LOS ANGELES, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer for a second straight year took down a higher-seeded Pac-12 foe in the NCAA Tournament First Round; this time a 2-0 win at No. 14 USC Saturday afternoon at Soni McAlister Field to move on to the Second Round.

LEADING THE PAC
The match started out with UC Irvine (11-5-6, 3-2-5) the aggressors. After falling behind 3-0 in the first 18 minutes in the non-conference matchup earlier this year and just two shots in total in the first half, UCI got the attack going with a shot in the second minute. UCI kept the shot advantage and possession as the game played through the first 15 minutes, and then the tie was broken.
 

The magic touch!! ? #RipEm pic.twitter.com/DGCiFSRVr3

— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) November 12, 2022

In the 16th minute, UCI got a throw-in with Amber Huff on the call. Her long throw was chipped up in the box and Destinee Manzo helped it along floating one across the goalmouth, under the bar, and inside the far post by a diving USC keeper for the opening strike and a 1-0 lead.

Once again, UC Irvine was on top early against the hosts and favorites just like a year ago at UCLA. The 'Eater defense rose to the occasion denying USC (12-3-3, 8-1-2) on their seven shots and three shots on goal in the first half to take the lead into halftime.

GLOWING WITH PRIDE
The second half began and again UCI was searching for an important insurance goal getting early shots up. In the 51st minute, a similar situation to the first goal saw a throw-in bound around and fall to Tati Fung whose chip shot skipped just over the bar. The Anteaters kept charging following a brilliant attempt by Simone Jackson that Glo Hinojosa snatched on a dive. Four more shots in the next five minutes tested USC keeper Anna Smith. Manzo whipped a low shot on target with Huff and Fung each punching shots just wide of the post. Alex Jaquez wound up from 30 yards out in the 63rd minute and crushed a ball that painted the crossbar as UCI still held on to its 1-0 lead.

The defense and Hinojosa buckled up for the USC barrage down the final half hour. Hinojosa collected her third and fourth saves of the half in the 63rd and 68th minutes weathering the storm until USC's best opportunity in the 78th minute. Jackson was back on the charge and created some space for a shot near the top of the box. Her attempt caught Hinojosa who kept it out but flushed the rebound to her right. The defense pounced but not before Zoe Burns could get to it and put a shot back on goal, but it slid across the goalmouth and wide of the far post to keep the score at 1-0.

The Trojans could muster just one unthreatening shot in the final 12 minutes as attack after a attack was snuffed out by UCI's defensive line of Suus de Bakker, Alex Jaquez, Maddy Chavez, and Kiera Smeenge.

Meanwhile, the 'Eaters would build on their lead and put the nail in the coffin in the 88th minute. An interception found Manzo with the ball on the near side as she shoveled a ball ahead to Alyssa Moore. She got the benefit of her defender falling down and Moore shot to goal. As she approached the box, the defense crashed as she cutback toward the middle of the field and turned a shot on goal inside the left post and a 2-0 UCI lead and victory.
 

???? #RipEm pic.twitter.com/MGmb0Sa3g3

— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) November 12, 2022

FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 2, #14 USC 0

• For a second straight year, UC Irvine upends a higher-seeded opponent in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, this time the 14th-ranked USC Trojans
• UCI remains unbeaten in the NCAA's First Round now 3-0-1 all-time and runs their record to 3-1 in the tournament against Pac-12 programs
• The sides met earlier in 2022 with USC winning 3-2. UCI's win is just their second in the all-time series now in their 17th minute and first since the very first matchup in 1994
• Glo Hinojosa scores her 21st career shutout and her 11th this season which ties her assistant coach, Danielle de Seriere, for the program's single-season record
• The shutout is the team's fourth in a row and grows their shutout streak to 485:40
• Hinojosa's eight saves mark a career high for her; she had reached seven on three occasions including once in last year's tournament win vs. UCLA and another in this year's match at USC
• Hinojosa also broke into the top 10 with her saves on the afternoon now with 157 in her career
• Destinee Manzo's goal proved to be the game-winner, her second this year and fourth in her career
• She contributed an assist on the second goal, her third of 2022, as she continues to lead the 'Eaters with six goals and 15 points
• Alyssa Moore punctuated things with the second goal, her fifth this year - she was also responsible for the goal in last year's 1-0 NCAA First Round win
• UCI now has 12 wins and four draws against the Pac-12 under head coach Scott Juniper including four wins in their last five matchups
• Coach Juniper locked down his 160th career win and the program collected win No. 350 all-time

The NCAA Second Round is next up for UC Irvine as it will travel to Tuscaloosa, Alabama with the University of Alabama hosting the second and third rounds. UCI's next opponent will be the Ivy League's Brown University fresh off a 1-0 win over No. 24 Rutgers. The matchup will be Friday, November 18 with kickoff time still to be announced.