No. 21 UCSD Men Knock Off No. 12 CSULA, 1-0

October 15, 2016

LA JOLLA, Calif. - The 21st-ranked University of California San Diego upset No. 12 Cal State LA, 1-0, in a top California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's soccer tilt under Friday night lights at Triton Soccer Stadium.

With a fourth straight triumph, UC San Diego improved to 10-1-2 overall and 5-1-1 in the CCAA. Cal State LA fell to 7-2-3 overall and 5-2 in league play. The rivals had both entered the game with a single loss on the season. The Tritons come out of the matchup in a four-way tie for first place in the league table, having vaulted directly over CSULA, which drops into a tie for fifth.

UCSD remained an unbeaten 8-0-1 in La Jolla in 2016, and is an unbeaten 5-0-1 over its last six. The Tritons were tied for eighth heading up to the Bay Area a week ago, and with three wins since then, have moved into a tie for sixth, tie for fourth, and now a tie for first in a span of eight days.

In the 35th minute Friday, redshirt sophomore right back Jeff Powers sent a deep ball from his area, over the top and into the penalty box. Fourth-year senior central midfielder Riley Harbour took a touch to bring it down, and managed an awkward initial shot attempt that was slapped away by CSULA goalkeeper Dan Arnoll, but not far enough. Harbour was always going to be first to the rebound, with the defender on his back, and calmly slotted his second try into the bottom right corner. It was Harbour's third goal on the year, all game-winners at home, with the last two of the critical variety in league contests, having turned in the lone score in another 1-0 decision, this one in overtime, against Humboldt State on Oct. 2.

From there, the Tritons put on a game management masterclass. Senior goalkeeper Cameron McElfresh made three saves in yet another shutout for what is still the nation's best defense statistically, now down to a 0.29 team goals-against average. It's his eighth on the season and 27th career.

The Tritons' center back tandem of senior Kuba Waligorski and true freshman Kelvin Uribe, along with outside backs Powers and junior Nolan Mac on the left, were on the field for the full 90 minutes to play a big role once again in the clean sheet in front of McElfresh, as was Harbour. Sophomore holding midfielder Matt Merrill was also vital over his 79 minutes, though UCSD defends as a full unit.

Senior left winger Justice Duerksen came close to getting the Tritons on the scoreboard in the fourth minute, settling an incoming pass before rifling a left-footed shot that blazed over the crossbar. In about the 18th, redshirt junior Malek Bashti, in his first start at a forward spot since Sept. 10, ran onto a deft through ball into the penalty area, but Arnoll was up to the task and pounced on it.

After the halftime break, the Tritons nearly doubled their lead through a fluke goal, as Arnoll's clearance attempt of a back pass from a teammate, struck senior forward Sam Palano square and bounded toward his own goal, only to miss wide to the left. Sophomore Christian Cordell's left-footed attempt a short while later was saved low to his right by Arnoll, who finished with nine stops on the night.

On the opposite side, McElfresh really had to make one difficult save, that in the 73rd, diving to his right to wipe out a stinging shot by Samuel Croucher. In the 80th, reigning CCAA Player of the Week Ihsan Kalkan's try from just inside the 18-yard-box glanced off of Waligorski's midsection in front of a crowded goalmouth.

UC San Diego hosts another tough South rival in Cal State Dominguez Hills on Senior Day this Sunday, Oct. 16, at 2 p.m. Nine seniors will be recognized prior to kickoff, at approximately 1:50 p.m., provided the women's match that begins at 11:30 a.m., does not go long. Parking and admission are free, with a live video stream in high definition available in pay-per-view format on UCSDtritons.tv.

Triton Notes: UCSD has now reached the 10-win mark in five of head coach Jon Pascale's nine seasons in charge, and for the first time since finishing the 2014 campaign at 10-4-6 ... The Tritons last beat a nationally-ranked opponent on Nov. 8, 2013, getting past No. 24 Chico State, 2-1, in a CCAA Tournament semifinal in Turlock on an overtime Malek Bashti goal, the first of his college career ... UCSD is 10-0-2 over its last 12 home dates going back to a 2-1 loss on Sept. 27, 2015 ... The Tritons have won three straight CCAA meetings with CSULA, all by a 1-0 score.

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