IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine turned on the jets late to dispatch Division III squad Pomona-Pitzer, 4-0, to win the 300th game in program history.
The 'Eaters (4-2-1) got off to a slow start on offense limited in the first 20 minutes. UCI finally broke the deadlock in the 34th minute as
Christian Bond-Flasza and
Luis Leon teamed up for a perfect feed finding
Christian Gutierrez in the middle of the box to head home his first career goal, and UC Irvine took the slim 1-0 lead into the half.
Pomona-Pitzer (3-3-0, 2-0-0) kept things interesting as substitute keeper Bryan Diangson made a pair of spectacular saves to start the second half and keep the score at 1-0 UCI.
The Anteaters finally broke through with a second tally in the 68th minute.
Jose Ortiz was the beneficiary punching the second goal home from the penalty spot after
Daniel Crisostomo and
Alvaro Quezada set him up.
The flood gates would begin to open as the 'Eaters would earn a penalty attempt in the 72nd minute that Crisostomo would deposit for the 3-0 edge, and a fourth and final goal came from
Manny Acosta who received a beautiful lead pass from
Victor Falck, drove, and finished over Diangson near post in the 81st minute.
UCI finished the 4-0 victory with a season high in goals, but also did the job on defense allowing just three shots in a combined shutout between
Greg Patenaude and freshman
Carlos Contreras who played the second half earning his first career save in his collegiate debut.
For the 'Eaters, it marked the 300th win in UC Irvine men's soccer history and 171st in Anteater Stadium.
Of the four goals, three were the first career goal for each player including senior
Daniel Crisostomo who was appearing in his 60th career match.
Others celebrating their first career goal were fellow redshirt sophomores
Manny Acosta and
Christian Gutierrez, both scoring their first career point as well. For Gutierrez, he chalked up his first career game-winning goal on the 34th-minute header.
UCI's next match is back in Anteater Stadium with a visit from Ivy League's Brown Bears on Sunday, Sep. 16 with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff.
NOTES: Along with
Carlos Contreras' first career match was the first career start for redshirt freshman
Axel Adler...
Christian Bond-Flasza earned his second career point via an assist in his fifth career start...
Alvaro Quezada has points in consecutive matches, the team is now 3-1 when he registers a point...
Luis Leon earned an assist, he now has assists in consecutive home matches...Crisostomo also added an assist, the 12th of his career...
Jose Ortiz has scored in four consecutive home matches and four of his last five matches overall, he now has 21 career points...
Victor Falck has assists in two of his last three matches
