No. 9 UCSD Women Winners of 10 Straight, 3-0

October 22, 2016

TURLOCK, Calif. - Sophomore forward Mary Reilly (Chula Vista/Hilltop HS) scored a goal in the third minute of each half as No. 9 University of California San Diego dispatched Stanislaus State, 3-0, in a California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women's soccer match Friday night at Warrior Stadium.

A 10th consecutive victory, the seventh straight via shutout, moved UC San Diego to 13-2 overall and a still-perfect 9-0 in the CCAA. With reigning regular-season champion Sonoma State drawing 1-1 at Chico State in a game that ended just minutes after the one in Turlock, the Tritons reclaimed sole possession of first place in the league table, two points ahead of the Seawolves with a game in hand. Stan State fell to 9-6 overall and 3-6 in league play. The Warriors had won two in a row on the current four-game homestand, with all four critical to their postseason hopes.

The contest was a rematch of the 2015 CCAA Tournament final in Pomona last Nov. 8, when the Tritons also sprinted out to a 3-0 lead, before hanging on for a 3-2 triumph and record ninth banner. UCSD has taken the last three matchups.

Reilly's second two-goal brace of 2016 gave her three multi-goal performances for her career. Junior strike partner Katie O'Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School) provided the unassisted, game-clinching third in the 57th minute. She and junior winger Jordyn McNutt (San Diego/University City HS) set up Reilly's first just 2:54 after the opening whistle, on UCSD's initial shot for the night.

A fourth local product, junior central midfielder Elisa Martinez (El Cajon/Francis Parker School), registered the assist on Reilly's second at 47:04, with just a single touch necessary to turn a bad defensive clearance, into an effective pass forward.

Senior Itzel Gonzalez needed one save for her CCAA-leading 11th individual clean sheet in the Triton goal. Sophomore Haley Crook had two stops for Stan State.

On the night's first goal, O'Laughlin gave to senior Jamie Benedetto and got the ball back right at the midway line. She dribbled toward the penalty box before playing McNutt in toward the corner flag on the right side. McNutt's one-touch cross made it to Reilly, whose first touch was of the same quality, gaining her separation from her defender and allowing her to power a right-footed shot low into the opposite side.

UCSD was denied a second in the period by the woodwork twice. Senior co-captain Kiera Bocchino hit the crossbar in the 18th minute, with the ball coming awfully close to landing across the goal line when it came down. A speculative, long-distance effort by junior Brie Diaz in the 38th then glanced off of the left post.

Immediately after the interval, Reilly and her first-touch exploits were at it again. Martinez stole the clearance and played ahead with one fluid right-footed maneuver, and Reilly turned perfectly for a right-footed shot that looped over Crook. The assist marked a first point this season for Martinez, a second-year transfer.

Seconds later, O'Laughlin came inches from a third, her one-timer off of a perfect feed over the top by McNutt going just wide to the right of the target. At 56:55, she still went ahead and extended her career-best goal streak to four consecutive games, taking advantage of a poor touch by the Warrior defender and sliding her shot from the left diagonal with the outside of her right foot, into the bottom right corner.

Martinez almost struck for a fourth in the 70th, forcing Crook into a fine save.

UC San Diego continues a four-game road stretch to conclude the regular-season schedule this Sunday afternoon, Oct. 23, in Hayward against Cal State East Bay. Kickoff at Pioneer Stadium is slated for 2 p.m. Another victory would clinch a first-round bye in the CCAA Tournament for the defending champion Tritons, and guarantee a return trip to Turlock for a semifinal date on Friday, Nov. 4.

Triton Notes: This is UCSD's longest win streak since another 10-gamer from Oct. 1-31, 2010 ... UCSD's current shutout stretch has reached 655:25 ... The Tritons have scored two or more goals in 11 successive games, a record streak for the program's NCAA Division II era, since 2000 ... UCSD has outscored opponents 42-6 this year as the West Region's top offensive side, and an incredible 30-2 after halftime ... Megumi Barber (San Diego/Mt. Carmel HS) was unavailable through injury for a fifth straight match, with fellow sophomore Summer Bales also unavailable as she served the second and final game of her red-card suspension from Oct. 14 ... The Tritons fell narrowly short of extending another streak, of games with 20-plus shots, which was snapped at five with 19 on this night ... In teaming up on the first goal, Mary Reilly (53) and Jordyn McNutt (50) both reached the 50-point plateau for their UCSD careers, joining teammates Katie O'Laughlin (58) and Kiera Bocchino (50) in that club ... McNutt's assist was her first since Oct. 2, and puts her in a tie for the CCAA lead with Reilly at nine apiece ... Reilly vaulted over Bocchino and Stan State junior Jade Poon and into second behind O'Laughlin on the league's goal chart, now with eight ... Reilly and O'Laughlin were 1-2 in the CCAA in 2015.

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