LOS ANGELES - A lone penalty kick was all the difference as UC San Diego was felled by Cal State L.A., 1-0, in California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's soccer action at Jesse Owens Track on Sunday afternoon.

UCSD, which came in as a winner of three straight, dropped to 7-4 overall and an even 3-3 in the CCAA. CSULA the defending CCAA champion and preseason favorite, won its third in a row after a rough start to the year, moving to 3-5-2 overall and 3-2-1 in league play. The Golden Eagles thus moved a point ahead in the standings.

Sunday's stalemate was broken in the 74th minute when a Triton defender was whistled for an infringement in her own penalty area. Danielle Telles converted the ensuing penalty kick into her team-best third goal of the year, and it was 1-0 in favor of the home side. Telles also scored CSULA's lone goal in a 2-1 loss when the teams met in non-conference play in La Jolla back on Sept. 14. The Golden Eagles have just six goals in their 10 games this year, with four coming over the last three.

UCSD had three chances to equalize over the final six minutes, but Katie O'Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School) had her shot saved, Kristen Sampietro went wide, and Mary Reilly (Chula Vista/Hilltop HS) high, as CSULA preserved the shutout.

"In the first half, we played well," said UCSD head coach Brian McManus. "We could have put the game away, but we didn't. We came out complacent in the second half, bad passing, poor decision-making, and that led to silly free kicks, corners and eventually the penalty kick that decided it. A win today and we're second in the conference. Now we're tied for sixth."

Kelcie Brodsky made two saves in goal for UCSD. Adriana Maldonado had seven stops for the Golden Eagles in a fourth clean sheet on the year for the redshirt freshman, and third in succession.

The first half was bereft of much action, as the teams combined for only five shots. Veronika Steen went wide for CSULA in the ninth minute, and Victoria Arredondo had her attempt saved by Brodsky in the 38th. In between, The Tritons' first shot came off the foot of junior co-captain Kiera Bocchino in the 25th, with Maldonado there to deny. Maldonado then also turned outside backs Sampietro and Aimee Ellis away with the period winding down.

Things picked up quickly after the intermission, as within seven minutes, O'Laughlin had her shot saved by Maldonado, and seconds later, CSULA's Alejah Valmonte put an Anahie Duran corner kick on goal, only for a Triton defender to clear it away.

In the 56th, Bocchino had a double effort, first turned away by Maldonado before sending the rebound over the crossbar.

UCSD welcomed O'Laughlin, the reigning CCAA Player of the Week, and fellow forward Megumi Barber (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) back from their one-game red-card suspensions.

The Golden Eagles held Reilly, UCSD's leading scorer as just a freshman, without a shot until a 66th-minute try went high. She was coming off of an incredible four-goal performance at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Friday.

It was a second straight 1-0 loss for the Tritons at Cal State L.A.

UCSD is in home action in the week ahead, hosting Cal State Monterey Bay at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, and SF State at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11.

#TritonsRising

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