THE SCHEDULE
Match 3
at Point Loma (0-0-1, 0-0 PacWest)
Tuesday, Sept. 9 • 4:30 p.m.
PLNU Soccer Field • San Diego
Live Video • Live Stats

Match 4
vs. Dixie State (0-0-1, 0-0 PacWest)
Thursday, Sept. 11 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

Match 5
vs. Cal State San Marcos (3-0)
Sunday, Sept. 14 • 7 p.m.
Triton Soccer Stadium • La Jolla
Live Stats

BUSY WEEK AHEAD FOR UCSD
The UC San Diego men's soccer program next faces its only three-match week of the 2014 season. After hosting a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) opponents to begin the new campaign last week, the Tritons now foray into the Pacific West Conference (PacWest) ahead of a date with future California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) rival Cal State San Marcos. UCSD first makes the short trip across town to take on Point Loma at PLNU Soccer Field on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 4:30 p.m. The Tritons then play host to Dixie State on Thursday, Sept. 11, and CSUSM on Sunday, Sept. 14. Kickoff at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. on those two nights, with the Dixie State match following the 2014 home opener of the Triton women at 4:30 p.m.

All three games this week will have live stats available here. Tuesday's road contest at Point Loma has live streaming video for a pay-per-view fee of $8.95 here. All regular-season matches at Triton Soccer Stadium are free to attend.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
UCSD began the 2014 campaign exactly where it left off in 2013 in terms of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) poll. The association released its preseason listing back on Aug. 7. The new NSCAA rankings will be posted here on Tuesday. The Tritons got as far up as No. 6 during the exceptional 2013 run, their highest position in the national poll of the Division II era.

A LOOK BACK AT LAST WEEK
The Tritons fell behind 1-0 early in their opener at home last Thursday, Sept. 4, against Saint Martin's, but stormed back for the 2-1 victory. Brandon Bauman's right-footed volley from just outside the penalty box with 50 seconds left in the first half tied it, before Sam Palano rolled in a left-footed shot from the left side of the area for his first collegiate goal and the game-winner in the 80th minute. The assist on the latter came from freshman Zachary Lagotta. UCSD trailed early again at home two nights later against Western Washington through a sixth-minute strike from distance, and despite outshooting the Vikings, 14-9, was unable that time to make up the difference.Cameron McElfresh wound up with three saves over the two contests in his first starts in net for the Tritons since 2012.

PREMIER DEFENSE
UCSD has boasted one of the top five defenses nationally in the NCAA Division II in terms of team goals-against average in each of the last two seasons. The Tritons led the country in the category in 2012 with a CCAA-record mark of 0.44, and finished fourth in 2013 at a 0.52 clip. UCSD has allowed no more than a single goal over its past 28 games going back to a 3-0 loss at Cal State Dominguez Hills on Oct. 14, 2012, and has posted 22 shutouts over its last 40. The Tritons produced five 1-0 victories in 2012 and six more in 2013.

TRITON NOTES
UCSD is now 11-3-1 in season openers in the Division II era following last Thursday night's 2-1 victory over Saint Martin's ... The Tritons have rallied from 1-0 behind to win 2-1 in each of their past two season openers ... UCSD was picked to finish fifth by league head coaches in the CCAA preseason coaches' poll, garnering one of the 12 first-place votes ... The four returning Triton starters from a year ago are senior midfielder Brandon Bauman, forward Alessandro Canale, senior left back Matthew McClure and redshirt sophomore right back Brett Sampiere(Solana Beach/Torrey Pines HS) ... Canale and Sampiere earned All-CCAA honorable mention a year ago ... Among 27 players on the 2014 roster are 15 returners and 12 newcomers ... Joining Bauman, Canale and McClure in the senior class are A.J. Beloff, Jacob Valadez and Nick Roberts ... Besides Sampiere, the only other San Diego products are freshman winger Zachary Lagotta (Cathedral Catholic HS) and junior goalkeeper Dean Meltz (Torrey Pines HS).

NEW YEAR, NEW FORMAT IN CCAA
The CCAA has made changes to its regular-season and tournament formats in men's and women's soccer for the 2014 season. The six-team, two-division alignment is no more, now with just one 12-team league table. Rather than a 16-game regular-season schedule with two matches against divisional opponents and one against out-of-division foes, each team will face one another once, for a total of 11 CCAA contests. The top six teams in the final standings advance to the CCAA Championship, up from four in prior years. The first- and second-place finishers get first-round byes, with those two games held at campus sites of the higher seeds. The venue for the 2014 CCAA Championship semifinals and final has yet to be determined.

HEAD COACH JON PASCALE
Jon Pascale, now a two-time CCAA Coach of the Year through back-to-back honors in 2012 and 2013, has posted a 59-37-19 (.596) overall record in his seventh season in charge of the UCSD men's soccer program. 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 of last year in Turlock, a come-from-behind, 2-1 overtime triumph 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.

ABOUT THE SEA LIONS
Point Loma has played just one match thus far in 2014, a 1-1 home draw against UCSD's CCAA foe, Cal State Dominguez Hills, last Thursday afternoon. Daniel ten Bosch's goal knotted the score in the 81st minute off of a Matt Rose cross. Avrin Yakou came up with four saves between the posts. Point Loma earned the fifth spot in the PacWest's preseason coaches' poll.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD holds a 19-4-1 advantage in the all-time series. Prior to last year's 3-0 Triton victory over the Sea Lions in La Jolla on Sept. 7, the teams had not met since UCSD moved from the NCAA Division III up into Division II for the 2000 season. The Tritons also won the previous match-up, 1-0 in overtime, in La Jolla on Sept. 22, 1999.

ABOUT THE RED STORM
Like Point Loma, Dixie State hails from the PacWest. The school is located in St. George, Utah. The Red Storm begin the week at 0-0-1 following a 1-1 tie with another CCAA foe of the Tritons, Cal Poly Pomona, at home last Saturday night. They will conclude their two-match California trip at Cal State San Bernardino this coming Saturday afternoon. Dixie State was picked to finish 12th in the PacWest race in 2014.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD and Dixie State have never previously met in men's soccer.

ABOUT THE COUGARS
Cal State San Marcos was recently accepted officially into the CCAA. They will join the conference schedule in 2015. In the meantime, they do not count as a Division II opponent in 2014. The Cougars compete in the Association of Independent Institutions (A.I.I.). They begin the week an undefeated 3-0 after wins over San Diego Christian (5-2), Vanguard (1-0) and Pomona-Pitzer (2-0). CSUSM will take on Marymount California University and The Master's College before making the short trip south to La Jolla on Sunday night.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 2-1. The teams last met in a thriller in La Jolla on Sept. 5, 2008. The Cougars nabbed the opener through a penalty kick at 84:31, only to see UCSD equalize at 86:19 and steal it with a winner a mere 36 seconds from the end of regulation.

GEAR HERE
UCSD Athletics has partnered with Advanced-Online to provide a web-based, on-demand option for UCSD apparel and merchandise. Fans have access to over 600 products that can be processed and shipped within 24 hours. Visit the site at UCSDTritonsGear.com.

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UP NEXT
The Tritons remain in home non-conference action next week, welcoming two more PacWest sides to La Jolla in California Baptist on Thursday, Sept. 18, and Azusa Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 20. Kickoff for both contests at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m.

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