IRVINE, Calif. --- The young UC Irvine team traded goals with No. 5 UC Santa Barbara throughout the game before the Gauchos pulled out a 10-9 win in a Golden Coast Conference contest at Anteater Aquatics Complex Friday night.

Junior Ryan Warde scored a career-high four goals for the third time in the past four games and junior goalie Matej Matijevic tied his UCI career high with 18 saves.

Jack Trush and Ian Fleenor added two goals apiece for the 'Eaters, who fell to 9-10 overall and 1-2 in the GCC.

Three players scored two goals each for the Gauchos (14-6, 3-0).

UCI jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on back-to-back goals by Fleenor and Warde in the first quarter and extended the lead to 4-1 on scores from Trush and Andrew Fisher late in the period.

UCSB then outscored the 'Eaters, 6-2, in the second quarter to take a 7-6 halftime lead.

Samer Alkateb put the Gauchos up 8-6 on a goal with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter before Trush hit a power-play goal with 2:57 left in the period and Warde notched his third goal of the game with 2:15 remaining to pull UCI even at 8-8 entering the final quarter.

Anthony Buljan's power-play goal with 6:38 left in the fourth period gave UCSB a 9-8 lead, but Warde answered 17 seconds later with his fourth goal to make it a 9-9 game.

Reed Cotterill scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal for the Gauchos with 2:59 left in regulation as UCSB turned back several late attempts by the 'Eaters.

UCI travels to Pepperdine for a GCC game Friday at 5:00 p.m. before hosting California next Saturday at 1:00 p.m. in the season's home finale.


UC Santa Barbara       1-6-1-2 --- 10
UC Irvine                        4-2-2-1 --- 9

UCSB:  Borislav Jovanovic 2, Shane Hauschild 2, Reed Cotterill 2, Tor Jensen, Cameron Yates, Samer Alkateb, Anthony Buljan.

UCI:  Ryan Warde 4, Ian Fleenor 2, Jack Trush 2, Andrew Fisher.

Saves:  Justyn Barrios (UCSB) 1, Liam Lenihan (UCSB) 10;  Matej Matijevic (UCI) 18.

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