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LA JOLLA, Calif. \u2014 The 2026 men’s soccer season gets underway Thursday as UC San Diego welcomes Navy to Triton Soccer Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.
\u00a0 FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD GEAR
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\nTickets are available through Triton Box Office<\/a>. Fans should also note that parking permits are required seven days a week on the UC San Diego campus.
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\nThursday’s match will also be the team’s Military Appreciation Night.
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\nDETAILS
\nMatch 1
\nUC San Diego vs Navy
\nThursday, Aug. 20 | 7:00 p.m.
\nTriton Soccer Stadium | La Jolla, Calif.
\nSeries Record: Tied 0-0-1
\nLast Meeting: UC San Diego 1, Navy 1 (Sept. 24, 2024 at Navy)
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\nABOUT THE TRITONS
\nRoster<\/a> | Schedule<\/a> | Stats<\/a>
\n2025 Overall: 2-9-7
\n2025 Big West: 2-2-5 (6th)
\n2025 Home: 2-3-3
\n2025 Away: 0-5-4
\n2025 Neutral: 0-1-0
\n2025 vs Ranked Opponents: 0-3-1
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\nTRITONS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING (2025)<\/p>\n
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tStat
\n\t\t\tUCSD
\n\t\t\tOpp.
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tGoals
\n\t\t\t10
\n\t\t\t28
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tGoals\/Game
\n\t\t\t0.56
\n\t\t\t1.56
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tAssists
\n\t\t\t7
\n\t\t\t25
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tShots
\n\t\t\t186
\n\t\t\t281
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tShots\/Game
\n\t\t\t10.3
\n\t\t\t15.6
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tShots on Goal
\n\t\t\t68
\n\t\t\t112
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tCorner Kicks
\n\t\t\t62
\n\t\t\t108
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSaves
\n\t\t\t84
\n\t\t\t58
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tYC-RC
\n\t\t\t28-3
\n\t\t\t32-2
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFouls
\n\t\t\t199
\n\t\t\t246
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tPKs (Goals)
\n\t\t\t0 (0)
\n\t\t\t3 (2)
\n\t\t
\n\t
<\/p>\n
\nABOUT THE NAVY MIDSHIPMEN
\n2025 Overall: 3-8-7
\n2025 Patriot League: 0-6-3 (9th)
\n2025 Home: 3-3-6
\n2025 Away: 0-4-1
\n2025 Neutral: 0-1-0
\n2025 vs Ranked Opponents: 0-0-0
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\nLAST TIME VS NAVY (Sept. 24, 2024) | Box Score<\/a>
\nThe Tritons went in front in the 71st minute on a penalty kick before Navy equalized in the 86th, bringing the game to its 1-1 final in Annapolis. Keenai Braun<\/a>, Woody Brown<\/a> and Ryan Namdar<\/a> are the only 2026 Tritons who played in that match. All three made substitute appearances.
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\nPRESEASON IN THE BOOKS
\nUC San Diego was undefeated in three preseason exhibition matches. The Tritons had two draws with ranked opponents (0-0 vs No. 18 San Diego<\/a>, 1-1 vs No. 21 Grand Canyon<\/a>) sandwiched around a 4-1 victory over Arizona Western<\/a>. All three contests were at home.
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\nTRITON BOX OFFICE
\n2026 marks the first time<\/a> that UC San Diego is selling tickets to home soccer matches. Single-match and season tickets are available in advance online<\/a>.
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\nSingle-match tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for youth, seniors and UC San Diego faculty\/staff. Current UC San Diego students with valid ID continue to receive free admission to all home athletic events.
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\nUC SAN DIEGO AND THE PAC-12
\nUC San Diego Athletics is in its final season as members of The Big West. The department, including men’s soccer, will move to the West Coast Conference in the summer of 2027.
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\nFour Big West men’s soccer programs<\/a>, including UC San Diego, are competing in the Pac-12 this season as affiliate members. The Tritons join California Baptist, Cal Poly and UC Riverside and three full-time Pac-12 members (Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State) to form the seven-team Pac-12.
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\nThe top four teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the Pac-12 Championship. Semifinals will be November 7, followed by the final on November 13 or 14. The higher seed in each contest will host.
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\nPAC-12 PRESEASON COACHES’ POLL
\n1. Oregon State
\n2. California Baptist
\n3. San Diego State
\n4. Cal Poly
\n5. Gonzaga
\n6. UC Riverside
\n7. UC San Diego
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\nPAC-12 PRESEASON IMPACT LIST
\nEach Pac-12 program named three players to the conference’s Preseason Impact List<\/a>. Each coach spotlighted scholar-athletes that are expected to be key contributors and difference-makers throughout the 2026 season. UC San Diego’s selections are Adam Dunbar<\/a>, Sean McTague<\/a> and Sean Ueda<\/a>.
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\nDunbar is a sophomore from Long Beach, California. The forward played in 12 matches, starting five, at an average of 49 minutes per match last season as a true freshman. Dunbar was the Tritons’ leading goal-scorer in 2025, notching three goals and an assist. At the end of the season, he was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team by the conference’s head coaches.
