SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team was kept off the score sheet for the second consecutive match as UC San Diego downed the Cougars, 4-0, on Sunday night at Triton Soccer Field.

Alessandro Canale scored two first-half goals for UCSD (4-1) and the Tritons added two more scores in a four-minute span in the second stanza. CSUSM was dealt its second loss of the year and stands at 4-2 overall heading into Wednesday's match at No. 10 Concordia (Calif.).

"The difference right now in our team is that I don't think we're working hard enough to play as fast as we need to on both sides of the ball. I think there needs to be a greater commitment to the work rate," said CSUSM head coach Ron Pulvers. "We started 4-0, and had a workmanlike performance at Marymount on Tuesday, but we took our foot off the gas pedal Friday and it bled into today. We just weren't good enough, weren't fast enough and we've got to be better than that."

The Cougars actually got off more shots than the Tritons (18-13), but forced just a pair of saves for UCSD goalkeeper Cameron Mcelfresh.

Eric Lopez made a clever move to get around the left side of the box before dribbling in on net along the end line. He made a couple of cuts inside, but could not find an open lane to produce a solid shot.

The Tritons made it 1-0 in the 37^th minute as Zachary Lagotta chipped a cross to the back post to Canale, who volleyed it inside the right post.

A critical turnover in the final third cost the Cougars their second goal, as Sam Palano picked the ball off a Cougar defender's toe before feeding it to Canale. A calm finish from Canale made it 2-0 in the 43^rd.
Gerrit Van zyll and Palano added goals in the 57^th and 61^st minute, respectively.

"We're going to try and recover and regenerate. It's a lot of games in a short amount of time and that might be a piece of it. Hopefully, we'll come out on Wednesday with a greater intensity and an intent to play harder."

The Cougars were playing their fifth game in the past 14 days.