LOS ANGELES, Calif. – No. 10 UC Irvine could not hold off No. 2 USC in the fourth period as the Trojans snuck past the Anteaters 10-9 at the Mountain Pacific Invitational held at the Uytengsu Aquatics Center.

USC out-scored UCI 4-0 in the final period to remain unbeaten (12-0) and thwart the Anteater upset. The loss snapped UCI's six game winning streak as the Anteaters go to 7-3 overall.

UCI freshman Fynn Schuetze led all players with three goals. Seniors Lovre Milos and Antoine Lena followed with two goals apiece, while Kyle Trush and Robby Stiefel also scored a goal for the Anteaters. Goalkeeper Matej Matijevic posted 13 saves.

Three of USC 's goals were scored on power plays and two on penalty shots. Marko Vavic, Grant Stein and Matteo Morelli led USC with two goals each.

UCI scored first on a goal by Lovre Milos at 7:09, but a power play goal at 5:35 and another by Zach D'Sa at 5:04 gave the Trojans the 2-1 advantage. Milos answered with a man advantage goal on a Kyle Trush pass at 4:47, 2-2. An exclusion on UCI keeper Matej Matijevic led to a made penalty shot by Grant Stein. UCI would then score three unanswered goals, coming off a pair from Fynn Schuetze (3:44, 2:18) and one by Robby Stiefel to put the Anteaters in front, 5-3. A USC goal at 1:15 then one by Kyle Trush (0:35) ended the first period with UCI on top 6-4.   

Schuetze recorded the hat trick with a goal at 7:27 of the second period. A Marko Vavic goal (4:03) edged the Trojans closer at 7-5, then an Antoine Lena goal extended it back at 1:01, giving UCI an 8-5 lead at the half.  

Scoring slowed down in the third period as a Trojan power play goal was answered once again by Lena at 2:22, 9-6.

The fourth period was all USC as back-to-back goals, the first on a penalty shot then the next 23 seconds later narrowed the Anteater advantage to 9-8 at 4:26. Two more Trojans goals, one at 3:18 then the game-winner by Matt Maier at 2:30 gave USC its first lead since the first period. The Anteaters could not muster a goal in the final eight minutes, falling 10-9.

UCI will continue tournament action on Saturday, facing either Stanford or Long Beach State at 4:30 p.m.
 
SCORING BY PERIOD
UCI      6-2-1-0-9
USC    4-1-1-4-10

SCORING
UCI: Schuetze 3, Milos 2, Lena 2, Stiefel 1, K. Trush 1
USC: Stein 2, Morelli 2, Vavic 2, D'Sa, Hoerman 1, Edwards 1, Maier 1

GOALKEEPING
UCI: Matijevic 13
USC: Baron 9