ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. --- UC Irvine got its first signature win under new head coach Yossi Raz pitching a shutout against No. 8 Denver, 1-0, to kick off the Grange and Ashwill Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

The decisive strike came in the 57th minute as Mario Ortiz and Daniel Crisostomo teamed up to find Ivan Canales on the right wing who launches a cross-cage shot off the far post and in for the 1-0 edge for UCI (3-1-1).

The Anteaters held the shot advantage through a majority of the match before the late Denver (3-2-0) push. The Pioneers tried to play catch-up with nine of their 11 shots in the second half including all five of its shots on goal, but Alex Waldron was up to the task stopping them all registering his third career shutout and the team's first of the year.

Canales comes through with the game-winner for a second straight game after not recording any in his first two seasons. The goal is his 10th over his Anteater career assisted by Crisostomo, his second this season and third of his career.

"Ivan works hard in practice, and when the game arrives he really comes to life," remarked an excited but focused head coach Yossi Raz. "He likes the pressure of high competition, and finds ways to shine in those moments. He was good without the goal today as well as in Sunday's win. He finds the right pockets that allowed us to be dangerous, and I'm very excited that the hard work he's put in is paying off and I want him to continue to grow and be an important part of the team."

The win for UCI is the first against a ranked opponent since 2014 when the squad took down No. 1 Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, 1 of 4 ranked opponents UCI took a result from that season. Overall, its the seventh top-10 opponent the program has taken down in its history.

"A great win against a very, very good opponent. It's a sign that we're progressing, it's a a sign that we have move forward as a program and I'm excited about that. The players and staff have put a lot of hard work into it, and so the hope is that we keep building on this."

The weekend continues on with a Sunday evening match against the host school, New Mexico, closing out the Grange and Ashwill Invitational on Sept. 10 at 5:00 p.m.