IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer found another gear Monday night trouncing Portland, 3-0, in Anteater Stadium to open its home slate for 2017.
UCI (1-1-1) dominated the first half taking all 10 shots and earning all five corner kicks in addition to a majority of the possession. It finally got something to show for it in the 21st minute as
Jonnae Joseph chipped a ball in that
Noel Baham flicked on to
Kiana Palacios. Palacios gathered to herself, turned, and fired a magnificent strike from 18 yards out inside the top left corner for a wonderstrike to make it 1-0, UC Irvine.
The second began much like the first, and the 'Eaters were back on the warpath with early shots and opportunities. Portland finally got a shot off as Maddie Newsom corralled the easy save. The big second goal came in the 65th minute as Portland (2-2-0) mishandled a ball in their half that the 'Eaters pounced on.
Noel Baham took advantage and chipped a ball over the oncoming keeper bouncing it into the net to make it 2-0.
UC Irvine shut the door with a tactical strike in the 78th minute.
Reema Bzeih's corner kick sailed over the mixer to find
Kelsee Pottorff, and her cross back into it landed to Palacios heading her second goal of the night inside the near post to seal the match, 3-0.
Palacios' two-goal night put her into some rarified Anteater air giving her 20 goals all-time, the 12th player in program history to reach 20, and she notched her seventh career game-winning goal tying her for eighth in UCI history. Her next point will be her 50th and make her the 12th Anteater to reach that plateau. All of this coming in her 50th career start which leads all active 'Eaters.
Along with her scoring came
Noel Baham's seventh career goal, and she adds to her active assist lead with 14 all-time now, tied for eighth-most in program history. Reema Bzeih added to her collection with her sixth career assist.
A couple of firsts came in the match as Jonnae Joseph and Kelsee Pottorff each registered their first career points on assists. "Feels really nice," Joseph said behind a smile. "It's weird because freshman year I was a midfielder / forward, so it was cool to get back up there and get a point on board and help the team out."
Joseph did her job on the defensive side as well as the backline only allowed two shots with just one of them ending up on frame, and shut the Pilots out of any corner kick chances. "We've been working really, really hard in practice and the offseason. It was our goal to have no crosses or shots so it was good to stick to that."
Joseph and the squad will be back as they have two more matches coming up this week, both starting off doubleheaders with the men's side with the first on Friday vs. Penn and wrapping up the weekend Sunday vs. Toledo. Both matches begin at 4:00 p.m. with the men's games following at 7:00 p.m. all in Anteater Stadium.
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