IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer came away with the victory in a high-octane Saturday night match in Anteater Stadium shutting out Sacramento State, 2-0.
The shots started firing early as the Anteaters (8-4-1, 2-0-0) nearly struck in the second minute as
Ivan Canales' shot from the top of the box was tipped by Hornet keeper Ryan Curtis off the bar and out.
Curtis was busy in the match saving eight shots in total including a huge stop in the sixth minute.
The Anteaters drew a penalty from a foul in the box, and
Jose Ortiz stepped up to take it, but was saved keeping the match scoreless early on.
The match carried on before Anteater
Daniel Crisostomo was cut in the 22nd minute as he was tended to as were a pair of Sacramento State (3-7-2, 1-1-0) players with blood on their jerseys.
After play resumed, the 'Eaters pounced scoring six seconds later after a free kick into the box was cleared right to
Alvaro Quezada, and his shot back on cage somehow slipped through Hornet keeper Ryan Curtis to untie the match in favor of UCI, 1-0.
UC Irvine almost doubled up on the Hornets in the 24th minute as
Jose Ortiz blasted the crossbar, but the match ran into halftime will still just a 1-0 Anteater lead.
UCI charged on in the second half as
Lawrence Yamaguchi had multiple chances in the first few minutes. Curtis was up to the challenge making a big save to keep the Hornets in the match, but the Anteater will forged on and ultimately found a second goal.
Jose Ortiz and
Alvaro Quezada played a nice little give-and-go action off a short corner, and Ortiz would make up for his missed penalty earlier on and slip a hard-angle shot off the right wing inside the far post for the 2-0 lead.
Patenaude would finish out the shutout, his fifth of the season tying a career high with five saves and getting help from his backline with a sixth save lifting the 'Eaters to an 8-4-1 record and staying undefeated in conference play at 2-0-0.
Quezada was credited with the game-winning goal, his second of the season, third of his career, and he added an assist giving him three on the week, five points now in conference play, and six total assists for the conference-lead. Ortiz adds to his team-leading goal total with seven.
UC Irvine heads out on the road for its next matchup traveling to No. 16 UC Davis on Wed. Oct. 10.
NOTES: Patenaude's win is the 10th of his career, the 11th Anteater keeper with 10 or more...the 'Eaters finish the first week of Big West play as the only team emerging with all six points...the Anteaters honor Julio Godoy who joined the squad in 2015 via non-profit organization Team IMPACT prior to Saturday's match
