UC San Diego Three-peats after Epic Battle
Post-game press conferences:
UC San Diego |
Sonoma State
LA JOLLA, Calif. – In an instant classic match, a goal with just 34 seconds on the clock sealed the 11th California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) tournament title for UC San Diego on Sunday afternoon at Triton Stadium.
The Tritons, ranked third in the latest United Coaches Soccer Poll, earned the automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Soccer Championship with the victory, stretching their record to 15-2-2 on the year. Meanwhile, Sonoma State moves to 14-4-1 as both teams look forward to the NCAA’s seeding, schedule and location for the West Regional which will be announced Monday at 3 p.m. PT.
“What a great game for both teams,” exclaimed UC San Diego head coach Brian McManus. “Right from the start, both teams were just going for it. There was no sitting back, it was just an all-out war, and it was a very pleasant war. That’s how the game should be played … It was just a battle for survival and who was going to get the goal at the right time.”
The battle on the pitch was unbelievable, with seven goals scored between the two sides. UC San Diego struck first blood as Mary Reilly’s header off the free kick in the 19th minute gave the home team the advantage. The Seawolves answered with a header of their own as Sarah Lindborg’s ball went into the far netting in the 32nd minute.
Just 65 seconds into the second half, Sonoma State owned the 2-1 lead when Sara Van Wagoner tapped the kick into an empty net. Ten minutes later, the Tritons responded with another set piece goal, this time off Summer Bales’ corner kick feed into Caitlin McCarthy. In the 74th minute, the Seawolves again took the high side with a through ball from Alexis Espitia shot past the charging goalie to set the score at 3-2.
The game was far from over, however, as the defending tournament champions served up the equalizer on yet another set piece, as Elisa Martinez’s free kick fed Katie O’Laughlin for the score with just under 12 minutes remaining in regulation. CCAA Defensive Player of the Year Natalie Saddic proved her mettle on both sides of the ball to cap the scoring in favor of the Tritons. With just 34 ticks on the clock, Martinez lined up for a corner kick on the left side of the field. Saddic headed the ball which then went off a defender and into the net for the punctuation on the 11th CCAA Championship for UC San Diego.
For Sonoma State, this game stings – and not so much for the loss itself, but for not being able to finish off a season filled with strife with a tournament title.
“It felt like this day was going to be that day,” reflected Sonoma State head coach Emiria Salzmann Dunn. “My heart hurts a little bit. We can take a loss; losing isn’t the hard part. It’s when you feel like you’ve put your heart and soul out for this cause, and it just didn’t go your way. I wanted it for my team.
“Everything that has happened to our team this season has pointed us here. We had a lot of things we had to work through and there were moments in the season where our spirit and our will was tested in a lot of different ways and we came roaring back to life and it was all pointing to this one day and this one moment in time. For us, it’s not so much the loss to UCSD that hurts but this spirit that we’ve cultivated and the grief that we’ve had to overcome and what I’ve asked of these players and they give it daily, every day do they put it out on that field. I wanted that for them because that’s what sports does: it’s a triumph over other things in life.”
Now, the Tritons and Seawolves look toward Monday’s NCAA selection announcement, hungry to continue the 2017 season.
2017 CCAA All-Tournament Team:
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
| Kayla Anderson |
Sr. |
F |
Cal State San Marcos |
| Summer Bales |
Jr. |
M |
UC San Diego |
| Sarah Lindborg |
So. |
M/F |
Sonoma State |
| Kristal Luna |
Sr. |
M |
Sonoma State |
| Adriana Maldonado |
Jr. |
GK |
Cal State LA |
| Elisa Martinez |
Sr. |
M |
UC San Diego |
| Caitlin McCarthy |
Fr. |
M |
UC San Diego |
| Katie O’Laughlin |
Sr. |
F |
UC San Diego (Offensive MVP) |
| Mary Reilly |
Jr. |
F |
UC San Diego |
| Natalie Saddic |
R-So. |
M |
UC San Diego (Defensive MVP) |
| Sara Van Wagoner |
Sr. |
F |
Sonoma State |