IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine erupted in the second half pulling away for a 5-0 win over UC Riverside (8-9-2, 3-4-1) at Anteater Stadium Sunday afternoon to give the 'Eaters their second straight Big West regular season title.
The action was slow coming out of the gate until Natalia Ledezma (La Mirada / UCLA) found the back of the net in the 39th minute. Junior Jackie Samis (Rancho Santa Margarita / Trabuco Hills HS) hit a high, arcing lead pass up to Ledezma who would settle it and score on the breakaway to give UCI the 1-0 lead.
UC Irvine (13-3-2, 6-1-1) would keep the slim lead going into the half. As the second half began, the 'Eaters would take hold of the match.
Twenty-eight seconds in, Ledezma would find Lexi Kopf (Sonora / Sonora HS) up the left side, and she would bury a shot off the post and in for the 2-0 lead.
Four minutes later, Sarah Devine (San Diego / Poway HS) would get a little senior love. Ledezma launched a corner kick that would find senior CoCo Goodson (Ramona / University of Texas) who would head the ball back to Devine. She would shoot it off the bounce and inside the far post to make it 3-0.
Four minutes after that, Kopf would return to the scoresheet. Cami Privett (Bakersfield / Frontier HS) would drop a pass off to Kopf. After she settled it, Kopf fired a shot on goal. It would glance off a Highlander defender and past UCR keeper, Sara Slaughter, for her second of the match.
Seniors Kala Gabler (Apple Valley / Hope International), and Jordan Kopf (Sonora / Sonora HS) made appearances on Senior Day. Kopf would earn an assist on the final goal to, of all people, her sister, Lexi.
Jordan's pass to Mady Solow (Toronto, Canada / University of Florida) would continue ahead to Lexi as she would dodge the keeper and score on the empty net to complete her hat trick in the 90th minute, and wrap the senior day up, 5-0.
Jennifer Randazzo (San Jose / Presentation HS), who started the match, would earn her 13th win of the season. Her and Gabler combined on their second consecutive shutout and each made one save.
For Lexi Kopf, it is her first ever hat trick, and gives her 11 goals on the season. The 'Eaters now have hat tricks in consecutive matches after only having one in the previous 15 seasons. She now has 23 points on the season
Jordan Kopf earned her first point of the season with her first career assist as an Anteater. Solow and Samis also earned their first point of the season with an assist. Solow earned her first point and assist as an 'Eater.
Devine scored her first of the season giving her a total of four points. She now has three career goals for UCI.
Additional assists went to Goodson and Privett, the fourth of the season for each. Privett now has 14 points while Goodson reach double digits with 10.
Ledezma compiled four points including her third game-winning goal on the season, and, along with two assists, now has multiple points in each of the last four matches. Three of those matches she has produced a goal and an assist. Ledezma leads the club with 12 goals, eight assists, and 32 points with half of those points (16) coming in the last four matches.
The Anteaters' win gives UCI a 6-1-1 record in conference earning them 19 points and the Big West regular season title, the second year in a row that the 'Eaters have won the regular season title.
"Thrilled" was how Head Coach Scott Juniper described his feeling after his club secured their second consecutive Big West regular season title. "The players have really found a rhythm and momentum. They've been gathering that momentum in every game. The players deserve to be the Big West champions throughout, and I'm super proud of them."
The title earns UCI home field throughout the Big West Tournament. They will host the semifinal match, Thurs. Nov. 3rd, against fourth-seeded UC Davis.
Encouraged with his team's play of late, Coach Juniper knows the players are ready for the Aggies this time around. "Davis was the first game of the [conference] season. We tied that game, and we've improved in a number of areas since that game. I know the players are very excited to have another opportunity to prove that they've gotten better, and it will be exciting to see how they have gotten better since then."
The match is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Anteater Stadium. With a win, the 'Eaters would also host the final on Sun. Nov. 6th at 12:00 p.m. against the winner of the Cal State Northridge-Long Beach State semifinal match.
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