 13-3-4 overall.

“The team played as well as they have played within the last month or so, but today was just one of those days,” said UCSD head coach Brian McManus. “It wasn’t meant to be. The ball wasn’t going to go in the back of their net. (Chico State) got one decent scoring opportunity and they took it.”

Sunday’s contest was the final collegiate match for nine Triton seniors—Sarah McTigue, Anne Wethe, Kristin Armstrong, Sarah Garland, Lindsay Mills, Courtney Capobianco, Katie Kuykendall, Sara Spaventa and Shelby Wong.

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WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

The No. 15 UC San Diego women's volleyball team has earned its fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Championships and will take on Grand Canyon in the first round of the West Regional this wek.

The Tritons and 'Lopes will face off on Thursday on the campus of Cal State San Bernardino, the top seed, at 2:30 p.m.

The 64-team field for the NCAA Championships is comprised of eight squads each from the Atlantic, Central, East, Midwest, South, South Central, Southeast and West regions.

With its 21-5 overall record, UCSD will be the second-seeded team in the West, just behind top-ranked and undefeated Cal State San Bernardino. Sonoma State is the third seed in the West, BYU-Hawaii fourth, Seattle Pacific fifth, Hawaii Hilo sixth, Grand Canyon seventh and Alaska Anchorage eighth.

The eight eight-team regionals will be played at on-campus sites. Regional competition will be single-elimination, best three-of-five-set matches and will not include a third-place match. The winners of each of the eight regionals will advance to the finals, Dec. 1-3. The finals will be held on the campus of one of the eight advancing teams. The site and host institution for the finals site will be announced Sunday.

UCSD finished third in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) behind Cal State San Bernardino and Sonoma State. Twice this season the Tritons strung together nine-match winning streaks.

Grand Canyon, making its first tourney appearance since 1995, finished at 22-6, won a school-record 14 matches this season and finished second in the Pacicfic West Conference.

The last time the Tritons and 'Lopes met, UCSD took a 3-1 victory on Sep. 8, 2005. UC San Diego holds a 13-1 advantage in the all-time series.

Last season, the Tritons swept Sonoma State in the first round and then were knocked out of the NCAA Regional by Cal State San Bernardino in the semifinals.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

UC San Diego senior point guard Chelsea Carlisle was named the Wilson/California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week ending Nov. 13, it was announced Monday by the league office.

Carlisle had a huge opening weekend, leading the 13th-ranked Tritons to a pair of impressive victories over West Regional opponents Seattle Pacific and Western Washington at the CCAA/GNAC Shootout in Northern California. The Agoura Hills native averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals in 33-plus minutes per game in UCSD's two decisive victories.

Carlisle finished with 17 points, eight boards, three assists and a pair of steals in the Tritons' 68-47 win over Seattle Pacific on Friday and then racked up a game-high 27 points, four rebounds, five assists and five steals in a 79-60 triumph over Western Washington on Saturday. She was 19-of-31 from the field in the two games (61 percent) and converted all five of her free throws.

The senior All-American was named the CCAA/GNAC Shootout Most Valuable Player for her performance.

Monday's award marks Carlisle's fourth career CCAA Player of the Week honor and the first of the season for UCSD.

The Tritons will return to action this weekend at the Hawaii Hilo Vulcan Classic. UCSD will face Hawaii Pacific on Friday, before squaring off with host UHH on Saturday.

MEN'S WATER POLO

The seedings and match-ups are set for the 2011 Western Water Polo Association Men's Water Polo Championships, to be held at Canyonvivew Aquatic Center.

This year's championship has been extended an extra day, with the four-day tournament beginning on Thursday and running through Sunday, with the title game taking place at 2 p.m.

Loyola Marymount University has earned the top seed thanks to a 15-7 overall record and a 10-1 mark against WWPA foes. The Lions earn their fourth straight No. 1 seed and look to defend their last four titles.

Earning the No. 2 seed in this year's tournament is host UC San Diego. The Tritons gave the top-seed Lions their lone loss in WWPA play and enter the tournament at 14-9 overall and 12-3 in the WWPA. Their only setbacks in WWPA play came to the Lions.

Wrapping up the top four seeds are No. 3 Santa Clara and No. 4 UC Davis. The Broncos are 16-16 overall and went 7-5 against the WWPA. UC Davis is 20-10 overall and 11-4 in the WWPA. The Broncos get the No. 3 seed thanks to the 9-6 win at UC Davis on Oct. 9.

The top four seeds earn a bye to the quarterfinals, which will be on Friday.

Getting the tournament started on Thursday will be No. 5 seed Air Force (8-16, 5-7) taking on No. 12 seed Occidental (7-22, 1-13) at 1:30 p.m. No. 6 Pomona-Pitzer (13-18, 8-6), winners of Sunday's SCIAC title, will take on No. 11 seed La Verne (6-25, 2-10) in game two at 3 p.m.

Game three will see No. 7 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (15-11, 6-2) take on No. 10 Whittier (11-19, 4-10) at 4:30 p.m. Day one will end with No. 8 Redlands (16-17, 6-8) taking on No. 9 Chapman (13-13, 4-7) at 6 p.m. Action on Friday begins at 10:30 a.m.

The winner earns automatic bid to 2011 National Collegiate Men's Water Polo Championship hosted by Cal Dec. 2-3.

—Compiled from press releases issued by the UC San Diego Sports Information Office


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