IRVINE, Calif. --- Reema Bzeih's first career goal came in the most dramatic fashion Friday night in Anteater Stadium scoring in the last second of double overtime to put UC Irvine over the top against Hawai'i, 1-0.
Time was winding down in the 110th minute as the Anteaters (5-5-1, 1-0-0) hustled in a final throw-in. Fifth-year senior defender
Reema Bzeih gained possession at the edge of the box, drove, and whipped a shot toward goal clipping a pair of legs before settling inside the far post for the match's only goal and the clock reading 00:01.
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The match was full of dramatic twists and turns before the 6,599th second of play. The 'Eaters had a wealth of offensive chances early putting up eight first-half shots to none for Hawai'i (5-4-1, 0-1-0) with reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Week, Alexis Mata, needing to make a pair of brilliant saves which came on consecutive shots in the 39th minute from
Scarlett Camberos and
Jessica Miclat.
The match remained scoreless through halftime and into the second half Hawai'i finally got a shot in the 51st minute from Raisa Strom-Okimoto that
Maddie Newsom needed to save. The 'Eaters came back and hit the post in the 61st minute off the foot of
Shelby Lee.
More chance came in as part of 12 second-half shots for UC Irvine culminating in a final try with four seconds left in regulation. Elena Palacios' yellow card for time wasting allowed the 'Eaters to set up a free kick just within range of the goal, but
Alex Karlowitsch's shot was gobbled up by Mata putting the match into overtime.
Alex Jaquez almost put the game away less than a minute into the extra period cutting across the box and firing only to hit the post again and keep the match going.
Aleah Kelley and
Reema Bzeih hooked up for the fifth time on a corner kick in the period, but Kelley could not find the frame on any of her chances on the night. The period ended with another looking from
Lili Andino with 15 seconds to go that Mata returned to sender and keep the match rolling into the second overtime period.
The two sides generated nothing on the offensive end with just one weak shot through the first nine-plus minutes of action before Bzeih's strike to end things in the 110th minute.
Bzeih's goal is her first in her collegiate career that spans 62 matches between UC Irvine and UCLA, and goes without saying her first game-winning goal.
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Alexis Mata proved her worth in net for the Rainbow Wahine stopping eight shots as UCI turned 24 total shots toward goal tying a season high.
Maddie Newsom in the Anteater net made two saves of her own while earning her first and the team's first shutout of 2018.
UCI joins the likes of UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly as teams atop the Big West earning wins in their respective openers. UC Irvine awaits each squad in their next matches, Friday, Oct. 5 vs. UCSB and Sunday, Oct. 7 vs. Cal Poly both in Anteater Stadium.
NOTES: UCI improves to 8-1-1 all-time against the Bows having won the last four matches in the series...Bzeih's goal makes her the fourth Anteater to score the first of her career this season joining freshmen
Alex Jaquez and
Kala McDaniel as well as fourth-year defender
Aleah Kelley...of UCI's 11 matches this year, 8 have been decided by one goal
