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LA JOLLA, Calif. \u2014 After three wins in three matches to start the season, including two on the road, UC San Diego men’s soccer returns home to Triton Soccer Stadium<\/a> on Saturday night to host Pacific. The match begins at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+, with Steve Quis on the call.
\u00a0 FOR THE YOUNGER CROWD GEAR
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\nSaturday’s contest is Youth Night, with free trident foam fingers given out to the first 100 kids in attendance. There will also be postgame autographs with the team.
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\nTickets are available through\u00a0Triton 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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\nDETAILS
\nMatch 4
\nUC San Diego vs Pacific
\nSaturday, Sept. 5 | 7:00 p.m.
\nTriton Soccer Stadium | La Jolla, Calif.
\nSeries Record: Tied 1-1-0
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\nABOUT THE TRITONS
\nRoster<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Schedule<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Stats<\/a>
\nOverall: 3-0-0
\nPac-12: 0-0-0
\nHome: 1-0-0
\nAway: 2-0-0
\nvs Ranked Opponents: 0-0-0
\nStreak: W3
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\nTRITONS, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING<\/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\t9
\n\t\t\t0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tGoals\/Game
\n\t\t\t3.00
\n\t\t\t0.00
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tAssists
\n\t\t\t8
\n\t\t\t0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tShots
\n\t\t\t39
\n\t\t\t30
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tShots\/Game
\n\t\t\t13.0
\n\t\t\t10.0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tShots on Goal
\n\t\t\t22
\n\t\t\t11
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tCorner Kicks
\n\t\t\t19
\n\t\t\t10
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tSaves
\n\t\t\t11
\n\t\t\t13
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tYC-RC
\n\t\t\t7-0
\n\t\t\t7-0
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tFouls
\n\t\t\t27
\n\t\t\t27
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\tPK Attempts (Goals)
\n\t\t\t0 (0)
\n\t\t\t0 (0)
\n\t\t
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\nABOUT THE PACIFIC TIGERS
\nOverall: 1-2-1
\nWCC: 0-0-0
\nHome: 0-1-1
\nAway: 1-1-0
\nvs Ranked Opponents: 0-0-0
\nStreak: L1
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\nLAST TIME VS PACIFIC (Aug. 24, 2023) | Box Score<\/a>
\nThe 2023 season opener went the way of the visiting Tigers, who won 2-1 in La Jolla. Both teams scored a penalty kick goal just over one minute apart in the 56th and 58th minutes before Pacific scored the game winner in the 75th. None of the Tritons who played in that match remain on the team’s roster.
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\nLAST TIME OUT
\nThe Tritons picked up a pair of 1-0 road victories last week, defeating Houston Christian on Thursday and Air Force on Sunday. Tyler Cash<\/a> scored in the 84th minute at Houston Christian. Oren Stuppel<\/a> got the lone goal at Air Force in the 10th minute.
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\nThe win at Houston Christian marked the Tritons’ first road win since Oct. 11, 2023.
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\nTHIELE HONORED BY PAC-12
\nSenior goalkeeper Nic Thiele<\/a> made eight combined saves across the two matches last week. His six stops at Air Force are tied for the second-most in his career. Thiele’s efforts in securing the two clean sheets saw him earn Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week<\/a> honors on Tuesday.
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\nSHUTOUT
\nThe Triton defense has yet to allow a goal this season, marking the team’s longest shutout streak in its Division I era. The previous record was a 251-minute stretch in 2022.
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\nCHASING ANOTHER RECORD
\nUC San Diego’s Division I record for most consecutive wins is three, achieved in 2022 and at the start of this season. The team’s Division I record for most matches without a loss is four, achieved in both 2022 and 2024. The Tritons are 3-0-0 entering Saturday’s match.
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\nTURNING A NEW LEAF
\nLast season saw the Tritons finish the year with two wins and 10 goals scored. After three matches in 2026, this year’s team already has three wins and nine goals scored.
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\nCONTINUITY
\nHead coach Jon Pascale<\/a> has only made one starting lineup change this season. Freshman Owen Helm<\/a> earned his first collegiate start at Air Force on Sunday in place of Nate Morgan<\/a>.
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\nFUTURE CONFERENCE FOE
\nSaturday’s match is a preview of what’s to come for UC San Diego. Pacific is in the West Coast Conference, which the Tritons will join next season.
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\n2026 WEEKLY HONORS
\nM Oren Stuppel<\/a>, UCU Athlete of the Week<\/a>\u00a0(Aug. 24)
\nD Gavin Carlson<\/a>, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week<\/a>\u00a0(Aug. 25)
\nM Oren Stuppel<\/a>, Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week<\/a>\u00a0(Aug. 25)
\nGK Nic Thiele<\/a>, Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week<\/a> (Sept. 1)
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\nTRITON BOX OFFICE
\n2026 marks the\u00a0first time<\/a>\u00a0that UC San Diego is selling tickets to home soccer matches. Single-match and season tickets are available in advance\u00a0online<\/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 Nov. 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. 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\u00a0UCSDTritons.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 again next week for two more matches. They visit UNLV on Thursday, Sept. 10, before facing Utah Tech on Sunday, Sept. 13.
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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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