Men's Soccer Opens 2024 Season in La Jolla

**LA JOLLA, Calif. – August 20, 2024** – UC San Diego men's soccer kicks off its 2024 season with two home matches at Triton Soccer Stadium. The Tritons will face Santa Clara University on Thursday, August 22, at 7 p.m., followed by a clash with No. 20 Duke on Sunday, August 25, at 6 p.m.

This will be the fourth preseason meeting between UC San Diego and Santa Clara, with the current series tied at 1-1-1. Santa Clara, despite a championship season in which they secured their 14th conference title, is projected to finish sixth in the West Coast Conference preseason poll. The Broncos are bringing back 14 of their conference champions and welcoming 15 newcomers, including five transfers from Fordham, Spain, West Alabama, Washington, and Stanislaus State. Santa Clara will come into the match after an exhibition against Saint Mary's.

Duke will be making its first-ever appearance against UC San Diego. The Blue Devils, picked to finish seventh in the ACC preseason poll, feature senior midfielder Ruben Mesalles on the preseason watch list. Duke won two of their three exhibitions, including a notable 3-1 victory over No. 16 Georgetown on August 16. Before visiting La Jolla, the Blue Devils will play against the University of San Diego on August 22.

UC San Diego enters this season after two exhibition matches against San Diego State and UNLV. The Tritons, picked to finish eighth in the Big West coaches' preseason poll, are led by UC Irvine as the conference favorite. This season marks UC San Diego's first year of postseason eligibility after completing the NCAA transition. The team returns 18 veterans and has added 13 newcomers, including five transfers.

**MATCH INFO**

- **Match 1**  

  UC San Diego vs. Santa Clara University  

  Thursday, August 22  

  7 p.m. PST  

  Triton Soccer Stadium  

  [Watch | Live Stats](#)  

  Series Record: 1-1-1  

- **Match 2**  

  UC San Diego vs. No. 20 Duke University  

  Sunday, August 25  

  6 p.m. PST  

  Triton Soccer Stadium  

  [Watch | Live Stats](#)  

  Series Record: First Meeting  

**ABOUT THE TEAMS**

- **UC San Diego**  

  Overall Record: 0-0  

  2023 Big West Record: 3-5-1  

  Home Record: 0-0  

  Away Record: 0-0  

  Neutral Record: 0-0  

- **Santa Clara**  

  2023 Overall Record: 7-7-3  

  2023 WCC Record: 5-1-1  

  Home Record: 0-0  

  Away Record: 0-0  

  Neutral Record: 0-0  

- **Duke**  

  2023 Overall Record: 11-4-3  

  2023 ACC Record: 4-3-1  

  Home Record: 0-0  

  Away Record: 0-0  

  Neutral Record: 0-0  

**ATTENDING THE MATCHES**

Admission to UC San Diego home soccer matches is free. However, parking permits are required at all times on campus. For parking information, visit [UC San Diego Parking](#).

**UP NEXT**

Following the home opener, the Tritons will travel to Orem, Utah, to face Utah Valley in a match scheduled for Thursday, August 29, at 6 p.m. PST.

**VETERAN PRESENCE**

The Tritons return 18 players, including:

- Dylan Huy

- Nic Thiele

- Evan Wellerstein

- Nate Morgan

- Nolan Sanchez

- Matthew Lin

- Andrew Valverde

- Quinn Sellers

- Carter Jacobus

- Brian Arens

- James Redington

- Andrew McGee

- Peter Santos

- Jonah Kawamura

- Connor Place

- Max Carvalho

- Keenai Braun

- Elliot Hill

**NEW FACES**

The Tritons have added 13 newcomers to their roster:

- Cole Barrett

- Nolan Premack

- Adam Hillis

- Bryce Barnum

- Mhone Bogonko

- Ryan Namdar

- Nikita Stukanov

- Anthony Bugliari

- Nick Aghaian

- Tyler Cash

- Kai Oppenheim

- Michael Luechauer

- Woody Brown

**BEHIND THE SCENES AT MEDIA DAY**