IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine returned home after a short road trip to start the season, but a pair of second-half goals from visiting Utah Valley spoiled the home opener Friday night in Anteater Stadium with a 2-1 defeat.
UCI (1-1-1) started off well enough taking five of the first six shots including the opening goal in the 29th minute.
Daniel Crisostomo took the ball away near midfield and shoveling the ball wide to
Jalani Ambrose down the right wing who turned right around and smacked cross into the box hitting
Jose Ortiz along the way who redirected it home making it 1-0 in favor of the Anteaters.
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UCI carried the lead into the half with a slim advantage in shots and corner kicks, but that would all disappear early in the second stanza.
The Wolverines would knot things up in the 49th minute with a little help from the Anteaters. Utah Valley (3-0-0) streaked down the right wing and turned a cross toward the six-yard box. Senior defender
Darren Hamilton found himself in the path of the cross, but his clearing header ended up in the back of the net tying things at 1-1 for just the first goal allowed by the Anteater defense on the season.
Both sides played on with shots raining in from all over. The Wolverines would put the next dent into the physical match quickly matriculating down the right wing before finding a wide-open Luis Vargas who drove into the box and beat
Greg Patenaude 1v1 to complete the UVU comeback and put UCI behind, 2-1, in the 70th minute.
UVU had more chances to extend the lead forcing Patenaude to make a pair of sprawling saves down the stretch to keep the match within reach.
It came down to the final minute as the Anteaters beared down on the Wolverine net.
Lawrence Yamaguchi would find himself with the ball eight yards out and twice be denied by keeper Joseph Wheelwright to turn away the Anteater chances for good for a final of 2-1.
Patenaude finished with three saves much like his counterpart Wheelwright. The loss is the first for UCI on the 2018 season after going 1-0-1 on the opening road trip. They also did not allow a goal in those two matches,and took a shutout streak into the 49th minute, a total of 252 minutes to start the season.
UCI and Utah Valley even their all-time series now at 1-1 with each winning in each other's home.
Jose Ortiz's strike is his sixth career goal giving him 15 career points.
Jalani Ambrose has now had a say in each Anteater goal this season assisting on each. Crisostomo also earned an assist, the 11th of his career as he comes off a 9-assist season which led the conference and ranked fifth in the country.
UC Irvine will look to bounce back on Sunday as it welcomes James Madison into Anteater Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. matchup.
NOTES: UC Irvine's streak of 252 minutes to start the season without allowing a goal is the third-longest in program history...
Greg Patenaude's personal shutout streak that dated back to the 2017 season ended at 320 minutes as well as his 11 consecutive saves...UCI's string of home openers without a loss ended after the 'Eaters had won its last 13 home openers marking the first loss since 2004...UCI is winless in its blue kits this season (0-1-1)