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\nMcTague is a graduate transfer from Mission Viejo, California, who spent the previous four years at Cal Poly. The forward appeared in all but three matches across 2022, 2023 and 2025 for the Mustangs, missing 2024 due to injury. McTague has seven goals and three assists to his name across his collegiate career. He was on the Big West All-Freshman Team in 2022 and the All-Big West Second Team in 2025.
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\nUeda is a sophomore from Santa Clara, California. The midfielder played in 17 of UC San Diego’s 18 matches in 2025, starting nine at an average of 52 minutes per match as a true freshman. Ueda scored one goal last season, helping the Tritons to a draw at UC Riverside. This season he steps into a larger role in central midfield following the graduation of Adam Hillis<\/a>.
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\nON THE PITCH AND IN THE CLASSROOM
\nFour Tritons were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team at the end of the 2025 season. Two\u2014Keenai Braun<\/a> and Nate Morgan<\/a>\u2014return in 2026.
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\nMEET THE NEWCOMERS
\nExactly half of the team’s 28 scholar-athletes return from last year. The Tritons welcome in nine freshmen and five transfers.
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\nSix of the nine freshmen are from California: Owen Helm<\/a>, Richard Hoang<\/a>, Cael McElderry<\/a>, Matteo Saffer<\/a>, Kelham Wolf<\/a> and Liam Zubak<\/a>. The rest are from Massachusetts (Tito Nichols<\/a>), Minnesota (Gavin Carlson<\/a>) and Brazil (Lalo Barbieri<\/a>).
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\nThe Tritons have two junior college transfers in Luc Narido<\/a> (De Anza College) and Vik Singh<\/a> (Clovis College) to go along with three Division I transfers in Sean McTague<\/a> (Cal Poly), Matias Mott<\/a> (Wisconsin) and Oren Stuppel<\/a> (Cal Poly).
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\nFORMER TEAMMATES
\nSean McTague<\/a> and Oren Stuppel<\/a> were teammates together at Cal Poly from 20222-25. They were joined by Liam Murdin<\/a> on the 2024 team.
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\nMcTague graduated from JSerra Catholic High School in 2022, where he was teammates with Keenai Braun<\/a> (Class of 2023). Gavin Allegaert<\/a> is also a JSerra alum, graduating in 2025.
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\nLEADING THE WAY
\nUC San Diego’s three captains are all seniors and returning starters. Nic Thiele<\/a> is the Tritons’ goalkeeper, and he is joined by defenders Keenai Braun<\/a> and Nate Morgan<\/a>.
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\nHEAD COACH JON PASCALE
\nNow in his 19th season at the helm of UC San Diego men’s soccer, Jon Pascale<\/a> has an all-time record of 153-109-57 (.569) with the Tritons at the start of 2026. Pascale is a three-time California Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year and led the Tritons to four Division II NCAA Championship berths from 2013 to 2019. His record in Division II was 130-61-40 (.649).
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\nUC SAN DIEGO ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
\nMost UC San Diego home men’s and women’s basketball games, men’s and women’s soccer matches, men’s and women’s volleyball matches, baseball and softball games are broadcast live on ESPN+. For more information on where to watch UC San Diego soccer, visit UCSDTritons.com\/live<\/a>.
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\nWHY THE TRITONS?
\nThe Triton is described as the offspring of Poseidon and Amphitrite, a demigod of the sea with a lower part of the body like that of a fish. It is known as a mighty and fierce sea warrior. Given UC San Diego’s close proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its connections with the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Triton became our mascot in 1964.
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\nTRITON SOCCER TALK
\nAs part of UC San Diego’s transition to Division I, the Athletics Department launched a weekly podcast,\u00a0Tritoncast<\/a>. New episodes of\u00a0Tritoncast\u00a0are available on the most popular podcasting apps and on UCSDTritons.com. For individual show information and listen links, follow\u00a0Tritoncast\u00a0on X\u00a0@Tritoncast<\/a>.
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\nGET SOCIAL WITH UC SAN DIEGO SOCCER
\nKeep up with the Tritons all season long on social media through\u00a0X<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>. The team’s handle is @ucsdmsoc.<\/p>\n
\nGot some young Triton fans in your family? If they are eighth grade or under, check out the\u00a0Junior Triton Club<\/a>. Membership includes a free t-shirt, admission to over 100 UC San Diego home athletic events, and much more!<\/p>\n
\nFor the latest Triton apparel and accessories,\u00a0click here<\/a>.
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\nUP NEXT
\nThe Tritons hit the road for a pair of matches next week. They visit Houston Christian on August 27 before traveling to Air Force on August 30.
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\nAbout UC San Diego Athletics
\nAfter two decades as one of the most successful\u00a0programs in\u00a0NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as\u00a0a\u00a0member\u00a0of The Big West in\u00a0NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in\u00a0Divisions\u00a0II\u00a0and III and helped guide\u00a01,400 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.\u00a0For more information on the Tritons, visit\u00a0UCSDtritons.com<\/a>\u00a0or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media\u00a0@UCSDtritons<\/a>.
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