Home Field for Finals Isn’t Perfect for UCSD

It appears the UC San Diego women’s soccer team has it made.

The Tritons are the No. 1-ranked Division III team in the country and playing for the national championship at home begining today with a semifinal match against Plymouth State at 1 p.m.

But the home-field advantage has put pressure on the Tritons.

“During the season, the players were saying how great it would be to host,” said Brian McManus, UCSD soccer coach. “Now they are saying, ‘Oh, there is all this pressure.’ ”

Must be the lofty ranking and no-excuse venue that has UCSD concerned. Right?

Not exactly

“Now, with being at school all week and midterms going on, they can’t get away from the pressures of school,” McManus said. “Some of them took midterms (Friday). Usually they’d get away from school for a few days (if they were traveling). They’re concentrating on midterms and trying to focus on the match.”

But the Tritons have found ways to defend themselves against adversity this season. Especially on the field, where UCSD has outscored its opponents, 75-2. The Tritons have 17 shutouts, allowing one goal by Cal State Dominguez Hills (which is in the NCAA Division II semifinals) and another by the College of St. Thomas in the first round of the West Region.

Plymouth State (16-2) prevented a duplication of last year’s final four when it defeated William Smith of Geneva, N.Y., the defending national champion, on penalty kicks. William Smith defeated UCSD, 1-0, in sudden-death overtime in last year’s final.

Methodist College of Fayetteville, N.C. (17-5) will play Ithaca College of New York (17-0-6), the only undefeated Division III team in the country, at 10 a.m. in the other semifinal.