RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's soccer team took a difficult 3-0 defeat to California Baptist University in non-conference action Saturday at Lancer Field.

UCSD fell to 1-2-2 after its fourth road test already, with five straight home games up next. CBU earned its first win, now at 1-3-1. The Pacific West Conference's (PacWest) Lancers were coming off of back-to-back losses to the Tritons' California Collegiate Athletic Association foes, 3-1 at home to Cal State Dominguez Hills on Tuesday, and 3-2 in overtime at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday night.

The Tritons, who have ranked in the top seven nationally in the NCAA Division II in team goals-against average in each of the last three years, had gone 50 successive matches without surrendering three goals, since another 3-0 road loss, at Cal State Dominguez Hills, on Oct. 14, 2012.

Saturday's first shot resulted in a score, as junior transfer Gio Rodriguez netted his first as a Lancer at 4:57. The assist went to Julian Ekeze.

A clever piece of play by Triton freshman Andrew Flores led to UCSD's first attempt in the 18th minute, but Uly de la Cal's right-footed shot from the edge of the area was blocked away by a CBU defender before it got very far.

The home side then added a second at 25:15 on a defensive miscue by the Tritons. Jeromy Gurule had a clearance glance off of him, and found himself staring at an empty net as a result. The senior had no trouble tapping in for his first of 2015.

The two goals were the only two shots on target for either side ahead of halftime.

UCSD had one big opportunity to get back in the game in the 56th minute, when a Lancer was adjudged to have handled the ball in his own penalty area. The resulting spot kick went to de la Cal, who had just converted the first such try of his career two nights ago to open the scoring in a 1-1 draw at Azusa Pacific. This time, the sophomore hit the ball hard and low, but too much toward the middle, and the reigning PacWest Defender of the Week, Noah Oyler, was able to make the save.

CBU subsequently clinched the result through a finely-worked set-piece organization in the 66th. Rodriguez took the free kick on the right side and played Ekeze into the box. Ekeze got down near the end line and squared a pass on the ground that Gurule turned in at the near post for his second of the afternoon. Assists went to both Rodriguez and Ekeze.

Junior Cameron McElfresh wound up with two saves for the Tritons. Oyler, a sophomore, had three stops for CBU in earning his first individual clean sheet on the year. UCSD actually out-shot the Lancers, 9-7.

Youcef Rezagui made his college debut for the Tritons as a second-half substitute.

Saturday's contest marked the fifth straight year in which UCSD and CBU squared off, with the Tritons still leading the all-time series, 5-2. They had won 3-0 in La Jolla a year ago, and 2-1 in overtime in the previous meeting in Riverside as both teams opened the 2013 season. The Lancers' only other success was 2-0 in La Jolla in 2012.

UCSD wraps up its six-game non-conference slate, as well as a busy stretch of four matches in eight days, when it hosts crosstown rival Point Loma this Tuesday night, Sept. 15. Kickoff at Triton Soccer Stadium is set for 7 p.m. Admission is free.

#TritonsRising

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