UCSD Men Take Lead, Settle for Draw at SMU

September 5, 2015

LACEY, Wash. - The UC San Diego men's soccer team surrendered a late equalizer to settle for a 1-1 draw with Saint Martin's University in the 2015 opener for both sides Thursday afternoon at SMU Soccer Field.

The NCAA Division II West Region foes were beginning the new season against each other for the second year in succession. The Tritons, out of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), had rallied to edge the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's (GNAC) Saints, 2-1, in La Jolla last Sept. 4. Thursday marked just the third meeting between the programs all-time and first on SMU's home field. The series now stands at 1-1-1.

The first shot by either team was generated in the 16th minute as Triton junior Riley Harbour's header was saved by Saints goalie Nick Rosato.

UCSD grabbed the ascendancy moments later as redshirt sophomore central midfielder Danny Glascock found the back of the net for the Tritons' first of 2015, and the first of his college career, at 17:37. Assists went to the forward tandem of Uly de la Cal and Sam Palano.

"The score came on a counterattack," explained UCSD associate head coach Ryan Hernandez, who took charge of this one with Jon Pascale staying behind as his wife gave birth to the couple's second child early Wednesday morning. "Zach Lagotta picked up the ball deep on the right and drove literally 60 or 70 yards, beat his defender to the end line and crossed it to Sam Palano at the far post. Sam headed it to Uly de la Cal, who laid it off to Glascock about 18 yards out, and he placed it into the lower left."

SMU finally registered its first shot attempt within less than a minute of the restart, but saw that effort blocked, before redshirt junior and second-year starting goalkeeper Cameron McElfresh was called upon for his first save from Kyle Witzel.

Late in an even second half, at 83:13, McKray Kohn headed home Kaleb Strawn's free kick, to level matters at 1-1. Each team had one shot over 20 overtime minutes.

McElfresh made four saves for the Tritons. Rosato wound up with seven stops for the Saints. UCSD held a 12-8 advantage in shots taken.

"We had six clean chances at goal in the first half, only one of which we scored," summed up Hernandez. "We should have won this one. We're definitely disappointed in the result. We were cruising with seven minutes to go and gave up a cheap foul in our end, and they capitalized on the free kick.

"Overall, I was pleased with what we did offensively. We created chances really well. Defensively, we were pretty solid. We didn't allow them to create anything in the run of play, and defended a ton of set pieces. We slipped on one, though, and it cost us."

Justice Duerksen made his Triton debut as the starter on the left wing in his return to Washington state, where the San Clemente product played his first two college years at Seattle University. Freshmen Quinn Allan, Nathaniel Bloom (Encinitas/San Dieguito HS Academy), Christian Cordell, Andrew Flores and Andy Santor drew their first collegiate appearances off the bench. Glascock and left back Nolan Mac started for the first time for UCSD.

The Tritons remain in the Pacific Northwest to face another GNAC foe, Western Washington, in Bellingham, Wash., this Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

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