MORAGA, Calif. --- No. 25 UC Irvine men's soccer could not get a shot past the 11th-ranked Saint Mary's Gaels Friday afternoon in Saint Mary's Stadium as they opened the 2019 regular season

First Impressions
A number of Anteaters were making their school and collegiate debuts in Friday's match. Six of which were in the starting XI including freshmen Eddy Berumen and Roberto Molina. Carlos Becerra-Gomez, Seamus McLaughlin, Ford Parker, and Luca Mastrantonio made their debuts as Anteaters following transfers. Off the bench, Kwabena Boateng, Eder Oliva, Ricardo Ibarra, and Oscar Cervantes were also making their debuts for UC Irvine and in Division I.

Gaels Gain the Edge
No. 11 Saint Mary's (1-0-0) held a majority of the possession and shots in the first half getting on the scoreboard first in the 34th minute. Anteater keeper Ford Parker came out to challenge a loose ball in the box and tripped up a Saint Mary's attacker on the way just a split second late to draw a penalty kick. Anders Engebretsen stepped up and buried the PK as Parker guessed right, but could not get to the ball putting the 'Eaters down, 1-0.

Saint Mary's increased their lead in the 41st minuete with Engebretsen on the case again. He threaded his way through the Anteater defense and found space for a shot. Parker was keen to it stopping the initial shot, but Engebretsen gathered the rebound and put it away giving the Gaels a 2-0 lead heading into the half.

No Answer
The second half was played much more evenly with a slight edge to SMC on the shots, 7-6, but UCI put two on target and earned both of the half's corners as the Gaels locked down on defense and held on for the shutout victory.

Final Score: #11 Saint Mary's 2, #25 UC Irvine 0
The Gaels continue their impressive run with 21 straight matches without a defeat following an unbeaten 2019 season. UC Irvine is now winless in four straight season openers, all on the road. All-time, they fall to 21-10-5 in season-opening matches. SMC finished with a 14-8 edge in shots led by three from Engebretsen. UCI was issued three yellow cards to one for Saint Mary's, but the Gaels carried a 27-13 disparity in fouls committed. Anteater keeper Ford Parker finished with three saves to four for SMC goalie Remi Prieur

Next Up
UC Irvine's opening weekend roadtrip finishes in Berkeley to face Cal on Sunday, Sep. 1, starting at 12:00 p.m.