LA JOLLA, Calif. - Strong early play by Cal Baptist proved to be the difference in an otherwise solid performance by the UC San Diego men's soccer team in a 2-0 loss Thursday night at Triton Soccer Field.

Despite nearly matching each other in shots in the first half, Cal Baptist connected early with a low shot from the center slot by junior Marc Hope just three minutes into play. The Lancers punched in their second and final goal in the 16 minute mark with Hope striking again off an assist from senior teammate Jonathan Garcia.

Triton goalkeeper Josh Cohen did a commendable job marshalling the defense in the second half, collecting five of his six saves on the night in the stanza. The Lancers held an 8-1 advantage in shots in the second half.

It was the first victory for Cal Baptist over UC San Diego in four all-time meetings.

The Tritons get a chance to apply the lessons learned from tonight's season opener this weekend when they host Academy of Art on Saturday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. The match against the Urban Knights will be the last non-conference contest for UCSD before it opens up California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) play the following week.

-- UCSDtritons.com --