IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine opened the 2018 season with a bang against No. 12 USC falling 1-0 Thursday night in packed Anteater Stadium.
A women's soccer record crowd of 1,704 fans filled the stadium to watch the squads duke it out in the first game for either team. The 1,704 fans broke the previous record of 1,611 set back in 2011, and stands as the fourth-largest crowd in stadium history and the largest crowd ever for a regular season match.
The match raged on with each squad putting chances up early as keepers
Maddie Newsom and Kaylie Collins each snapped up a save in the opening minutes. The Anteaters (0-1-0) got the first real scoring chance in the 31st minute.
Amber Huff connected with fellow freshman
Alex Jaquez on a long throw-in, and Jaquez whipped around sending a high kick off the crossbar.
The sides remained deadlocked until the Trojans (1-0-0) broke the seal in the 41st minute. Leah Pruitt slammed a cross through the box to the waiting Natalie Jacobs who turned a header on frame and in for the 1-0 lead heading into the half.
The Anteater charge grew in the second half as UCI tallying the majority of possession and chances. UC Irvine outshot the 12th-ranked Trojans in the half, and even hit the crossbar for a second time as
Claire Grouwinkel's tough-angle try glanced off the bar and out the other side.
Despite a corner kick advantage of 8-2, the 'Eaters could not find the equalizing mark ultimately falling, 1-0.
Each keeper finished with three saves on the evening. USC finished with a 9-6 shot advantage and improved to 11-1-2 all-time against the 'Eaters.
UC Irvine has a full week before its second match of the season returning to Anteater Stadium to face Arizona after the squads drew last season, 0-0, in Tucson, The Thursday, August 23 match kicks off at 7:00 p.m.
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NOTES: UCI all-time to open the season is 15-17-3 and 7-8-1 when at home...No. 12 USC was the 'Eaters' third ranked opponent to open a season as they now fall to 0-3 in those games, but still remain 6-8 all-time vs. ranked opponents...6 Anteaters made their collegiate debut Thursday night - 5 were freshmen with 3 starting (
Amber Huff,
Kala McDaniel,
Alex Jaquez) and 2 coming off the bench (
Scarlett Camberos,
Piper Wurth), the sixth debutante was second-year player
McKenzie Madison after she redshirted in 2017...Thursday night's crowd was the 23rd to eclipse 1,000 fans for any soccer match in the stadium, the 9th for a women's soccer match...the three crowds larger than Thursday night's in Anteater history were all men's soccer games with two being NCAA Tournament matches and the third a Big West Tournament Final...the previous women's soccer record crowd was a 3-1 win over No. 25 Portland that took place on Sept. 22, 2011...this was the first time UCI faced a ranked USC program
