LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- The title of best small college soccer program in California was on the line, so perhaps it is only fitting that a battle between the NAIA's No. 1- ranked and defending national champion Azusa Pacific and 3-time NCAA Division III champion UC San Diego ended in a 1-1 tie on the Triton's home field Tuesday night.

For the first time this year and only the second time in the past 2 seasons, Azusa Pacific found itself trailing an opponent and had to rally just to earn the tie. After a scoreless first half, UCSD got on the board first and put the pressure on Azusa Pacific when Christy Abizaid converted a give-and-go from Lauren Jacobs in the 53rd minute.

wenty minutes later, though, the Cougars answered when Kendra Payne stole the ball in the Triton backfield and fed Kimber Carter for her third goal of the season, knotting the score at 1-1. Not only was Carter's goal the first surrendered by UCSD this season, it the first ever scored by a Cougar in 6 games at UCSD (coming into the game, the Tritons were 5-0 vs. Azusa Pacific on their home field and had out-scored the Cougars 24-0 in those 5 previous meetings in La Jolla).

An additional 30 minutes of overtime could not determine a winner as UCSD gained some measure of revenge for last year's 2-1 setback in Azusa, the Tritons' first and only loss ever to the Cougars in 10 meetings.

Azusa Pacific outshot UCSD, 14-13, but the Tritons had the advantage in corner kicks, 9-6. Senior Rachael Yanos had 2 saves in goal for the Cougars. Laura Dolkas, who replaced Jennifer Hetland at the half, had 5 saves for UCSD in 75 minutes of play, but surrendered Carter's game-tying goal.

With the ties, Azusa Pacific' record goes to 6-0-2 on the season while UCSD is handed its first blemish and is 4-0-1 on the young campaign.