IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine celebrated its seniors Friday night in Anteater Stadium in the home finale, and they came through clinching a Big West Tournament berth with a 2-1 win over Hawai'i.
The freshmen actually got the party started in the first minute of the match. UCI (13-5-1, 5-1-1) was on the attack early pressuring the Rainbow Wahine around the goal. A poor clearance off the endline fell to Jessica Miclat near the top of the box, and she would volley it back sticking it inside the far post for the 1-0 Anteater lead just 37 seconds into the match.
Hawai'I would return fire looking for an equalizer, and it found one in the 11th minute. A corner kick was punched away by Maddie Newsom, but Raisa Strom-Okimoto won it back and matched Miclat delivering a bullet inside the far post to knot the score at 1-1.
Both sides continued the offensive assault as Newsom and UH keeper, Monk Berger, had to be on their game coming together for three saves each in the first half.
Newsom came out to challenge Addie Steiner on a break in the 20th minute following a Berger save on the other end. Berger stepped up as well tipping Kelsey Texeira's header off a corner high just in time to keep the teams even going into the half.
The second half kicked off and each side got another shot on target early, then the match turned in the 59th minute.
Jessica Miclat continued her masterful ballhandling, driving and dribbling into the box to feed Lili Andino on the doorstep. Her flick landed at the goalmouth, and Texeira stretched to the nudge the ball in just before a sprawling Berger could recover to give the Anteaters the 2-1 lead.
The squads continued to work putting up chances, but the both defenses buckled down. Hawai'I got its best opportunity for another equalizer in the 83rd minute as Strom-Okimoto set up for a free kick from 25 yards away. Her low liner slid by the wall and through the box barely missing the far post and sealing the victory for UC Irvine.
The win put the 'Eaters firmly into the Big West Tournament for the first time since 2013. They now sit at 5-1-1 with 16 points remaining tied atop the standings with CSUN. The Anteaters are guaranteed to finish in the top two, and still have a chance for a third regular season title. UCI would need to finish higher than CSUN to earn the No. 1 seed as the Matadors hold the tiebreaker.
Texeira's strike was the third of the season and her career with all coming as game-winners. Texeira and her fellow seniors, Sammie James, Tatyana Garrett, McKenna Pigoni, and Maria Magaña, were honored after the match in their final match at Anteater Stadium.
Miclat dazzled around the field picking up her second goal and second assist of the season along with her first three-point performance. Andino added an assist of her own giving her 13 points, good for third on the club.
Newsom finished with five saves in addition to another from the defense to keep the Hawai'i offense subdued. Berger stopped seven of her own on the other end. Steiner put all four of her shots on target on the evening for the Wahine.
The regular season commences Sunday, Oct. 30, at 2:00 p.m. at Cal State Fullerton with a chance for the 'Eaters to claim the Big West regular season title.
_________________________________________________________________
For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mail athletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and by downloading the UCI Front Row app, available free to all Anteater fans through iTunes and Google Play, to view schedules, results, and up-to-the-minute news.
