Match 17
Sunday, Oct. 28 • 11:30 a.m.
at Cal State Monterey Bay
Otter Sports Complex • Seaside
Live Stats

CHAMPIONSHIP SCENARIO
Still sitting in third place in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) South Division with the top two teams advancing to the 2012 CCAA Championship, the task for the Tritons this weekend is a simple one to understand. With 24 points, they must overtake either South-leading Cal State L.A. (29 points) or Cal State Dominguez Hills (27). Cal State L.A. is at San Francisco State on Friday (12:30 p.m.) and at Cal Poly Pomona on Sunday (11:30 a.m.), while CSUDH hosts Pomona on Friday (4:30 p.m.) before traveling to San Francisco State on Sunday (11:30 a.m.). Both the Golden Eagles and the Toros hold the tiebreakers over the Tritons.

COHEN NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Goalkeeper Josh Cohen was named on Monday as the Wilson/CCAA Player of the Week. The junior collected six saves over 200 minutes in a pair of shutouts at home last weekend against the top two sides in the North Division. Cohen joins teammate Evan Walker in picking up weekly conference honors in 2012.

REGIONAL RANKING
UCSD made its way back into the NSCAA/Continental Tire West Region rankings this week for the first time since Oct. 9 (season-best No. 8), now holding the ninth spot.

STELLAR DEFENSE
UCSD has allowed just eight goals in 15 matches this season for a goals-against average of 0.51. That average remains under the CCAA single-season record of 0.63, set by Cal State Dominguez Hills in 2007. UCSD moved from eighth back up to second in the country in the NCAA Division II in the statistical category following another pair of shutouts last weekend. The Tritons trail only Lynn University, at 0.39. UCSD is first nationally in shutout percentage (0.67) and fourth in save percentage (0.871). The Tritons have posted 10 shutouts among their 15 contests.

NATIONAL LEADER
Josh Cohen leads the nation in Division II with his 0.884 save percentage, and is second in goals-against average with his 0.471 mark, behind only Lynn's Matt DiCerbo (0.376).

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Cal State East Bay is currently fourth among five teams in the North Division, and is coming off of a 2-1 home win over Cal State Monterey Bay last Sunday. Sophomore forward Rey Suarez put together the two-goal brace in the come-from-behind victory, grabbing the decider in the 84th minute. Suarez paces the Pioneers with four goals on the year. Junior Bryce Bookhamer (1.48 GAA) and senior Rene Martinez (1.03) are the regular East Bay goalies.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD is a perfect 7-0 all-time against the Pioneers, having most recently posted a 3-0 victory in La Jolla on Oct. 2, 2011. Sam Ball, Kian Malek and Evan Walker provided the goals.

SCOUTING THE OTTERS
Cal State Monterey Bay occupies the North basement heading into the final weekend of the regular season, and has dropped two in a row since pulling off a 1-0 upset at Sonoma State. Junior forward Servando Perez has tallied a team-best three goals. The Otters have produced just nine goals in their 13 matches. Freshman Evan Drake (1.33 GAA) and senior Cory Calder (2.33) have seen equal time in goal.

SERIES HISTORY
UCSD leads the all-time series, 4-2-2, having gone an even 2-2 in four previous trips to Seaside, with back-to-back successes in 2008 (2-1) and 2010 (1-0). In fact, the Tritons are unbeaten in their last five (3-0-2) against the Otters, with all three wins of the one-goal variety, including a 1-0 decision in La Jolla last year courtesy of an 80th-minute Alex Portela strike.

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