LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Redshirt freshman #Britney Vance# again came up huge when the game counted most, tallying an overtime game-winner at No. 18 UC San Diego to spoil "Senior Day" festivities to clinch the fourth and final berth into the upcoming CCAA Championship Tournament next week, Vance's fourth game-winner of the year. This win snaps a four-game skid to the Tritons, whom the Toros last bested on November 8, 2007, in the first round of the NCAA West Region.
The Tritons and Toros will meet again Friday at 11 a.m. in the first round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, to be held on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus in Turlock.
UCSD falls to 14-5 overall and 11-5 in the CCAA while CSUDH improves to 13-7 overall and 11-5 in league play. The season series is tied 1-1, with the Tritons defeating the Toros in Carson on Oct. 16, 2-1. The all-time series is also even at 16-16-3.
The UCSD offense exhibited its potential in the 18th minute Sunday when sophomore Ann Wethe, on a cross from freshman Jessica Wi, sent a well-placed header into the back right corner of the net to give the Tritons a 1-0 lead.
CSUDH sophomore forward #Jessica Murphy#, one of the top scorers in the conference, evened the contest at 70:43 when she blasted a free kick atop the center of the 18 into the upper right corner of the net.
The match moved to overtime and the Toros found the goal again. On another free kick play, a header by #Makenzie Pedrotti# bounced to the left side of the goalmouth, where Vance slid in and placed a shot past UCSD netminder Kristin Armstrong.
On the overtime scoring play at 97:52, #Paige Peel# sent a free kick into the box before Pedrotti flicked a header to push it closer to the net. It found Vance in the middle of a swarm of defenders and she placed it to the left of Armstrong for the game-winner.
UCSD and CSUDH have met in the postseason the past two years. The Toros topped the Tritons in the first round of the 2007 NCAA West Regional while UCSD secured the 2008 CCAA Championship with a 3-1 win over CSUDH.
First kick for Friday's early match-up is set for 11:00 am on the campus of Cal State Stanislaus.
