UCSD Men Blanked on Road by No. 14 Toros

October 3, 2015

CARSON, Calif. - UC San Diego was unable to muster much of an offensive threat and fell to No. 14 Cal State Dominguez Hills, 1-0, in a key California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) men's soccer tilt at Toro Stadium on Friday evening.

With the result, UCSD dropped to 3-4-3 overall and 2-2-1 in the CCAA. CSUDH moved to 7-1-2 overall and 3-0-2 in league play. The Tritons and Toros began the day alone in fourth and third place, respectively, in the 13-team conference table.

UCSD was out-shot by a 10-1 margin over the first 45 minutes, not able to register its first attempt until freshman forward Andy Sartor's effort was blocked in the 39th.

The home side finally broke through at the 62:00 mark. Gabriel Rivera crossed from right to left, and Ali Nazari sent the ball back into the middle, for Brian Chavez to head home for his first of the season. Rivera and Nazari each picked up assists.

Redshirt junior Cameron McElfresh made five saves in the Triton net. Chase Gentry needed to make a single stop for the Toros, on a Riley Harbour shot in the 74th minute off a left-sided cross. He picked up his second individual clean sheet. CSUDH finished with a hefty 17-2 advantage in shots.

"It wasn't as bad as the stats made it look," said UCSD head coach Jon Pascale. "They were the better team for sure, but we didn't play well, particularly on offense. We gave the ball away far too much, and to beat a team like that, you have to be sharp. We weren't tonight, and we have to be better going forward."

The Tritons were unbeaten over their previous three meetings with the Toros, with a 2-0 victory in La Jolla last Oct. 30 following a pair of 1-1 draws in 2013.

UCSD has now lost two straight matches for the first time this season, and in fact, for the first time since the 2012 campaign, when they were upended 1-0 at home by Cal State L.A. on Oct. 12, and then 3-0 at Cal State Dominguez Hills two days later.

CSUDH is unbeaten over its last nine at 7-0-2, since a 3-0 season-opening home defeat to Point Loma on Sept. 3. The Toros remain in third place, with the Tritons now tied for fifth.

UCSD returns to Los Angeles this Sunday, Oct. 4, to face reigning West Region champion and current joint league leader Cal State L.A. at 11:30 a.m.

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