IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine used every minute to get a win once again scoring with 28 seconds left in double overtime to drop Cal Poly, 2-1, Sunday afternoon in Anteater Stadium.
Much like Friday's ending, the 'Eaters (7-5-1, 3-0-0) set up just around midfield for a free kick that keeper
Maddie Newsom punted toward goal into a mass of humanity in the middle of the box. The ball found
Shelby Lee's head that bounced inside the post for the go-ahead goal in the 110th minute.
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The match got back to double overtime from a five-minute span of goals in the second half. The Anteaters made the first mark in the 56th minute from a
Reema Bzeih corner kick. She planted a ball long to the far post finding
Aleah Kelley who would head the ball back across to
Claire Grouwinkel to redirect it home with a head past Mustang keeper Sophia Brown for a 1-0 UC Irvine lead.
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Cal Poly (1-10-4, 1-2-1) got the benefit of an Anteater mistake in the 61st minute as the Mustangs charged toward the box and the ball would bounce up and catch an 'Eater on the arm to award a penalty kick to Cal Poly. Megan Hansen would step up and convert tying things at 1-1 with nearly half an hour remaining.
The 'Eaters emerged with more of the opportunities to score starting with Lee and
Elizabeth Hutchison missing narrowly in the first half.
Lili Andino nearly struck first on the scoreboard in the opening minute of the second half scoring a goal, but it was taken away by a ball off the arm. UCI nearly locked the game up in regulation as the 82nd minute rolled around and
Alex Karlowitsch whipped a shot off left wing off the crossbar. The rebound fell to
Amber Huff who put the ball back on frame, but was caught by Brown for one of her six saves on the day.
Maddie Newsom and her 'Eaters would finish with the 2-1 victory, however, and added two saves giving her 190 in her career in what was her 30th victory of her career.
Shelby Lee's goal is the fifth of her career as she's scored in consecutive matches now, and the first game-winner of her career.
Claire Grouwinkel also scored, her team-leading sixth of the season.
UC Irvine remains atop the Big West conference standings earning all nine possible points through the first three matches. UCI will get its first road Big West tests now as it heads to unbeaten UC Riverside Wednesday, Oct. 11 before continuing on to UC Davis next weekend.
NOTES: Maddie Newsom added an assist on the game-winning goal, her third assist from the goalkeeper position in the last four matches...
Reema Bzeih assisted on the first goal, the 12th of her career and second on the season...
Aleah Kelley's assist was the first of her career...
Alex Karlowitsch played in her 70th career match becoming the 28th Anteater in program history to reach 70 matches played...UC Irvine's fifth straight win marks the longest win streak for the program since 2011 when the 'Eaters had streaks of five and seven straight wins...prior to the match, the Anteaters honors survivors of Breast Cancer while supporting awareness of the fight to end it with a ceremony recognizing survivors the mother of
Aleah Kelley, the grandmothers of
Claire Grouwinkel,
Shelby Petty, and
Madi Puliafico, and the late grandmother of
Kala McDaniel
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