THE SCHEDULE
Match 1
at Saint Martin's (0-0, 0-0 GNAC)
Thursday, Sept. 3 • 4 p.m.
SMU Soccer Field • Lacey, Wash.
Live Stats

Match 2
at Western Washington (0-0, 0-0 GNAC)
Saturday, Sept. 5 • 1 p.m.
Harrington Field • Bellingham, Wash.
Live Video • Live Stats

UCSD BEGINS 2015 SEASON IN PACIFIC NORTHWEST
The UC San Diego men's soccer program embarks on its 2015 campaign at a pair of West Region foes from the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). The Tritons flew to Seattle, Wash., on Wednesday afternoon, and become the first UCSD team to compete for the 2015-16 athletic year when they kick off at Saint Martin's on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 4 p.m. UCSD then plays at Western Washington on Saturday, Sept. 5, at 1 p.m. UCSD opened the 2014 season against the same two sides, at home in La Jolla, edging past SMU, 2-1, before falling to WWU, 1-0.

The Tritons enter 2015 off of back-to-back trips to both the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship and the NCAA Division II Championship. They have posted a winning record in five straight seasons and six out of seven under head coach Jon Pascale. UCSD went 10-4-6 overall and 5-2-4 in CCAA play in 2014, finishing in a tie for third in the then-12-team league. The Tritons were 3-1-3 outside of La Jolla in 2014.

LIVE COVERAGE
All games, home and away, have live stats. Select matches, including this Saturday at Western Washington, also have streaming video. Links are available here.

CCAA PRESEASON POLL
UCSD was picked by league head coaches to place fourth in the 2015 CCAA preseason poll, released on Aug. 26. The CCAA favorite is sixth-ranked reigning West Region champion Cal State L.A., the Golden Eagles compiling 139 points and eight out of the 13 available first-place votes this year with UCSD's local rival Cal State San Marcos the newest addition to the conference. 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).

FOR OPENERS
UCSD is 11-3-1 in season openers in the Division II era. The Tritons have won two straight lid-lifters, 2-1 in overtime at California Baptist in 2013, and by that same score at home against Saint Martin's in 2014.

PREMIER DEFENSE
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).

2015 SEASON OUTLOOK
The Tritons have no seniors on their 28-man 2015 roster. Among the group that will need to be replaced are offensive stalwarts Alessandro Canale (two goals, five assists) and midfield general Brandon Bauman, as well as starting outside backs Matthew McClure and Nick Roberts. Bauman led the team in goals (six), assists (nine) and total points (21) in 2014. Canale was already missing for the final seven contests due to injury.

Pascale does welcome back the center of his 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 through injury. The UCSD defense has ranked in the top seven nationally in the NCAA Division II in each of the past three seasons, posting a 0.65 team goals-against average in 2014.

ROSTER NOTES
Among 28 players in all on the 2015 roster are 15 returners, 13 newcomers, and zero seniors. 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 (San Diego/Scripps Ranch HS).

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 68-40-25 (.605) overall record entering 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 SAINTS
Saint Martin's, located in Lacey, Wash., was picked to finish seventh in the eight-team GNAC in that league's preseason coaches' poll. The Saints went 3-14-1 overall and 3-10-1 in league play in 2014. Rob Walker enters his ninth season in charge.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD and Saint Martin's have met twice previously in men's soccer, both times in La Jolla. The Saints posted a 1-0 victory on Sept. 3, 2011, with the Tritons rallying for a 2-1 triumph to open the 2014 campaign last Sept. 4. Brandon Bauman equalized with just 50 ticks left in the first half, with Sam Palano notching the winner at 79:08.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS
Western Washington, located in Bellingham, Wash., is favored for fourth in the GNAC this season. The Vikings went 9-8-1 overall and 7-6-1 in league play in 2014, good enough for fourth place. They play on AstroTurf at Harrington Field. Head coach Greg Brisbon enters his third season in charge.

SERIES HISTORY
This series is even at two wins apiece. Most recently, Western Washington posted a 1-0 shutout in La Jolla on an unassisted sixth-minute goal by Tye Hastings from distance last Sept. 6. The Tritons had edged the Vikings, 2-1, midway through the 2006 season, also in La Jolla on Sept. 20 on a Tony Choi brace. UCSD previously blanked WWU in Bellingham, 2-0, on Sept. 7, 2005. To open the 2001 campaign on Aug. 30, the Vikings edged the Tritons in La Jolla, 1-0 in overtime.

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 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 continue non-conference play while contesting their 2015 home opener on Tuesday, Sept. 8, against Concordia. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Triton Soccer Stadium. They then face two more Pacific West Conference foes on the road in No. 19 Azusa Pacific on Thursday, Sept. 10, and California Baptist on Saturday, Sept. 12.

#TritonsRising