Weekly Recap

Golf opens fall schedule strong in New Mexico while women’s soccer defeats Denver

Mari Olson / Sports Editor / The USD Vista

The University of San Diego is home to seventeen exciting Division I sports teams, and it’s not always easy to attend every game, race, or tournament you want to watch. Check back each week for updates on the sports and athletes who competed over the weekend.

Football

University of San Diego football traveled to North Carolina last weekend to play the Davidson University Wildcats on Saturday, Sept. 25. The Toreros were 13-3 against Davidson going into the game.

USD started the game off strong, with senior running back, Emilio Martinez, scoring for the Toreros within the first five minutes of the game. Junior kicker, Brandon Eickert, converted the extra point kick to put the Toreros up 7-0. 

Davidson was able to put up seven points in the second quarter to tie the game, but USD graduate student and defensive lineman, Mykee Irving, scored a two-point safety four minutes later to regain the lead for the Toreros at 9-7. 

The Wildcats continued their comeback in the third and fourth quarters, with three touchdowns in the second half of the game. USD made up some ground in the fourth quarter, when redshirt junior wide receiver, Michael Carner, caught a pass in the endzone from graduate student and quarterback, Mason Randall. Eickert was successful in his extra-point kick as well. 

But the Toreros couldn’t find any other scoring opportunities, and the game ended 16-28 in favor of the Wildcats. The loss drops USD’s record to 0-4 on the season. 

The Toreros return home this weekend to play St. Thomas University on Saturday, Oct. 2. 

Men’s Soccer

In the first edition of San Diego’s newest cross-town college rivalry, the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Tritons came from behind to beat the Toreros two goals to one. 

USD senior goalkeeper, Marley Mascarenas, made three saves in the first half to keep the score at 0-0. The Torero attack attempted five shots during the half, but four out of the five went wide and sophomore forward, Nicklas Clausen’s shot hit the goalpost.

Less than ten minutes into the second half, first-year forward, Luke Pardoe, scored his second goal of the season to put the Toreros ahead 1-0. Just over five minutes later, the Tritons were able to equalize, cancelling out Pardoe’s strike. 

In the 67th minute, sophomore defender, Owen Wiebe, was shown a yellow card for a tackle in the penalty box. The Tritons were awarded a penalty kick as a result. UCSD junior midfielder, Cooper Lachenbruch, was able to score past Mascarenas, putting the Toreros down by a goal. 

The USD attack couldn’t find the back of the net in the final 25 minutes, and the Toreros lost 1-2, picking up their eighth loss of the season to the Tritons. USD is 1-8 overall.

USD men’s soccer will try to get their season back on track once they start conference play this weekend. The Toreros face the Gonzaga Bulldogs on Oct. 1 at Torero Stadium at 7 p.m. 

Golf

USD’s golf team played their first tournament last weekend, competing in the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday, Sept. 24 and Saturday, Sept. 25. 

The Toreros started off the season strong, as the team took fourth place overall, out of 18 teams. Redshirt junior, Charlie Reiter, competed individually in addition to the team competition and took fifth out of 100 golfers. 

USD had three golfers in the top 20 of the team competition at the end of the two-day tournament, with Reiter leading, USD redshirt junior, Harrison Kingsley, and sophomore, Andi Xu, for the top Torero performances of the weekend.

The Toreros played on Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 27 and 28, in Colorado at the Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational. 

Women’s Soccer 

USD’s women’s soccer team finished off their non-conference schedule with an exciting comeback win over the University of Denver Pioneers on Saturday, Sept. 25. 

Denver opened the scoring in the 20th minute and was able to hold the Toreros off during the first half, leaving the score at halftime 0-1 to the Pioneers. 

USD came back strong in the second half, though. Redshirt junior defender, Michaela Foster, scored on a penalty kick for the Toreros in the 65th minute to tie the game at 1. 

Three minutes after being substituted into the match, first-year forward, Ariana Scholten, completed the comeback in the 78th minute with a left-footed shot past the Denver goalkeeper to make it 2-1 to USD. 

The Toreros contained Denver’s threats for the last ten minutes of the game and held on for the win, putting their record at 5-4 going into this weekend.

USD will take on the NCAA champions, Santa Clara University, away on Oct. 2.