LA JOLLA, Calif. - The UC San Diego men's soccer team played to a 0-0 draw with a tough San Francisco State squad in the California Collegiate Athletic Association opener Friday night.

The Tritons (3-0-2, 0-0-1 CCAA) fired 29 shots, landing 10 on frame, but could not find the back of the net. Each squad's goalkeeper played strong in keeping a scoreless match. UCSD senior netminder Peter Akman recorded his 15th career shutout while totaling five saves. Gator goalkeeper Mike McNeill, a transfer from Cal State Stanislaus, made 10 stops on the opposite side.

The first half opened with a flurry of scoring opportunities on both sides. In the 22nd minute, a header from UCSD senior defender Chris Gutierrez off a Triton corner kicked landed in the arms of McNeill. Minutes later, a blast from SFSU senior forward and leading scorer Dylan Glass to the left of the net was batted out of play by Akman.

At the 30:37 mark UCSD junior midfielder David Bakal shifted the ball back at the top of the 18-yard area to senior midfielder Kyle Parton, who let loose a line drive that was knocked away by McNeill. Moments later on a cross into the box, a one-timer from Triton junior midfielder Shane Micheil at the goalmouth was launched high of the net.

After UCSD took a 12-4 shot advantage into halftime, the offensive output played to a more even level in the second period as each defense pressed even stronger to keep the match at a standstill.

In the 72nd minute the Tritons rattled another solid chance together as a hard cross from senior midfielder Jonathan Sawyer bent into the SFSU box. UCSD junior midfielder Brandon Yee got a head on the ball but his attempt also was sent high over the net.
Amid a scattering of four cautions in the second period, three assigned to the Gators, each squad held tough on the defensive end and the match moved into overtime at the end of 90 minutes.

The best opportunities for the two teams in the first overtime came off of corner kicks. One from UCSD senior forward Tony Choi found Bakal in the box but his header landed wide right. SFSU put together an even better chance with five seconds left in the period on a corner kick from freshman midfielder Edgar Villagrana. The resulting header in the direction of the back post from Glass was barely pushed out of harm's way, tipped above the net and out of play by Akman as the horn sounded.

The second overtime provided fewer fireworks but nevertheless, a wobbly shot in the match's final minute put the crowd on edge. Micheil crept to the right corner of the 18-yard box and knocked the ball toward the net. After bouncing off the ground and into McNeill, the ball finally rolled just narrowly past the left post and out of play.

Both squads walked off with draws and the Tritons will look to pick up their first CCAA win of 2009 on Sunday when they challenge Cal State Monterey Bay at 2:30 p.m. The Otters are 1-3 overall this year after picking up a league victory on Friday, beating Cal State East Bay 2-0. UCSD holds a 2-2-1 record in the all-time series with CSUMB.