THE SCHEDULE
Match 1
vs. Concordia (0-0, 0-0 PacWest)
Thursday, Sept. 3 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

Match 2
vs. Point Loma (0-0, 0-0 PacWest)
Saturday, Sept. 5 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

TRITONS OPEN 2015 AT HOME
The UC San Diego women's soccer program begins the 2015 season this week with a pair of home matches against NCAA Division II West Region foes from the Pacific West Conference (PacWest). The Tritons will face Concordia Irvine on Thursday night, Sept. 3, and crosstown rival Point Loma on Saturday, Sept. 5. Both contests are in primetime with 7 p.m. kickoffs at Triton Soccer Stadium. UCSD will play a total of six non-conference tilts among its 18-game regular-season schedule.

The Tritons went 9-6-3 overall and 6-3-2 in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) a year ago, finding their stride down the stretch in finishing the regular season 5-0-1, with four of those matches away from home and allowing just a single goal, to gain a well-earned return trip to the CCAA Championship in sixth place in the standings. UCSD has only missed that event once, in 2013, since joining the league for the 2000 season. The Tritons own a record eight conference banners. They went 4-3-1 at home in 2014.

MATCHDAY SPECS
Once again in 2015, all regular-season home matches at Triton Soccer Stadium are free to attend. Parking permits are required, however, on weeknights on the UCSD campus. Parking permits can be purchased at machines situated at corners of either of the nearest parking lots, behind the spectator stand, as well as the Hopkins Parking Structure behind RIMAC. Parking is free on Saturday and Sunday. All games, home and away, have live stats, with links available here. Select matches will feature video and/or audio.

CCAA PRESEASON POLL
UCSD was picked to finish seventh in the 2015 CCAA race, as voted on in the preseason poll conducted by the league's 13 head coaches and released on Aug. 27. The Tritons accumulated 93 points to sit just behind Cal State San Bernardino at 98 points. A total of five squads ahead of them garnered at least one first-place vote. Eighteenth-ranked reigning champion Cal State L.A. is favored to repeat, collecting 130 points from five first-place nods, with No. 10 Stanislaus State a close second at 128 points and four first-place votes, and No. 20 Cal Poly Pomona (112, one first-place vote) third. Sonoma State (109, two first-place votes) and Chico State (103, one first-place vote) followed.

FOR OPENERS
UCSD suffered its first season-opening loss of the Division II era in 2014, surrendering a pair of first-half goals and ultimately dropping a 2-1 decision at then-25th-ranked rival Seattle Pacific on Sept. 4. The Tritons were an unbeaten 13-0-1 for starters between 2000-13, with only a scoreless draw at Western Washington in 2011 preventing a perfect ledger.

2015 SEASON OUTLOOK
Brian McManus, entering his 29th season in charge of the women's soccer program, will need to replace five seniors, all of whom started all 18 matches a year ago, in All-American Cassie Callahan, Kylie Hill, Kiley Leshin, Izzy Pozurama and Michelle Yasutake. Back, however, are fourth-year starting goalkeeper Kelcie Brodsky to anchor the defense, and sophomore winger Jordyn McNutt, who led the side in goals (tied-five), assists (seven) and total points (17) as a true freshman out of nearby University City High School. Brodsky is the program's record-holder in both single-season (114) and career saves (285), and has received postseason recognition from the CCAA for each of her three years in UCSD colors. She and McNutt were each named to the 2014 All-CCAA Second Team. Kiera Bocchino (four goals, three assists), Aimee Ellis, Katie O'Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School) and Kristen Sampietro also return as Tritons who started in at least 10 matches in 2014. Bocchino, who will primarily play on the left wing, and new center back Meghan Berry (San Diego Miramar College/Mt. Carmel HS), both redshirt juniors, are first-time team co-captains in 2015.

