RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer fell to UC Riverside Wednesday in UCR Soccer Stadium by a score of 4-0.
The match started slowly on the offensive end with no shots in the first 10 minutes. UC Riverside (4-6-3, 3-1-1) was credited with the match's first four shots, and the fifth they opened up the scoring.
A stroke of luck help the Highlanders as Noah Lopez's shot was blocked en route by
Mathias Winum, but it landed right in the path of Issa Badawiya who stayed on side and finished into an open net for a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.
The first goal led to three more in the half for the Highlanders with a fine play in the 36th minute with Brendan Clark sling-shotting Luka Lukic ahead who chipped over
Luke Pruter off his line for the 2-0 UCR lead.
Lukic would set up Clark on the next goal taking a cross and heading it back across goal to Clark who headed home the third goal in the 40th minute.
Right before the half, UCR added a fourth as a corner kick was swung into the box and
Luke Pruter's clearance attempt was punched behind him instead landing in the back of the net in the 43rd minute.
FINAL SCORE: UC RIVERSIDE 4, UC IRVINE 0
The Anteaters (2-11-1, 2-3-0) were credited with five shots putting four on target.
Luke Pruter stopped two shots in net as the 'Eaters remain at six points through five Big West matches and in a three-way tie for the sixth and final tournament spot. UCI has another chance to jump back up in the standings with a big matchup Saturday night in Anteater Stadium against the conference leader, UC Santa Barbara, kicking off at 7:00 p.m.
