by Jeff Creps on November 21, 2009
The Cal State Dominguez Hills Toros defeated the UCSD Tritons on Friday night to take the NCAA Division II Western Regional title in women’s soccer. The game, which was tied 2-2 after regulation, ended in a 4-1 penalty kick shootout. It was a physical game that was played in a thick layer of fog that covered the field the entire night.
CSUDH Forward Brooke Thompson led the way for the Toros with one goal during regulation, adding another during penalty kicks.
The close finish was no surprise from either side. Coming into Friday night’s game the all-time series was tied 16-16-4.
“It always seems to be a [close game],” said Coach Joe Flanagan after the game. “A team may go up and look good early, and then the other team comes back. These two teams are like a heavy weight match.”
The Tritons dominated time of possession in the first half, but neither team was able to score. It was the physical play of the Toros that kept the score even through the first 45 minutes of play.
UCSD came out noticeably flat in the second half, and the Toros took advantage. CSUDH scored twice in the first five minutes of the period (48’, 50’), once off a free kick and then off of a sloppy play from UCSD that ended up an own goal.
“Unfortunately that little four-minute spell to start the second half put us behind.” UCSD Coach Brian McManus said.
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by Craig Elsten on May 15, 2009
So far in this postseason, the UCSD Tritons have had the magic touch. When they have needed a big play, they’ve made it. When they’ve needed a big hit, someone has stepped up and delivered. And when a pitcher falters, the offense is there to pick him up and carry the team to victory. Thursday at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer, Oregon, the trend continued. The Tritons came back from a 5-run 7th inning deficit to beat Cal State Dominguez Hills 11-10 and win the opener of the NCAA Divison II West Regional.
Tim Shibuya, the UCSD ace who entered the regional as a 7-game winner with an ERA under 2, was touched up for six runs in 4 1/3 innings, his shortest start of the year. At 6-5 in the 7th, CSUDH broke out against the Tritons’ reliever Sean Greer for a four-run inning, seemingly putting the game out of reach. But UCSD immediately got those runs back, with Vance Albitz’s 2-run double keying a four-run inning to make it 10-9.
After Ryland McFayden pitched a perfect 8th, UCSD loaded the bases with nobody out on singles by Evan Kehoe and Robert Sedin and a walk by Matt Cantele. There are many ways to score two runs in this situation, and the Tritons picked one of the more unusual paths. A one-out sac fly by pinch-hitter Kyle Saul scored pinch-runner Nick Burke, and a passed ball brought home Sedin with the go-ahead run.
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