In a gritty, hard-fought battle, the UC San Diego Tritons defended their home turf with a 9-7 win over the visiting Virginia Tech Hokies. Despite coming off a week of limited practice due to rain, UCSD overcame a slow start and found a way to secure the victory in front of their home crowd.

The Tritons struck first, shaking off some early rust to take a 3-1 lead after the first quarter. However, the Hokies responded in the second, out hustling and outworking UCSD to even the score at 4-4 heading into halftime. Virginia Tech’s physical play and relentless energy kept the Tritons on their heels, forcing UCSD to dig deep in the second half.

The back-and-forth battle continued through the third quarter, with both teams trading blows in a physical and defensive showdown. But it was sophomore attackman Jackson Edwards (#7) who delivered when the Tritons needed it most, netting two consecutive goals to give UCSD a surge of momentum.

Junior midfielder Ian Han (#6) added two goals of his own, while senior attackman Alex Franz (#16) contributed two goals and an assist. Junior midfielder Noah Skinner stepped up in the clutch, scoring the go-ahead goal late in the fourth to put the Tritons ahead for good.

Freshman goalie Kian Gulbransen was the difference-maker, standing tall in the net with an impressive 15-save performance. His efforts earned him the game ball as he anchored a UCSD defense that held strong down the stretch.

While it wasn’t the prettiest win, the Tritons showed grit and resilience in closing out the Hokies. As they say, "a win is a win," and this one serves as an important learning experience for UCSD as they prepare for their biggest test yet, hosting the #1-ranked Air Force Academy this Friday.