UCSD Soccer Teams Win in Playoffs

SAN DIEGO — The first round of the NCAA Division III men’s Far West-Midwest Regional soccer playoffs Saturday was disturbingly familiar to Derek Armstrong, UCSD’s coach.

On its face, the result was perfectly acceptable. The top-seeded Tritons (19-0-2) routed Macalester, 6-1, and will meet Cal State Stanislaus, a 1-0 winner over Claremont-Mudd, in the regional final at 1 o’clock today at UCSD’s Warren Field.

But Armstrong said he was concerned with the similarity to last year’s regional at UCSD. The Tritons defeated another team from Minnesota--St. Thomas, 5-0--and then did not score a goal before losing on penalty kicks to Cal State San Bernardino in the final.

UCSD’s Scott Rommel had 3 goals in last year’s first-round match, and Armstrong even went so far as to try to prevent a repeat. “That’s why I pulled Scotty off,” he said. “I didn’t want him to get 3 goals.”

Sorry, coach. Rommel eventually was credited with a hat trick and an assist for the Tritons, who led, 4-0, at the half and 6-0 midway through the second half.

The match was a disappointing homecoming for Macalester Coach John Leaney, who coached the UCSD women’s team to the NCAA Division III semifinals in 1986. Leaney then took the men’s coaching job at Macalester, which was making its first national tournament appearance in any sport.

“I thought if we gave up an early goal, then they would settle down, and we’d be in trouble,” Leaney said. “They’re a solid team, and they got the goal on their first chance, and they settled down.”

UCSD’s Scotts were too much for Macalester’s Scots (10-1-4) in the first half. Scott Goodman scored first just 3:17 into the match. Rommel then added two goals before Scott Weisenberg scored to give UCSD a 4-0 halftime lead.

The Tritons and Cal State Stanislaus tied, 3-3, in their only meeting this year, at Stanislaus.

Fortunately for the UCSD women, their results were not similar to last year’s. The Tritons defeated St. Thomas, 3-0, in 4 inches of snow at St. Paul, Minn. UCSD was upset, 1-0, by St. Thomas in last year’s tournament.

Defender Toni Krumme scored twice, and freshman Katy Dulock added a goal as UCSD avenged last year’s loss in the Far West-Midwest Regional at St. Paul.

The top-seeded Tritons (18-0-2) are scheduled to play the winner of the Cortland State-St. Mary’s match today at noon, but officials said the final could be postponed unless the weather clears.