San Diego advances to Sweet 16 with 5-2 NCAA Tournament win over UCLA

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Patrick Wallen scored a pair of goals to propel the University of San Diego men’s soccer team to a 5-2 win over No. 4 UCLA Sunday evening in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

With the win, the Toreros improve to 13-8-0 overall and will advance to the Sweet 16 next Sunday, November 25, against the University of Tulsa. This marks the first time USD has defeated UCLA since Nov. 10, 2005. With the loss, the Bruins finish the season with a 13-3-3 overall record.

“This was just a great game, and I am so proud of this team,” stated USD head Coach Seamus McFadden. “This team just joins the collection of great USD teams from the past, and I really feel like we got something going here.”

The Bruins got on the scoreboard first, as in the 10th minute of action, Ryan Hollingshead tallied his seventh goal of the season. Evan Rayner took the ball up the left side of the field, and slipped a small cross to Hollingshead, who then was able to beat the USD keeper to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead.

USD scored the equalizer in the 31st minute of action, as Conor McFadden sent a touch pass to Dan Delgado, who in turn slid the ball over the Connor Brandt, who then hit a one-timer past a diving UCLA goalkeeper, to move the score to 1-1.

The Toreros then took the lead in the 52nd minute of action, as Delgado dribbled the ball to the left side of the field, and dropped the ball off to Connor Brandt. Brandt then slipped the ball over to Sergio Lopez, and he buried the ball into the back of the net to give USD a 2-1 edge.

Just two minutes later, the Bruins were able to even the match at 2-all, as Leo Stolz crossed the ball over to Raynr, who then hit a laser strike into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

In the 66th minute of action, Delgado took the ball near midfield, and dribbled up a bit, then bowed the ball into the box, where Patrick Wallen hit a one-timer into the upper left corner to give USD the 3-2 lead.

Just a one minute later, Wallen tallied his second goal of the match, as he corralled a pass from Matthew Chavez, and again hit a laser strike into the back of the net to give USD a 4-2 edge.

USD then put the match out of reach in the 78th minute of action, as Brandt took a corner kick, and he bent the balk into a crowded goalbox, where James Cohn was able to put his head on it, and redirected the ball in the back of the net to put the match at its final of 5-2.