The Tritons kicked off the pre-season against Cal State University San Marcos in a friendly scrimmage on a cold, gloomy Sunday afternoon. The previous encounter between the two teams ended in a 2–0 defeat for the Tritons. The game took place on Muir Field, and UCSD had around thirteen available players as the rest of the team had yet to return from Summer break. Working hard throughout the week and attempting to regain fitness and get touches on the ball, the Tritons understood that this game was vital to accelerating the process of returning to the form they demonstrated in the Spring. 

The starting lineup consisted of: goalkeeper - Jorge Mendoza; defenders - Adrian Antonio Lopez, David Contreras Rivera, Jaydon Galindo, Lucas Sherles; midfielders - Trevor Lee Elder, Henry Rose, Lucas Venetoulias; and forwards - Kalani Takamura, Jake Honma, Zachary Ishida. The starting eleven was filled with experience, containing eight seniors. 

For the first ten minutes, the match seemed like complete chaos with continuous counter-attacks and no lengthy possessions. The Tritons’ play style typically consists of possessing the ball and setting the tempo of the game, which finally started to kick in around the  thirty minute mark. The Tritons got a hold of the match, slowing the pace down and swinging across the back. For the last fifteen minutes of the half, the Tritons were not keen on finding the back of the net, but instead wanted to become comfortable being on the ball and recovering the concept of dictating the game’s speed. The half would end 0–0 , with the Tritons failing to capitalize on two clear opportunities, including an annulled goal due to an offensive foul from the Tritons. 

The halftime discussion emphasized confidence on the ball and making sure that CSUSM would be the team in pursuit. Substitutions brought Alejandro Covarrubias and Joey Asfari into the match.

When the second half began, the Tritons quickly asserted dominance and maintained around 70% possession for the remainder of the game. Jorge Mendoza had a passive half in goal behind UCSD’s incredible defense. With more possession, the Tritons were able to construct clear-cut opportunities which allowed Jake Honma to find the back of the net after a beautiful buildup between Joey Asfari and Lucas Venetoulias. The Tritons would find their second goal late into the half as a chaotic occurrence in the box found Joey Asfari in prime position for a simple tap-in, giving the Tritons a 2–0 lead. The match concluded with the Tritons forcing CSUSM to tire themselves out chasing behind the ball, unable to recover it. The Tritons defended home territory by securing a 2–0 victory over CSUSM.