Women's Soccer Suffers Loss to UC San Diego in CCAA Semifinals, 5-1
Toros bow out of CCAA tournament in match marred by torrential downpour
November 7, 2002

Complete Box Score

ROHNERT PARK, Calif.—The Cal State Dominguez Hills women’s soccer season came to an abrupt end with a 5-1 loss to UC San Diego in the first semifinal match of the 2002 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Tournament on Thursday on the campus of Sonoma State University.

A torrential downpour of rain, bringing back memories of the 1999 CCAA Championship match between CSUDH and Cal Poly Pomona, which was played in similar weather here Rohnert Park, marred throughout the game.

Down 1-0, freshman midfielder Michelle Sena (San Pedro HS) equalized at 19:26. Sena stripped the ball and dribbled to the top of the box and sent a left-footed blast to the far post knotting the score, 1-1. The goal was her second of the year.

But UC San Diego, the two-time defending NCAA II National Champions, answered just over five minutes later to take the lead for good at 24:48. At that time the floodgates literally opened up with Mother Nature intervening with a torrential downpour of rain, which changed the conditions for the rest of the match.

Up 2-1 at the break, UCSD would go on to score three more unanswered goals in the second half for the 5-1 victory.

Cal State Dominguez Hills finishes the season with an 11-7-3 record. UC San Diego, ranked No. 6 in the latest national poll, elevates to 14-2-1 and will play in the championship game on Saturday against the winner of the other semifinal between UC Davis and Cal Poly Pomona.

The game brings to an end the playing careers of six Toro seniors: Dianne Garza (Temple City HS), Yvette Gonzales (La Serna HS), Lecia Davis (N. Torrance HS), Norma Gutierrez (Santa Clara HS), Kim Acino (N. Torrance HS) and Amy Wetherbee (Santa Margarita HS).