IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine weathered a slow start to the match with an explosive response in the second half scoring twice to claim the 2-0 and weekend sweep to open 2016 in Anteater Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Saint Mary's (0-2-0) had the chances early posting all four shots in the first half. Its best chance came in the 12th minute after Hannah Diaz slotted a groundball into the box and Morgan Darling pushed it on frame, but Maddie Newsom was on the scene to cover it up and keep the match scoreless.
Diaz came back in the 25th minute ringing close-range shot off the crossbar that danced on the goalline before the rebound was kicked out of bounds.
The Anteaters (2-0-0) fought the Gaels off despite not putting up a single shot in the half keeping the score 0-0.
The second half started with a literal bang. A Jessica Miclat corner bounced around the box for a while before Grayson Galbraith turned and poked a shot on net. The Gael keeper Julia McDonald kept it out, but not for long as Kelsey Texeira ran onto the rebound and punched it hard into the upper left corner for the 46th-minute goal and the 1-0 lead.
UCI continued to get great chances. Noel Baham streaked down the left wing in the 65th minute leaving defenders in her wake to creating a scoring chance in the box, but her low shot curved around the far post.
Kiana Palacios smashed a knuckler from about 30 yards out that McDonald needed to rise up and tip over to avoid going in, but Palacios would have the final say.
After a Reema Bzeih punt forward and Galbraith flick, Palacios ran onto the ball on the left wing shooting as she fell from the endline, and somehow lifting it over the keeper and in off the far post for her second impossible-angle goal in as many games to extend the lead to 2-0 in the 75th minute.
The final whistle would sound with a 2-0 advantage in favor of the Anteaters. Newsom collected her second win in net and first career shutout stopping both shots she faced. The 'Eaters finished with 11 shots, all in the second half, and seven on target.
Gael keeper Julia McDonald finished with five saves while Samantha Dion and Hannah Diaz combined for five of the eight Saint Mary's shots.
Palacios put home three tallies over the two weekend matches, and fired six of her eight shots on target. Kelsey Texeira scored her first career goal and point in the match which also went down as the game-winner.
Galbraith was once again denied from the goal column, but assisted on two giving the 'Eaters two multi-assist efforts in the first two matches.
"We wanted to come out of the first game with a shutout, but we fell a little short," noted Galbraith who started at center back Sunday and finished as a forward. "I think today in the first half we struggled getting our rhythm, but after halftime we came out strong. As a team, we did what we needed to do, not necessarily pretty, but we got the win."
That win makes the Anteaters 2-0 through the opening weekend for the first time since 2011. The win was also No. 100 in the illustrious career of Head Coach Scott Juniper who begins his 10th year at the helm.
The next stop for the squad is a trip to Idaho and the Boise State Bronco Tournament. UCI and San Jose State meet on Friday, Aug. 26 for a 1:00 p.m. match before taking on the host Broncos Sunday.
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