'Eaters Top Highlanders, 3-1

Wednesday, October 3

Riverside, CA

7:00 PM

UC Irvine

7-4-1, 1-0Big West

UC Riverside

2-8-1, 0-1Big West

Team	1	2	Final F
UC Irvine	2	1	3
UCR	0	1	1

'Eaters Top Highlanders, 3-1

October 03, 2018 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Alex Croteau

RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer got three points out of the Big West opener shutting down UC Riverside, 3-1, Wednesday night at UCR Soccer Stadium.

The Anteaters (7-4-1, 1-0-0) put their first shot of the match home as Jalani Ambrose slipped home Alvaro Quezada's cross in the 20th minute for the first of his career and an early, 1-0 UCI lead.

Ivan Canales followed in the 35th minute putting Jose Ortiz's feed away putting the 'Eaters up 2-0 heading into the half.

Greg Patenaude was up to the task stopping a pair of first half shots and adding one early in the second frame before UCI backed him up again. Christian Gutierrez guided UCI's third goal home in the 58th minute on Quezada's second assist put the game away with one-third of the match left.

Patenaude finished with four saves, but UC Riverside (2-8-1, 0-1-0) snuck in a goal with 11 seconds left in regulation to spoil the shutout and end the match in a 3-1 win for the 'Eaters.

Canales scored his 20th goal of his career becoming the 12th Anteater with 20 or more all-time. He also added an assist, his 19th of his career, now just one assist shy of becoming the second Anteater all-time with 20 goals and 20 assists. He sits atop the team in points now with 14 tied with junior Jose Ortiz who added an assist on his goal. Canales also earned the game-winning goal, his fourth of the season as he remains the Big West leader.

UCI will bring it home for its next Big West match hosting Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 6 with a 7:00 p.m. match in Anteater Stadium.

NOTES: Ambrose's strike makes him the sixth Anteater to record his first career goal this season...Ambrose become the ninth Anteater goalscorer this season...Quezada registered the first 2-assist game for the 'Eaters this season, the first for the 'Eaters since Oct. 14, 2017 when Mario Ortiz assisted on each of UCI's goals in a 3-2 loss...Michael Orozco was added with an assist on the first goal, his first career assist...the win snaps a string of seven straight seasons that UCI opened Big West play without a win (0-6-1)