THE SCHEDULE
Match 6
vs. Point Loma (1-2-1, 0-0 PacWest)
Tuesday, Sept. 15 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

Match 7
vs. Cal Poly Pomona (3-0-1, 0-0 CCAA)
Friday, Sept. 18 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

Match 8
vs. Cal State San Bernardino (2-1, 0-0 CCAA)
Sunday, Sept. 20 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

UCSD KICKS OFF FIVE-GAME HOMESTAND TUESDAY NIGHT
The UC San Diego men's soccer team begins a season-long five-game homestand this week, while contesting a second straight and final three-game week for the 2015 regular season. The Tritons (1-2-2) first face a third successive Pacific West Conference (PacWest) foe to round out non-conference activity on Tuesday night, hosting crosstown rival Point Loma (1-2-1). That match also concludes a tough eight-day stretch in which UCSD will have played four times. The Tritons then finally open the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) portion of their schedule this Friday, Sept. 18, hosting undefeated Cal Poly Pomona (3-0-1). The week ends with another league opponent, Cal State San Bernardino (2-1), on Sunday, Sept. 20. Kickoff for all three matches at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for primetime at 7 p.m. The two CCAA games both serve as the second halves of doubleheaders with the Triton women, who take the field at 4:30 p.m. UCSD has won its only home contest thus far.

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. Some matches will feature video and/or audio. All live links are available here.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK
UCSD wrapped up a second straight road weekend by drawing 1-1 at Azusa Pacific on Thursday night and falling 3-0 at California Baptist on Saturday. Uly de la Cal put the Tritons on the board in just the eighth minute in Azusa, converting a penalty kick for his first goal of 2015. The host Cougars equalized in the 21st minute, however, also from the penalty spot. In Riverside two days later, the Lancers trotted out to a 2-0 advantage at the 25:15 mark, and clinched victory in the 66th after UCSD was unable to capitalize on a chance to get back in it, missing a 56th-minute spot kick.

A LOOK AT THE CCAA
Conference activity begins this Friday, Sept. 18, for 12 squads. For the second year in a row, the CCAA slate will consist of a single round robin, with all teams facing each other once. The change is that there will be 12 matches total, one more than in 2014, as UCSD's area rival, Cal State San Marcos, has joined the league as its 13th member. The top six sides in the final regular-season standings again qualify for the CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament. The conference semifinals and final will be hosted for the first time by Cal Poly Pomona at Kellogg Field, Nov. 6-8. UCSD is 8-5-2 in CCAA openers after a 1-0 triumph at Cal State L.A. last season.

CCAA PRESEASON POLL
UCSD was picked by league head coaches to place fourth in the 2015 CCAA preseason poll. The CCAA favorite is reigning West Region champion Cal State L.A., the Golden Eagles compiling 139 points and eight out of 13 first-place votes. Cal Poly Pomona took second (123 points, four first-place votes), just ahead of Cal State Dominguez Hills (122 points, one first-place vote). Closely following UCSD (93 points) were Stanislaus State (91), Chico State (90), Cal State San Bernardino (86) and Sonoma State (85).

RARITY FOR PREMIER DEFENSE
On Saturday at California Baptist, UCSD allowed three goals in a single match for the first time since another 3-0 road defeat, at Cal State Dominguez Hills, on Oct. 14, 2012. The Tritons had gone 50 consecutive games without allowing that many opposition scores. UCSD has boasted one of the top seven defenses nationally in the NCAA Division II in terms of team goals-against average in each of the last three seasons. The Tritons led the country in that category in 2012 with a then-CCAA-record mark of 0.44, before finishing fourth in 2013 (0.52) and seventh in 2014 (0.65). Their current average stands at 1.29.

TRITON NOTES
UCSD is 11-3-2 in season openers in the Division II era, and is unbeaten (2-0-1) over its last three, including the 1-1 draw at Saint Martin's (9/3) ... The Tritons are coming off of back-to-back trips to both the CCAA and NCAA tournaments ... UCSD has posted a winning record in five straight seasons and six out of seven under head coach Jon Pascale ... The Tritons went 10-4-6 overall and 5-2-4 in CCAA play in 2014, tying for third in the then-12-team league.

ROSTER NOTES
Among 28 players on the 2015 roster are 15 returners, 13 newcomers, and no seniors ... Nine players have made their Triton debuts so far this season, including five true freshmen and junior Justice Duerksen, a transfer from Division I Seattle University who has started all five matches on the left wing ... UCSD returns the center of its defense in redshirt juniors Cameron McElfresh in goal and Brett Sampiere (Solana Beach/Torrey Pines HS) and Kuba Waligorski on the back line ... Waligorski was a Daktronics All-West Region Second Team and All-CCAA Second Team pick in a first go-around in La Jolla for the native of Poland, while McElfresh garnered All-CCAA honorable mention in his first full season as the starting net-minder ... Sampiere earned All-CCAA honorable mention in 2013 before being forced to sit out 12 of 20 games a year ago ... Besides Sampiere, other San Diego products are sophomore winger Zachary Lagotta (Cathedral Catholic HS) and true freshmen Nathaniel Bloom (Encinitas/San Dieguito HS Academy) and Daniel Boemer (Scripps Ranch HS) ... Bloom's first collegiate goal proved to be the decider in the 26th minute of UCSD's lone win so far of 2015, vs. Concordia (9/8) in the home opener.

