Box Score IRVINE, Calif. --- The Anteaters went down early and could not fully recover in the 3-1 loss to UC Davis Sunday afternoon at Anteater Stadium.
UC Davis (3-4-4, 1-1-0) set the tempo early with nine first-half shots to UCI's three. Alex Aguiar started the scoring with a header in the box off a long throw-in by Ryan Gross in the 13th minute.
Pat Reese extended the lead in the 29th minute. He tracked down a long outlet putting him all alone with 'Eater keeper Michael Breslin. Breslin stopped Reese's first shot, but the rebound came right back to him and he shoveled it into the left side of the net to make it 2-0, Aggies.
Breslin kept the match close with five first-half saves.
UCI (3-7-1, 0-2-0) jumped out early in the second half with a few chances, but the Aggies were able to capitalize as Kevin Schulte skipped around the UCI defense and knocked home the third score into a wide-open net in the 48th minute.
UCI found some scoring in the 60th minute. A scramble in the box found freshman Pavle Atanackovic who popped the ball into the open and Lester Hayes III finished it with authority into the right side of the net to give the Anteaters some life.
UC Irvine's chances were few and far between throughout the final 30 minutes, however, as Omar Zeenni made four clinical saves down the stretch to preserve UC Davis' first conference win of the season.
Breslin finished with six saves. On the offensive end, Hayes III notched his second goal of the season, both coming at home, while Atanackovic's assist was his first as an Anteater.
UCI's road continues to lead uphill as the Anteaters head back on the road for a pair next weekend at UC Santa Barbara, Fri. Oct. 5th at 7:00 p.m., and at Cal Poly, Sun. Oct. 7th at 1:00 p.m., to try and break their streak of eight straight matches without a win.
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