Story Links


LA JOLLA, Calif. — The first exhibition match of the 2026 men’s soccer season saw UC San Diego tie visiting San Diego 0-0 on Saturday night at Triton Soccer Stadium.
 
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Nic Thiele earned the clean sheet, registering three saves. He was one of two Tritons to play the entire 90 minutes. True freshman Gavin Carlson at center back was the other.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Tritons had a strong first half, holding a 4-2 advantage in both shots on target and corner kicks. They were on the front foot early, with Sean McTague recording the first shot on goal five minutes in. His effort was saved out for a corner kick, which resulted in a headed shot from Jack Nishimoto that was also saved.
 
The Toreros also wasted no time getting their first shot on target, testing Triton goalkeeper Nic Thiele a minute later. The visitors later had a good opportunity with five minutes left in the half after Thiele made another save, resulting in a corner kick. That restart fell to an open player in the box, but his effort missed high.
 
Gavin Allegaert and Owen Helm registered the other two shots on frame for the Tritons before halftime. Allegaert’s came in the 26th minute after a feed from Oren Stuppel, while Helm’s came with one minute remaining on an effort from the top of the box.
 
The second half was cagier, with each side only recording one shot on target. UC San Diego’s came in the 56th minute after Nishimoto was fouled just outside the 18. He took the ensuing free kick, forcing a diving save from the Torero goalkeeper.
 
Thiele’s lone save in the second half came with seconds remaining in the match. A short corner resulted in a bouncing effort that turned into a routine save to end the exhibition at 0-0.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

Seven of the Tritons’ 11 starters were on last year’s team, with five appearing in 14 or more matches.
They were joined in the starting lineup by two true freshmen (Gavin Carlson, Richard Hoang) and two grad transfers from Cal Poly (Sean McTague, Oren Stuppel).
UC San Diego is competing in the Pac-12 Conference this season as an affiliate member. The Tritons will join the Toreros in the West Coast Conference ahead of the 2027 season. 

UP NEXT
The Tritons will have their second of three exhibitions on Tuesday, August 11, against Arizona Western. That match begins at 7:00 p.m. from Triton Soccer Stadium. $5 tickets are available through Triton Box Office.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world’s preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.