IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine put home a pair of goals less than three minutes apart to score a second consecutive victory, 2-0, Friday night in Anteater Stadium over Loyola Marymount.
The sides played through a first-half deadlock without any scores. Each keeper was tested early needing to make an above-average stop in the match's opening minutes to keeper it that way.
The 'Eaters (3-1-1) came out firing to open the second half starting in the 55th minute. The squad pushed upfield led by
Victor Falck setting up
Jalani Ambrose on the flank, and he turned a cross into the box right onto
Ivan Canales who slid the opener home to make it 1-0.
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UCI needed 156 seconds to build upon that with Canales back on the scene. As the senior drove through the attacking third, he chips a pass over the backline onto
Jose Ortiz on the right wing whose volley slipped around keeper Paul Lewis and in to suddenly make it a 2-0 Anteater lead.
LMU (0-3-1) didn't back down nearly cutting into that lead minutes later as Francis Avoce curled a beautiful shot from the edge of the box that
Greg Patenaude leapt to get a glove on the shot and preserve the shutout.
Patenaude and the shorthanded defense in front of him would hold up the shutout completing the 2-0 victory. The shutout for Patenaude is the third of his career stopping three shots. Lion keeper Paul Lewis stopped four on his end.
Canales recorded the game-winning goal for the second straight game giving him five now for his career. He also added his 16th career assist.
Jose Ortiz maintained the team points lead now with six on three goals, one in each of the last three matches.
The win for UCI is the 17th over LMU in 27 matches, and next up is a trip to San Diego State for a 5:00 p.m. Sunday night match searching for a third straight victory.
NOTES: The 'Eaters were without senior defender
Darren Hamilton after he was issued a red card in the last match...Hamilton's absence gave way to redshirt freshman
Ben Reveno to make his first career start in his third career match...
Jalani Ambrose added his team-leading third assist which ties him for the conference lead...
Victor Falck's assist was the third of his career, two of which have come at home
