BAKERSFIELD, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer put on a second-half scoring show in Thursday night's 5-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield at Main Soccer Field.
UC IRVINE 5, CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD 1
- The Anteaters were on the attack throughout the match with a season-high 26 shots, their most since 26 in the 2022 regular season finale, and 11 turned on goal
- Shots came in as early as the fourth minute, but the match remained scoreless until the 27th minute.
- The ball went up the right wing on the foot of Laila El Behery who feed a wide open Tati Fung who whipped in a hard cross that Emilie Castagna got a head on to put it home for a 1-0 lead
- That score held into the half with UCI already up 13-1 in shots
- The second half opened up at full speed starting in the 51st minute
- A corner kick fell to the far post and was headed back toward the spot by Mihaela Perez and enough for Madison Goerlinger to swat home under the crossbar for a 2-0 advantage
- Forty-eight seconds later, the 'Eaters were on the charge with a counter attack that finished on Alyssa Moore who cutback and fired initially stopped by CSUB's keeper, but Desiree Mendoza followed and nudged it across the line to make it 3-0 Anteaters
- Later that minute, 34 seconds later to be exact, Alyssa Moore battled along the far sideline for possession and tracked across the touchline before serving up a centering pass on point to Mendoza again who roofed her shot from five yards out to open up a 4-0 all in the 52nd minute
- The offense took a breather and waiting nearly two more minutes before scoring a fifth time as Tati Fung found Madison Goerlinger at the right of the goal her served up a charging Chloe Ragon to power home a no-doubter and make it 5-0 in the 54th minute
- The Roadrunners would spoil the shutout earning a penalty kick in the 84th minute and converting for the final scoreline of 5-1
- UCI managed four goals in a span of 3:20 in that early second half with intervals of 34 seconds between goals for Desiree Mendoza scoring twice in the 52nd minute
- Mendoza's goals are numbers 9 and 10 of her career and upping her Anteater point total to 28
- Tati Fung did not finish any of the goals, but did start four of them for a program record four assists on the night doubling her season total to eight and giving her 12 in her UCI career
- Madison Goerlinger opened her scoring account in tremendous fashion with a goal, assist, and the game-winning goal, the first of each for her in an Anteater uniform
- Emilie Castagna moves to second on the squad with her fourth goal of the season
- Chloe Ragon drains her first goal since 2021 and her third in her Anteater career
- Alyssa Moore had two assists in a match for the second time this season and third time in her career giving her 45 career points and she continues to lead the team this season with 17
- Mihaela Perez put up her second career assist and point helping on the game-winning goal
- Laila El Behery picked up her first assist since her freshman year and just her second overall
- Glo Hinojosa in net missed a shutout by six minutes but did pick up win 33 of her career, and she and Savanna Arruda each recorded an assist
- The 'Eaters remain unbeaten all-time against Cal State Bakersfield at 3-0-1, and for the second straight time score five goals at Bakersfield
The Anteaters are firmly in the championship picture on 12 points (3-2-3) and back to .500 overall at 6-6-4. Cal State Bakersfield drops to 2-4-3, still on nine Big West points, and a 3-9-4 overall mark.
UC Irvine finishes the week at CSUN with a 2:00 p.m. match on Sunday, Oct. 22
