IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine was blanked by Long Beach State, 3-0, in the third quarter and the 'Eaters fell to the 49ers, 9-6, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation game at Anteater Aquatics Complex Thursday night.

Seniors Bojan Hrlec and Mitch Wise scored two goals each for eighth-ranked UCI, which fell to 11-7 overall and 0-2 in the MPSF.

Carter Taylor led the seventh-ranked 49ers (17-5, 1-0) with four goals.

A goal by Wise with four seconds left in the opening quarter gave UCI a 3-2 lead.

The 'Eaters maintained a one-goal lead at halftime as Wise's score with 42 seconds remaining in the second quarter put UCI up 5-4 at the break.

Taylor and Devin Mefford scored extra-man goals for Long Beach State, and Ricardo Guimares added a natural goal, as UCI went scoreless to give the 49ers a 7-5 lead entering the final period.

Taylor's fourth goal of the game with 4:50 left extended the lead to 8-5 before Jacob Mourer's power-play goal at the 2:31 mark pulled the 'Eaters within 8-6. 

Guimares closed out the scoring on a goal with 38 seconds remaining.

UCI hosts second-ranked UCLA Friday night at 7:00 in an MPSF game.


Long Beach State       2-2-3-2 --- 9    
UC Irvine                   3-2-0-1 --- 6    

LBSU:  Carter Taylor 4, Ricardo Guimares 2, Milos Vrzic, Dimitrios Lappas, Devin Mefford.

UCI:  Mitch Wise 2, Bojan Hrlec 2, Tyler Mancuso, Jacob Mourer.

Saves:  Pavo Ljepopio (LBSU) 6;  Michael Bailey (UCI) 6, Alex Kazmier (UCI) 5.

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