Lily Johnson Goal Celebration
3
Winner San Diego USD (3-2-2, 0-0-0)
1
UC Irvine UCI (1-3-2, 0-0-0)
Winner
San Diego USD
(3-2-2, 0-0-0)
3
Final
1
UC Irvine UCI
(1-3-2, 0-0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
San Diego USD 2 1 3
UC Irvine UCI 1 0 1

Game Recap: Women's Soccer |

Toreros Top UC Irvine 3-1 for First Road Win of 2026

Lily Johnson and Ella Callanan each finish with a goal and an assist as San Diego wins its second straight match

IRVINE, Calif. — San Diego women's soccer picked up its first road win of the season Thursday night, beating UC Irvine 3-1 at Anteater Stadium behind a goal and an assist apiece from Lily Johnson and Ella Callanan.

Marissa Morales also scored for the Toreros, who have won back-to-back matches for the first time this season. The game-winner was the first career goal for Johnson, a freshman, and Chloe Walls made four saves against the Anteaters.

The Toreros won the ball in the attacking third early, and Morales made it count, combining with Callanan on a give-and-go and finishing from 10 yards into the upper left corner at 3:36. It was the first goal of Morales' career.

UC Irvine pulled even in the 10th minute, and San Diego spent the next 20 minutes applying pressure on the offensive front. Maquena O'Callaghan, Amanda Anders and Hannah Faklaris all put shots on target in that stretch, and the Toreros earned six corners, the last of which produced the go-ahead goal at 29:40. 

By halftime, San Diego had put all six of its first-half shots on frame and held 63% of possession.

Walls protected the lead after the break, making three saves between the 53rd and 65th minutes. Faklaris, Shoots and freshman Madeline Roder played every minute in front of her as San Diego kept UC Irvine off the scoreboard for the final 80 minutes.

On a breakout down the right wing in the 89th minute, Johnson served the ball to an unmarked Callanan 12 yards out, and the junior defender finished to the keeper's right to make it 3-1.

"I was really proud of our response tonight," head coach Greg LaPorte said. "We took the lead, they found a way back into the game, and instead of letting that change the momentum, we raised our level. To respond with two more goals and finish with a 3-1 win says a lot about the mentality and belief of this group. That was a really good team performance on the road."

TORERO TIDBITS

The three goals were a season high for San Diego, which put seven of its nine shots on target and won the corner count 8-4.

Morales and Johnson both scored the first goals of their careers, and Callanan added her first of the season. Six different Toreros have now found the net in 2026.

Thursday's win came two days after the USD men beat UC Irvine 2-1 at Anteater Stadium, giving both Torero soccer programs a road win on the same field this week.

UP NEXT
San Diego is back in action Thursday, Sept. 17, when it visits California Baptist for a 7 p.m. match at CBU Soccer Stadium in Riverside, Calif. The match streams on ESPN+.
 
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