SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The 23rd-ranked UC San Diego women’s soccer team tied Cal State San Bernardino, 1-1, through 90 minutes of regulation and 20 of overtime in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) match Sunday at Coyote Premier Field.

With a second successive draw away from home this weekend, UCSD moved to 3-1-2 overall and a still-undefeated 2-0-2 in the CCAA as the defending champion. Cal State San Bernardino is 4-2-1 overall and 2-1-1 in league play.

Having thus wrapped up a season-long four-match road stretch to begin the conference portion of their 2013 schedule without a loss, the Tritons extended their unbeaten streak in regular-season road contests now to 30 (21-0-9) since a 2-1 defeat at Humboldt State on Sept. 17, 2010.

“I feel like we dropped four points this weekend, but getting through our first four conference games, all on the road, without a loss, I can’t complain too much,” said longtime UCSD head coach Brian McManus.

“The girls battled, worked exceptionally hard and nearly stole it at the end. Our back three, (Michelle) Yasutake, (Kylee) Southwell and (Kristen) Sampietro, were tremendous, and Rachel Leslie and Cassie (Callahan) were solid defensively in the middle.”

The Tritons began the game with a bang as true freshman forward Jamie Benedetto tallied her first collegiate goal just 24 seconds after the opening whistle. Junior strike partner Izzy Pozurama provided the set-up.

“It was pretty simple, really,” offered McManus about the ideal start. “We pinched the kickoff, got it forward, Izzy put a good ball across the goal, and it was a tap-in for Jamie.”

The score was knotted up at 23:54 as Coyote freshman Jessica Koch followed Benedetto’s lead in notching her first career goal, shooting from distance off a Carissa Kutkowski feed.

Sophomore Kelcie Brodsky made six saves in goal for UCSD. Senior counterpart Chelsey Jones had three stops for the Coyotes. CSUSB outshot the Tritons, 15-10, paced by Melanie Aguayo with four off the bench. Benedetto had a team-high three shots for UCSD.

The Coyotes had a flurry of three scoring opportunities within a three-minute span at the end of the first half, the latter a Katie Gagner header saved by Brodsky.

The teams also traded a pair of efforts that were turned away by the posts. CSUSB’s Jensen Keith was first denied by the woodwork at 88:43 with the seconds winding down in regulation, followed by junior winger Kylene Hill for UCSD at 106:09.

Two of Brodsky’s saves kept the Tritons level in the dying moments of periods, at 89:41 off the foot of Paige Kang and 109:42 from Kelly Keyes.

UCSD finally returns home next weekend. Kickoff against Humboldt State on Friday, Sept. 27, is slated for 7 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium.

Triton Notes: UCSD holds a big advantage in the all-time series, 30-5-6 ... Each of the Tritons’ last four trips to San Bernardino have resulted in overtime affairs, with UCSD going 2-0-2 ... UCSD is an unbeaten 10-0-3 in San Bernardino since losing its first-ever CCAA match there, 4-2, on Sept. 9, 2000 ... Pozurama’s assist was her second of 2013 and third of her career ... Brodsky continues to lead the CCAA in saves, now with 38 ... Freshman Nicole Heller made her collegiate debut as a late first-half substitute.

#TritonsRising

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

ECNL Girls N. Atlantic Players to Watch

Women's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

Best of Men's College Soccer Week 13