Box Score IRVINE, Calif. --- The Anteaters sit atop the Big West standings after a 3-1 win Sunday afternoon over UC Davis in front of over 1,000 fans in Anteater Stadium.
UC Irvine (8-5-0, 3-1-0) struck first with its first shot of the match. A cross bounced around the box before Laura McGrail slid it over to Zuri Walker. After one touch, she connected inside the left post for the early 1-0 lead in the seventh minute.
UC Davis (3-6-3, 0-1-1) capitalized on its first two shots as well. Ashley Edwards' initial shot was stopped, but the rebound found Lexi Poppoff who shoveled it over to Sienna Drizin who would finish and tie the match back up in the 12th minute.
UCI took the lead back in the 40th minute in an eerily similar fashion. Jenna Pellegrino's corner kick was punched back out to her, and follow-up cross was knocked down by an Aggie right to McGrail again whose header fell towards the goal. Zoya Farzaneh slid toward the goalline and popped the ball up into the top of the net to give UCI the lead back, 2-1, heading into halftime.
The score stayed the same until the 75th minute when Pellegrino added a little insurance. Aggie keeper Taylor Jern's pass was intercepted at the top of the box by Pellegrino who would drive and fire inside the right post to take advantage of the mistake and put UC Davis away for good.
Zoya and Zuri became the first Anteater teammates with "Z" names to score in the same match. For Walker, it's her first of the season, third in her career. Farzaneh now has three goals on the year and five in her career, and now has a pair of game-winners this season after coming into her senior year without one. Pellegrino matched her on the season with her third.
Laura McGrail recorded both assists giving her three on the season. Corey Tobin won her third straight match, fifth of the year, and stopped two shots.
UCI and Long Beach State clash in the next installment of the Black and Blue series on Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. at Anteater Stadium.
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