IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer used two goals in 66 seconds to zip past UC Riverside Sunday afternoon to the tune of 2-0 in Anteater Stadium.
The sides were locked in a chess match early until the 16th minute when a big momentum-swinging play was made. UC Riverside (6-9-2, 3-2-0) had a 2-on-1 rush down the field leaving Ashley Webb all alone on the break, but
Maddie Newsom challenged her about 15 yards out sliding and stopping her attempt to keep the match scoreless.
UC Irvine (9-4-4, 4-1-1) would counter at the other end the 18th minute. The only corner kick the squad earned on the afternoon was laced in from
Shelby Lee hitting
Grayson Galbraith in front of the mass of players, and she would volley home a goal to give UCI the 1-0 lead.
Just over a minute later, the Anteaters were pressing once again as
Shelby Lee ended up with the ball near the sideline. She whipped in another cross with
Noel Baham on the end of it, and her header fell into the goal quickly sprouting a 2-0 Anteater lead with goals 66 seconds apart.
The Highlanders nearly chopped into the lead in the 36th minute after a set piece went off Newsom's hands and into the goal, but it was called back as it was ruled Newsom was fouled. On the other end,
Jessica Miclat almost grew the lead even more banking a shot off the crossbar in 38th minute, but the match stayed 2-0 through the half with UCI putting up seven of the eight shots through 45 minutes.
The second half chances didn't come as frequently. UC Irvine had a pair of sequences that UCR tended to including a save by a defender on Miclat's shot in the 79th minute, and UCR keeper's Alanna Guzman tipped a ball off the crossbar to keep
Kiana Palacios out in the 84th minute, but Newsom and the Anteater backline fought off any rushes to preserve their ninth shutout of the season in a 2-0 win.
Newsom stopped four shots on her own to post her seventh individual shutout on the season. Guzman relieved Annie Bailey stopping three shots in the second half after Bailey allowed both shots on goal by her in the first half.
Galbraith recorded the game-winner as now all three of her goals in 2017 have been. Baham's goal was her third in Big West action, and ties her for the team lead with six while continuing to lead the team in points with 18. Palacios remains close behind with 16 points as she offered up her fourth assist. Lee doubled her career assist total today with a pair, and she stands fourth on the team in points alongside Galbraith who each have three goals and two assists.
UC Irvine hops a little higher in the Big West standings added three points to put itself three points clear of second place UC Davis. UCI will only have one chance to add to its point total next week with a Thursday night road match at CSUN starting at 7:00 p.m.
