NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer coming of a five-goal match Thursday extended the offensive onslaught with a 6-1 victory at CSUN and Matador Soccer Field Sunday evening.
MINUTE MADE
The Anteaters (11-5, 6-2) could hardly wait for the fans in attendance to get settle before they started scoring lighting up the scoreboard just 61 seconds into the match.
Alyssa Moore shot a lead pass from midfield up to
Scarlett Camberos who dodged the oncoming keeper to finish the 1v1 chance and put UCI up, 1-0, in the second minute.
UCI continued to push the attack looking for a second goal with Camberos and Moore each offering up chances, but it was CSUN (3-15, 2-6) who found the next tally.
An Ashly Torres corner kick floated into the box and found Alyssa Aguilar dishing to Ashley Cruz whose shot slipped by
Glo Hinojosa and her defense sneaking inside the left post to make it a 1-1 match in the 17th minute.
The scoring subsided for the moment as the sides went into the break still at 1-1 and nine shots between them.
FIVE FOR FIGHTING
Still in a fight for a postseason spot, the Anteaters were determined for a win Sunday night, and returned to their scalding second half play.
The first response happened in the 48th minute as
Chloe Ragon set up for a corner kick. Her feed was cleared by a Matador defender, but
Destinee Manzo was in the right spot uncorked a heat-seeker volley back on frame and in to retake the lead, 2-1.
A third goal added a bit of insurance in the 54th minute. Along the left wing, the 'Eaters possessed, and
Sophie Gillies punched a pass toward the box. Ragon was present again to help the ball along, and
Suus de Bakker had the decisive blow nudging the ball along further and inside the far post to make it 3-1.
The lead grew to 4-1 in the 64th with Manzo on the scene again. Ragon fought for control in the box, but it was punched free and again to the waiting Manzo who would return fire this time into the upper left of the goal for her second of the match.
With the match well in hand, the 'Eater offense still would not be silenced scoring two more in under a three-minute span, and
Alyssa Moore was credited with each. In the 74th minute.
Desiree Mendoza stepped up for a corner kicking it short to Moore whose initial shot was denied by a crowd, but she collected her rebound and found a lane to slide the ball through and in for a 5-1 lead. Moore returned in the 77th minute, this time getting a head on a long throw-in from
Amber Huff from the left touchline encouraging it along inside the far post for a 6-1 Anteater drubbing.
FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 6, CSUN 1
The six goals are the second instance UCI has reached that output this season joining the first home match that resulted in a 6-0 win over Southern Utah. The six goals this time accounted for the team's sixth conference win; now 6-2 in Big West play lifting itself all alone into third place in the standings and 11-5 overall. Head Coach
Scott Juniper's squad improves to an impressive 7-2 record in road matches winning six straight away from home, and are now 8-2 against conference foes on the year defeating Cal State Fullerton and now CSUN twice each.
The Anteaters have erupted for 11 goals in their road matches this week turning on the afterburners in the second half where they've scored nine of them. Sunday's scoring leaders were Moore and Manzo each scoring two goals with Moore adding an assist. Moore has risen to second on the team in goals and points now as she enjoyed her second match this year with a goal and assist each. Like Moore, Manzo earned her first career brace now with three goals and assists in 2021, and her first goal registered as the game-winner, her second of the season.
"As a team this week, we've scored a ton of goals and I was so eager tonight to put one on the board and finally get one myself," said the senior Manzo. "I was able to put two in the back of the net, and I couldn't be happier."
Scarlett Camberos was once again on the scoring sheet finding the back of the net for a fourth straight match, and fifth straight with a point. It pushed her to the top of the Big West in goals scored with 12 while maintaining her Big West points lead at 29.
The final scorer of the evening was
Suus de Bakker netting the first goal of the freshman's career. She becomes the 20th Anteater to record a point in 2021 and 10th to net their first career goal.
Along with Moore's assist, others recorded contributions including
Amber Huff with her third this season in her 50th career match, Gillies tallying her third assist, a second this year from Mendoza, and three this season from Ragon after posting two helpers Sunday.
Defensively,
Glo Hinojosa made three stops en route to her 11th win of 2021 and the team's 11th tying it for most in the conference.
Hannah Roberts subbed on for her second match as an Anteater for the final 8:27 without facing a shot.
"It feels good, and I'm proud of my team and our performance tonight," Manzo added ready for an important final week ahead. "Now we move forward and focus on Santa Barbara and Cal Poly, and we are ready."
The final week of the regular season will be an interesting one as the Anteaters enter it now with 18 Big West points sitting in third place. The top four in the standings will all square off with each other leaving plenty of opportunities to shake up the standing. The Anteaters will have the luxury of playing in Anteater Stadium for their final two regular season matches. The week starts Thursday, October 28, with UCI welcoming in UC Santa Barbara and ending with Big West leaders Cal Poly at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, October 31. When not at Anteater Stadium, UCSB and Cal Poly will be up that road at Long Beach State playing. UC Irvine is still in contention for the Big West crown, and can secure a spot in the tournament Thursday with a win over the Gauchos.
