Box Score Nov. 17, 2017 Box Score
LA JOLLA, Calif. â€" The No. 1-seed UC San Diego women's soccer team scored a goal with 23 seconds left in the first half, and then added a late insurance goal, defeating defending NCAA Division II national champion Western Washington University 2-0 Friday night at Triton Soccer Stadium to claim the NCAA II West Regional title.
With less than 30 seconds remaining in the first half, UCSD junior forward Megumi Barber dribbled to create space and fired a shot from outside the 18-yard box that glanced off the reach of diving WWU goalkeeper Ashley Homer, hitting of the bottom of the crossbar and into the back of the net for her third goal of the season. The go-ahead goal came with just 23 seconds left on the clock.
"That late goal really affected the game, because I thought we were playing really well at the end of the half and thought we had some good chances," said WWU head coach Travis Connell. "That late goal forced us to press a little bit in the second half, and we just were not as sharp as we have been in recent games."
The Vikings had a few close strikes in the second half, but couldn't find the equalizer, and UCSD sealed the victory with a goal by junior forward Mary Reilly on another long-distance strike from outside the top of the 18-yard box in the 83rd minute.
The loss ends the season of the defending national champion Vikings, who dropped to 18-2-0 on the season and fell short of winning a third consecutive West Regional title. WWU also had its 23-game road winning streak snapped and 6-game NCAA Championships winning streak halted.
"It was a very hard-fought match between two really good teams," added Connell. "When you get to this stage in the season against teams of this caliber, the margin is so thin and wins are incredibly tough to come by. I am proud of how we battled today and never gave up against a quality opponent on their home field, but I am sad that we can't go out there and practice tomorrow and play on Sunday."
UCSD improves to 17-2-2 on the season, extending its unbeaten streak to 16 consecutive games (14-0-2), and won its 19th consecutive home game in La Jolla. The Tritons move on to the NCAA II Quarterfinal round, where they will face South Central Regional champion University of Colorado-Colorado Springs on Sunday with a trip to the NCAA II Final Four in Kansas City, Mo., on the line.
UCSD generated the first threat of the match in the 27th minute, when Reilly broke free at the top of the box and fired a shot that caromed off the bottom of the cross bar. The ball bounced high in the box before the Vikings cleared the ball to keep the game scoreless.
The Vikings nearly struck with the go-ahead goal in the 41st minute when sophomore forward Liv Larson (Arlington, WA) dumped a pass to senior midfielder Emily Webster (Bellingham, WA/Sehome) near the top of the 18-yard box, who got off a clean shot that sailed just high over the crossbar.
Beginning the second half with a 1-0 deficit, WWU nearly found the equalizer in the first two minutes when a redirected header by Sierra Shugarts (Federal Way, WA/Decatur) off a free kick pushed just right of the goal.
Homer (Puyallup, WA/College of Saint Rose) kept the game a one-score contest when she made a diving save on a shot by Katie O'Laughlin in the 57th minute.
Webster put another shot on goal, this time with a free kick in the 69th minute, that UCSD freshman goalkeeper Katie Wilkes punched away with a leaping save in the 69th minute.
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs defeated Colorado School of Mines 3-2 in the South Central Regional Championship game to move on to the quarterfinal round.
Game Notes: WWU finished the season allowing only 8 goals all season...the Vikings made their sixth consecutive NCAA Championships appearance and eighth overall in program history...Emily Webster played in her 90th career game (84th start) to rank 3rd in program history for career games played...Ashley Homer made 4 saves (tied season high) and finished her WWU career with a 41-2-1 record in goal...WWU out-shot UCSD 19-12, but the Tritons held a 6-3 advantage in shots on goal...WWU's senior class of Sierra Shugarts, Emily Webster, Ashley Homer, Malia Maack and Colleen Lindsay finished their careers helping lead the program to a 79-5-6 record (.911) during their four seasons.
