IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine was bewildered in its conference opener after coming up short to Sacramento State, 2-1, despite a 16 shots on goal Thursday night in Anteater Stadium.
UCI (2-8, 0-1) was not bereft of chances putting up 27 shots and over half of them on frame. Just a year earlier, the Hornets scored an overtime win over the 'Eaters despite allowing 28 shots.
James Del Curto made the difference saving 14 of the 16 shots on goal including seven in the opening 15 minutes. Ivan Canales had consecutive opportunities denied including a bicycle kick that Del Curto needed to dive to tip wide.
Sac State (5-3-1, 1-0) got the scoring started on its fourth shot. Trevor Jackson gathered the ball along the left wing and fed it into the box. Alex Bettencourt helped it along to Christian Webb who had just entered the game as a sub, and punched the ball home in the 29th minute to make it, 1-0.
The Hornets quickly capitalized on the advantage and made it 2-0 on a defensive error. Trevor Jackson was creating again launching a ball from the defensive third through to Nate Nugen. Alex Waldron came way off his line to contest it, but Nugen reached the ball first, tipped it by him, and finished into an empty net to take a 2-0 lead into the half.
UCI did not relent in the second half with five early shots including one off the post, but it finally broke through on its 16th shot.
Thomas Janjigian was rewarded after sprinting down the left wing and mashing home a volley from a Giovanni Godoy cross through the box inside the far post to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 57th minute.
The pressure continued to mount as the shots continued for the Anteater attack. Randall McDermott nearly locked things up in the 71st minute all alone near the right post, but Del Curto slid to save the shot and keep it a one-goal match.
Luis Leon had the final chance in the 87th minute working to earn position in the box and lifting a hard-angle shot from close range, but it stuck into the side netting sealing the win for Sac State, 2-1.
Del Curto's 14-save effort is the new single-game high for the season in the NCAA, and he even got help from his defenders on one occasions for the 15 total saves. Waldron stopped three shots on his end.
Janjigian's goal was the first of his career coming in his 65th career start. Assists came from Godoy and Mario Ortiz giving each five points on the season to tie for the team high.
The hard-luck 'Eaters fall to 0-1 in Big West play and 2-8 overall, but will have a chance to right things on Saturday in Anteater Stadium as they host UC Davis at 7:00 p.m.
_________________________________________________________________
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.
