IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer played in front of the largest regular season crowd in Anteater Stadium history giving them a show with a 1-0 victory over Cal Thursday night to open the 2022 soccer season.
PACKING THE HOUSE
The announced attendance of 2,187 fans Thursday night marks the second time in UC Irvine soccer history the 'Eaters have reached a crowd of over 2,000 fans. The men's soccer program hosted a capacity crowd of 2,500 fans in 2006 for their first-ever NCAA Tournament match.
The record crowd is the largest for a UCI soccer regular season match surpassing the 1,704 fans that watched UCI women's soccer open the season against USC in 2018.
The crowd is the 24th all-time to reach 1,000 fans and the 10th time for a women's soccer match as the women improved to 7-2-1 all-time in front of over 1,000, and UCI soccer is 13-8-3 in those 24 matches.
GETTING TO THE ACTION
The match was pretty evenly-played through the first 45 minutes as was shown by the 0-0 scoreline.
Destinee Manzo had a brilliant strike in the 14th minute firing from 30 yards out to mash the crossbar and out. The Anteater starting lineup looked very similar to a year ago with new faces
Autumn Thompkins making her first career start in her 16th match and recent Division I transfer
Tati Fung making her UCI debut in the midfield.
Cal (0-1) held the halftime shot advantage at 3-1 making keeper
Glo Hinojosa work to save one. The action was played across the middle third for a majority of the half.
DECISIVE BLOW
The match was turned on its head in the 57th minute on a wonderful individual effort from
Alyssa Moore. Her steal of the ball at the edge of the attacking third started the play, and she turned and made space firing from the edge of the 18-yard box with her left foot around the diving keeper and inside the far post for the goal and the 1-0 Anteater lead.
Â
Moore was again on patrol in the 74th minute turning a brilliant lead ball from Fung on frame that was saved by Cal keeper Angelina Anderson to preserve the one-goal margin.
The Golden Bears knocked on the door a few times down the stretch including Sydney Collins redirecting a corner on goal, but Hinojosa was there for her third and final save to earn the shutout and win.
Â
FINAL SCORE: UC IRVINE 1, CAL 0
For a second straight year, UCI downs Cal after winning 1-0 in double overtime in 2021. After going 0-11-1 in the first 12 meetings of the programs, UCI now has won the last two. The 'Eaters also have a three-match win streak over Pac-12 opponents now with 11 wins and four draws over 35 matches with the conference in head coach
Scott Juniper's 15 years.
Juniper also hit a milestone with his 150th career win to go with a .582 career winning percentage.
Moore comes through for the first goal, game-winning goal, and points on the season for the Anteaters after she was the last 'Eater to score in 2021 on her strike that downed UCLA in the NCAA Tournament. Moore's goal is her second game-winner of her career also giving her seven career goals and 18 points.
Glo Hinojosa continued to roll as well nabbing her 17th career win and 11th career shutout.
Along with Fung, three other Anteaters made debuts in the season opener, all coming off the bench.
Aislynn Crowder, fellow power-5 transfer made her UCI debut with 15 first-half minutes, and twin sisters
Ella Colombini and
Mia Colombini came on together following the goal for their collegiate debuts.
The week concludes with a second home match on Sunday, August 21, with the Anteaters hosting LMU for a 1:00 p.m. match.
Â