ROSTER NOTES
UCSD's 32-player 2015 roster has four seniors in fourth-year goalkeepers Kelcie Brodsky and Itzel Gonzalez, fourth-year midfielder Maile Nilsson (San Diego/The Preuss School UCSD), and third-year Triton Lyndsay Gehring. Fourteen newcomers have joined the program, including 11 true freshmen. Nine players are from San Diego, in Nilsson, Maxia Espino (Chula Vista/Hilltop HS), Jordyn McNutt (San Diego/University City HS), Anna Nilsson (San Diego/The Preuss School UCSD), Katie O'Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School) and Taylor Ramos (San Diego/Coronado HS), and newcomers Megumi Barber (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS), Elisa Martinez (El Cajon/Univ. of Sioux Falls/Francis Parker School) and Mary Reilly (Chula Vista/Hilltop HS). Anna is the younger sister of Maile. Meghan Berry, a second-year Triton and first-year co-captain, attended San Diego Miramar College after Mt. Carmel High School, but lists Austin, Texas, as her hometown. She was born in Dallas.

HEAD COACH BRIAN McMANUS
Brian McManus begins his 29th season in charge of the UCSD women's soccer program. With a career record of 450-79-50, he has achieved the most wins (tied with Gabe Mejail of Merrimack College) in NCAA Division II women's soccer history. McManus' career winning percentage heading into 2015 of .820, ranks among the top 10 in college women's soccer annals, both overall (No. 9) and Division II only (No. 4). He is also second in win percentage among active Division II coaches, and tied with Mejail for fifth in victories for all divisions. McManus has directed UCSD to seven national championships and a record eight CCAA banners, with the Tritons advancing to the national semifinals a remarkable 15 times in his 28 years. Under his guidance, UCSD has qualified for the NCAA tournament all 13 seasons during the Division III days, and all but three of 15 years (2004, 2013-14) since the move up to Division II. McManus' Tritons missed the CCAA Championship for the first time in 2013, having earned 13 straight berths after joining the conference. They rallied late to achieve a return trip to that event a year ago.

PROMOTION FOR JONESY
Kristin Jones, a two-time national champion and two-time All-American as one of the greatest players to ever come through the storied UCSD women's soccer program, was elevated by Brian McManus to the position of associate head coach on Aug. 28. On Thursday, she begins her 16th straight year as a Triton. Jones joined McManus' staff immediately upon exhausting her eligibility, ahead of the 2004 season, and became his top assistant in 2006. She is in her 12th year on the UCSD bench.

ABOUT THE EAGLES
Concordia, located in Irvine, was picked to finish seventh in the 14-team PacWest in its preseason poll. The program is in the second of a three-year candidacy period for the NCAA Division II, with a previous affiliation in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Eagles' director of coaching, Chris Gould, begins his seventh year. They finished 12-8-1 overall in 2014.

SERIES HISTORY
Thursday night's match will mark the first ever between UCSD and Concordia in women's soccer.

ABOUT THE SEA LIONS
Point Loma is the PacWest head coaches' favorite in 2015, grabbing 11 of 14 first-place votes. The Sea Lions begin their 2015 campaign against UCSD's CCAA opponent, Cal State Dominguez Hills, on the road on Thursday evening. They were 12-4-1 a year ago, including an unbeaten 11-0-1 in PacWest play, capturing the league title and earning a first-ever NCAA Championship berth. Tim Hall begins his eighth year at the PLNU helm.

SERIES HISTORY
These two programs have officially met just once previously, with UCSD winning 1-0 at home on Oct. 28, 2000, during its first season in Division II. The Tritons went on to become national champions that year, with Point Loma still in the NAIA. These days, the schools are NCAA Division II West Region rivals. They faced off in Point Loma a year ago on Sept. 16, but with the Tritons leading 1-0 in the 57th minute, the match was halted by lightning. Unable to be completed, it was ruled a no contest.

GEAR UP
For the latest in Triton athletic gear, make sure to visit ucsdtritonsgear.com. Run by UCSD Athletics' online partner Advanced-Online, the site provides an on-demand option for Triton Athletic apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours.

FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD
Got some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the Junior Triton Club. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UCSD home athletic events, and much more!

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UP NEXT
UCSD continues its non-conference tour of the PacWest next week, traveling to Azusa Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 10, and California Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 12, to contest doubleheaders along with the men's squad. The Tritons return to home action on Monday night, Sept. 14, hosting 18th-ranked reigning CCAA champ Cal State L.A. in a 5:30 p.m. tilt that will not count toward the league standings.

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