IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer pushed its win streak to three games topping conference foe Cal State Fullerton, 2-1, Sunday night in Anteater Stadium even after going down a player in the second half.
SCARLETT NETTER
UCI (4-2) took control of the match early on. With one shot in the first few minutes of the game, the match turned in the seventh minute on a well-constructed Anteater attack.
Defender
Alex Jaquez teamed up with
Destinee Manzo to work out of the back, and Manzo soon spotted
Scarlett Camberos up the wing feeding her and letting her work. Camberos turned and fired from just outside the box and fit it nicely just over Cal State Fullerton keeper DeAira Jackson and just underneath the bar for a goal and a 1-0 edge.
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DOUBLE DOWN
The 'Eaters came out of the half with the one-goal lead and a 6-2 shot advantage, but the Titans looked to level and got some help early in the half.
Maddy Chavez was carded in the 51st minute near midfield, and then just over two minutes later was called for a foul in the box near goal and drawing a second yellow sending her off and Cal State Fullerton (0-5) to the spot.
Callie Petrey-Juarez would convert beating
Glo Hinojosa high, and tying things, 1-1, in the 53rd minute.
UCI was now with 10 field players, quickly subbed in
Mihaela Perez to fortify the backline, and that would soon pay dividends.
Perez started the breakout in the 63rd minute finding
Alyssa Moore just across the halway line, and Moore hit a streaking Camberos in stride who beat the keeper 1v1 and recapture the lead, 2-1.
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The final 25 minutes were a defensive struggle as the 'Eaters held the Titan pressure as they came with nine more shots and a majority of the possession, but could only manage one on frame that was wrapped up by Hinojosa to secure the win.
FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 2, CAL STATE FULLERTON 1
UCI withstood the 34-minute disadvantage to score a third straight victory Sunday. The 'Eaters have also stayed out of the loss column in seven straight home matches dating back to 2019 with a 6-0-1 mark in them.
Camberos' brace marked her first career two-goal match as her four goals on the season have already matched the season-best she registered in 2019. She continues to lead all active Anteaters with now eight goals and 21 career points. The game-winner is her second with the other coming as her first career goal in the 2019 home win over Northern Colorado.
"Coming into the game, I was really determined to win, and I was instructed I'd be playing the 9 so I came in really goal-oriented," noted a smiling Camberos on what led to her first goal. She continued noting the change after the things leveled. "We got a little complacent with our lead, so when we got scored on, it was a switching point for the whole team. I was really proud of everyone and how we all were really determined to win this game. My mentality changed a lot and knew I needed to get a winner. It was great to have everyone on the same page and fighing this win tonight."
Her teammates reaped the benefits with assist on Camberos' goals. Jaquez started things off on the first goal to earn her first assist of 2021. Manzo also helped on the first goal for her team-leading third assist of the year, and Moore is tied up there with her assisting on her third goal for the game-winner. A final assist went to
Mihaela Perez toward the game-winner to account for her first collegiate point.
Hinojosa needed just one save in net to secure the victory. She's accounted for all four UCI wins this year. She and the defense did not allow a goal in the run of play all week conceding to LMU and CSF from penalty kicks.
JAM PACKED
Women's soccer has two non-conference matches remaining before heading to Big West play, but they are a couple big contests starting this Thursday. UC Irvine will host Oregon State in their last home match for 17 days, and it begins a double feature of action on September 9 kicking off at 3:00 p.m. followed by a 7:30 p.m. men's soccer tilt.
The final non-conference match is against another Pac-12 foe as the team heads to Berkeley to play Cal on September 16.
