LA JOLLA, Calif. - UC San Diego got a trio of scores in a span of 14:06 around the halftime break en route to a fourth straight victory, 3-0 over California Baptist University in non-conference men’s soccer Thursday night at Triton Soccer Stadium.

UCSD improved to 5-1, while CBU, playing a fourth straight California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) side, fell to 1-3-1. The Lancers compete in the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) and are second-year members of the NCAA Division II. UCSD leads the all-time series, 5-1, with the programs having met for the fourth year in a row. The Tritons won 2-1 in overtime in Riverside a season ago.

In posting back-to-back shutouts, the Tritons extended their streak of games in which they have allowed no more than one goal now to 32. Junior goalkeeper Cameron McElfresh needed to make just one key save early in the second half to post his fifth career clean sheet.

Sophomore forward Malek Bashti opened the scoring at 35:49, striking a right-footed shot into the bottom left corner of the net for his first of the season and second of his career. Assists went to Brandon Bauman andAlessandro Canale.

With just under 90 seconds remaining in the first half, it was 2-0, as Nick Palano notched the first goal of his college career. Senior right back Matthew McClure started the play on the right flank, with Canale hitting a ball across that looked like it deflected off the foot of a defender before, with the help of an expert dummy by Bashti, bouncing toward the left side of the box. That’s where Palano latched on and pounded his first-time, left-footed shot low through Lancer goalkeeper Ian Clark.

Zachary Lagotta, a freshman winger out of San Diego's Cathedral Catholic High School, put the result out of doubt within five minutes of the second-half whistle at 49:55, grabbing his second already on the year with Canale providing his third assist. Lagotta took a short pass toward the left corner of the penalty box and with a tight angle, stabbed at the ball and managed to squeeze his shot across the goal line.

CBU had come close to pulling one back just 66 ticks into the second half, but Josh Mobley’s low shot from close range on the right side of the area was pushed around the near post and out for a corner kick by McElfresh.

A flurry almost made it 4-0 in the 75th minute. Senior midfielder Jacob Valadez played a brilliant long ball that was settled with equal quality by Canale before the Venice native lashed his effort off the left post. Two subsequent rebound attempts by Valadez were blocked away by a defender and saved by Clark, respectively.

In addition to his three assists to give him five for 2014, Canale had four stitches in his chin to show for his trouble following a first-half set-piece in the box.

Clark finished with a pair of stops for the Lancers, who were outshot, 12-10.

UCSD concludes a season-long four-match homestand, as well as the non-conference portion of its 2014 schedule, this Saturday, Sept. 20, hosting another top PacWest foe in Azusa Pacific (2-1). The Cougars dropped a 1-0 decision at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday night. Kickoff at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m.

#TritonsRising

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