LA JOLLA, Calif. - A playoff-like atmosphere has permeated the past three weeks of competition for the UC San Diego women's soccer team, with the last seven Tritons' matches having been decided by just one score. The true postseason arrives Friday when UCSD challenges No. 18 Cal State Dominguez Hills in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, held in Turlock on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus. Kickoff between the Tritons and Toros is set for 11 a.m.
The UCSD squad is in the midst of a rare two-game losing streak, after falling to Cal State L.A. and CSUDH at home last weekend. Triton fans hope history repeats itself as the squad ended the 2008 regular season with a loss to Cal Poly Pomona but turned around the next week and topped San Francisco State and the Toros to win the CCAA title.
In this week's NCAA Division II poll, UCSD ranks No. 2 while CSUDH sits directly behind in third. Examining every other statistic and record, Friday's matchup between the Tritons and Toros is as close as they come. The two squads played twice this season with UCSD winning 2-1 in Carson on Oct. 16 and CSUDH upending the Tritons 2-1 in La Jolla last Sunday. In the history of the two programs, they have met on 35 occasions. Each team has 16 wins and they've played to three draws. A year before UCSD topped the Toros to win the 2008 CCAA Championships, CSUDH knocked out the Tritons in the first round of the 2007 NCAA D-II West Regional. This season, each squad finished the regular season with a league record of 11-5.
Through nine years of CCAA competition, head coach Brian McManus' Tritons have won the conference title six times. The road to this season's championship first runs through the Toros, with the winner advancing to the title match to face either CSULA or Chico State. The Golden Eagles and Wildcats play their semifinal game at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
In terms of CCAA ranks, the Tritons finished the regular season second in scoring and tied for first in goals allowed. UCSD also ended up first in corners won and last in fouls. Five players have posted double-digit points to pace the offense - Shelby Wong, Sarah McTigue, Anne Wethe, Jessica Wi and Gabi Hernandez. Wong, a sophomore midfielder out of Danville, Calif., leads the way with six goals and four assists. The combination of goalkeeper Kristin Armstrong and her backline of Sara Spaventa, Ellen Wilson and Hayley Johnson has resulted in a goals against average of 0.68, which ranks 31st nationally on the D-II level.
The trio of Jessica Murphy, Makenzie Pedrotti and Britney Vance carried CSUDH through the conference regular season and all three contributed to the Toros' victory Sunday in the regular season finale. In that match, Murphy fired in a free kick in the 71st minute to tie the contest at 1-1 and Pedrotti assisted on Vance's game-winner in the first overtime.
Selections for the NCAA D-II Tournament will be announced via a webcast selection show on NCAA.com at 4 p.m. on Monday, a day after the CCAA Championship is played.
