No. 4 UCSD Explodes for Four Goals in Home Opener
LA JOLLA, Calif. - Sarah McTigue scored twice and Hayley Johnsonadded two assists as the No. 4 UC San Diego women's soccer team rolled over Cal State San Bernardino 4-0 in California Collegiate Athletic Association play on Sunday afternoon at Triton Soccer Field.
UCSD improves to 6-0-2 overall and 5-0-1 in CCAA play. The Coyotes drop to 2-5-1 overall and remain winless in conference competition at 0-5-1. The Tritons' lone tie in conference play came at the hands of CSUSB on September 11.
The Tritons owned the run of play from the start, firing off three shots within the first four minutes of the match. Gabi Hernandez earned UCSD's first goal in the 13th minute as she shouldered a defender off a ball trickling out of bounds at the end line. Hernandez collected herself on the left side of the box, picked up her head and threaded a perfect pass at a 45-degree angle towards the penalty spot. McTigue ran onto it and cracked a shot one-time squarely into the middle of the net.
"We had some great quality when we started the game," said UCSD head coach Brian McManus. "So far, we're finishing off on set pieces and we're playing well all-around."
UCSD earned a free kick about 35 yards out in the 38th minute on a hard foul by CSUSB. Johnson sent a floater into the box, but it was punched out by Coyote keeper Tiffany Mallick. The ball landed at the feet of Johnson, who promptly beat two defenders off the dribble. Johnson passed the ball to her right to Lindsay Mills, who was wide-open due to some confusion on an ill-fasted offside trap by the Coyotes. Mills took a touch and pounded-in a right-footed blast off Mallick's gloves to make it 2-0.
The Tritons made it 3-0 less than 20 minutes into the second half. After UCSD earned another free kick on the right side 28 yards out, Johnson bent-in a ball with her left foot to the near post. McTigue beat her defender to the spot, deflecting the ball off her toe and into the top of the net. McTigue leads all Tritons with four goals this season and Johnson has registered a team-high seven assists.
Taryn Bales scored the first goal of her Triton career 15 minutes from full-time. Bales collected a through-ball from Shelby Wong behind the Coyote back line, putting her one-on-one with Mallick. Bales calmly touched the ball past the keeper to her left and side-footed a shot into an open net for the game's final score.
The Tritons will end their three-match home stand at Triton Soccer Field next Friday and Sunday against Cal State Monterey Bay and Cal State East Bay, respectively. UCSD will kick-off against CSUMB at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The Tritons face CSUEB at noon on Sunday.
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