10/18/25 - Short-Handed Tritons Show Fight in 4–1 Loss at UCLA
On Saturday, October 18th, the UCSD Men’s Club Soccer team made the long trip up to Los Angeles to face UCLA in a crucial league matchup. What was already expected to be a challenging fixture became even tougher when the drive north stretched over four hours, leaving the Tritons with only ten available players and a short ten-minute warm-up before kickoff under the blazing LA sun. Without their regular goalkeeper present at the start, captain and winger Jake Honma courageously stepped into goal, without gloves to help his team take the field.
Despite the heavy legs and uneven circumstances, the Tritons opened the game impressively, staying organized defensively and frustrating the Bruins through compact shape and disciplined play. Even down a man and without a true striker, UCSD found composure on the ball, stringing together strong passages of play and developing half-chances in the UCLA box. However, UCLA’s man advantage eventually paid off midway through the first half as they capitalized on a brief defensive lapse to take a 1–0 lead. UCSD weathered the storm for the rest of the half, keeping their structure tight and continuing to threaten on the counter when possible. The Tritons entered halftime trailing 1–0 but with plenty of fight still left in them.
A motivating halftime talk rejuvenated the squad, and the Tritons began the second half with renewed energy, holding UCLA scoreless for much of the early period. As the match wore on, fatigue and the heat started to take a toll, and UCLA was able to add two more goals, one coming from a penalty and another following a rebound off a free kick, to extend their lead to 3–0. Reinforcements finally arrived in the form of four additional players, giving UCSD fresh legs and new momentum. With more balance and energy on the field, the Tritons fought back admirably. Center back Owen Cutting sparked a breakthrough, dribbling out from the back and lofting a perfectly weighted long ball over the top to Lalo Barbieri, who made a great run in behind and coolly finished to make it 3–1.
With the final three players arriving in the closing minutes, the Tritons fought until the final whistle, but a late UCLA goal sealed a 4–1 result. Despite the defeat, the team showed immense resilience and togetherness in the face of unusually difficult circumstances. With Regionals at Cal Poly SLO coming up next weekend, UCSD will look to regroup, recover, and continue building on the strong spirit they have shown in recent times.