HEAD COACH JON PASCALE
Jon Pascale, a two-time CCAA Coach of the Year through back-to-back honors in 2012 and 2013, has posted a 69-42-27 (.598) overall record in his eighth season in charge of the UCSD men's soccer program. He is 51-34-19 (.582) in arguably the toughest NCAA Division II conference in the nation, the CCAA. Pascale has guided the Tritons to five straight winning campaigns, six of his seven, and two successive berths in both the CCAA Championship and NCAA Championship. A 1-0 home victory over Sonoma State on Sept. 29, 2013, gave him career win No. 50, while a 2-0 triumph at Cal State Stanislaus in the very next match on Oct. 4 marked his 100th contest at the Triton helm. Pascale directed his first postseason tilt on Nov. 8, 2013, in Turlock, a come-from-behind, 2-1 overtime win over rival Chico State in a CCAA Championship semifinal. He made his NCAA Championship debut as a head coach on Nov. 16, 2013, in La Jolla. A 2-0 home decision over Cal State East Bay on Oct. 12, 2014, meant CCAA win No. 50 for Pascale, who coached his 100th CCAA tilt at Cal State Monterey Bay five days later.

ABOUT THE SEA LIONS
Point Loma (1-2-1) is coming off of a 1-1 home draw against UCSD's CCAA rival, Sonoma State, on Saturday afternoon, when it played with a two-man advantage for over 45 minutes following a second Seawolf red card. The Sea Lions have only faced CCAA opposition thus far in 2015. They were picked to place seventh in the 14-team PacWest in its preseason coaches' poll. Phil Wolf is in his fourth season in charge.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD holds a 20-4-1 advantage in the all-time series. The Tritons held on for a 2-1 victory in Point Loma last Sept. 9 through goals by Brandon Bauman and Eric Young. Prior to a 3-0 Triton triumph in La Jolla on Sept. 7, 2013, the teams had not met since UCSD moved up from Division III to Division II for the 2000 season. The Tritons also won the previous matchup, 1-0 in overtime, in La Jolla on Sept. 22, 1999.

ABOUT THE BRONCOS
Cal Poly Pomona (3-0-1) has remained unbeaten with three straight one-goal wins following a season-opening 2-2 draw at Fresno Pacific. The Broncos host Dixie State on Tuesday afternoon prior to heading down to La Jolla for Friday's primetime showdown. Fernando Pablo Quevedo, a native of Santander, Spain, is the Broncos' senior starting goalkeeper. Fellow Spaniard Sergi Monso, from Barcelona, was the season's first CCAA Player of the Week. Yossi Raz is in his third season in charge of the CPP men.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 25-9-2. The Tritons fell 2-0 in La Jolla in last year's lone meeting, after having swept the home-and-home series in 2013, twice winning 1-0 late in the season. UCSD previously swept the two-game set in 2012 as well, with another pair of 1-0 shutouts. UCSD had actually won five consecutive 1-0 decisions over the Broncos since a 3-0 loss in Pomona on Sept. 18, 2011, with CPP scoreless for just over 533 minutes of play before two strikes in quick succession in the second half last Sept. 28.

ABOUT THE COYOTES
Cal State San Bernardino (2-1) has tallied seven goals in its two wins, 4-2 at Azusa Pacific on Sept. 3 and 3-2 in its home opener Saturday against Concordia, around a 3-0 loss at Simon Fraser on Sept. 9. The Coyotes still play at Fresno Pacific on Tuesday night and open CCAA play at Cal State San Marcos on Friday afternoon, before their visit to La Jolla. Steve Ralos is the second-year CSUSB head coach.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD holds the advantage in the all-time series, 20-16-6. The Tritons rolled 4-0 in La Jolla with four different goal-scorers a year ago, and swept the 2013 season series with a pair of 1-0 victories. The teams previously played to a 1-1 draw in San Bernardino on Sept. 16, 2012, before a 2-0 UCSD win in La Jolla two weeks later. UCSD swept both matches in 2011. The Tritons are 4-0-1 against the Coyotes over the last five years in La Jolla since a 2-1 CSUSB triumph in 2009. The Coyotes haven't scored at Triton Soccer Stadium in 468:40, and in 392:35 regardless of site.

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 in 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!

SOCIAL MEDIA (#TritonsRising)
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UP NEXT
The Tritons have a second successive home weekend of CCAA play on tap. UCSD hosts Cal State East Bay at Triton Soccer Stadium on Friday, Sept. 25, at 4:30 p.m., and Stanislaus State on Sunday, Sept. 27, at 11:30 a.m. The matches will mark the first halves of doubleheaders with the Triton women, as well as the first contests with the UCSD student population back on campus.

#TritonsRising