SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer took it to the limit Wednesday night at Mustang Memorial Field in an end-to-end 1-1 draw with Cal Poly.
Early on, Cal Poly took the reins of the match with a goal in the fourth minute. A quick throw-in towards the box bounded on the artificial turf evading the UC Irvine defenders allowing Quinn Mahoney to nudge a shot around the oncoming
Luke Pruter in goal for a 1-0 lead for the hosts.
The attacks didn't rest after that with each side ramping it up looking for the next goal.
- The next 15 minutes were mostly favorable for the Mustangs putting up three more shot attempts and earning another corner, but nothing on frame
- UC Irvine got the attack rolling with a flurry of shots over the next 10 minutes, most of them denied up top by the defense, but Agaton Pourshahidi nearly slipped one in that was stopped in the 17th minute
- Pruter got his first save turning a hard shot away with the rebound blocked in the 31st minute
- The only real chance in the final 14 minutes of the half fell to Roman Warren whose left-footed shot from the top of the box needed a dive to keep it out and keep it a 1-0 match into the half
The second 45 began slowly, but found another level in the 55th minute. The Anteaters played out of the back as
Abraham Brown launched the attack to
Misael Gonzalez setting up
Danny de Lorijn on the right wing whose shot was kicked aside, but Gonzalez won the race to the rebound sliding it through and in just off the far post to tie things up, 1-1.
An all-out assault began for the final 35 minutes with the score level. A devastating giveaway in the 59th minute from
Luke Pruter nearly gifted the Mustangs the lead back, but a shot lofted up and over an empty net as play resumed. Each side continued to put up shots with the Mustangs consistently missing high and wide while UC Irvine was denied by the Cal Poly back line numerous times.
The back-and-forth affair came to a head in the final five minutes of the match:
- UCI had a golden opportunity with Pourshahidi on the ball and McCune off his line, but he made the save near the edge of the box.
- A rebound fell to Gonzalez who turned a shot onto an inviting goal, but McCune got a leg out for another stop high in the 18-yard box
- The Anteaters kept possession leaving a ball off for Mario Anaya from distance who sniped a chance that had reservations for goal, but McCune went airborne to knock it just over the bar and quell the barrage
- Cal Poly returned fire with a few chances in the 87th and 88th minutes before setting up for a corner kick. Parker Owens got a shot off that was kept out by the Anteater defense and the woodwork in the 89th minute
- One last-gasp effort back on the other end saw McCune come out to beat the 'Eater forward to the ball in the waning seconds and finish the match level
Gonzalez now has each of UCI's last two goals including the game-winner in last week's 1-0 win at CSUN. That gives him three in his debut year for the 'Eaters and a tie for second in points at seven.
Luke Pruter returned to net after a four-game absence for just his fourth match of the year. He made two saves in the draw to run his record to 1-2-1 in 2024.
Pruter and the defense were under fire as was Cal Poly with each offense hoisting up 18 shots. The Anteaters put eight on frame as opposed to three for the Mustangs. Other statistics were near even as the Mustangs committed two more fouls while earning one more corner on the night. For the Anteaters, they managed to avoid any cautions for the first time this season.
The 'Eaters were without the services of
Francesco Montanile, out with an injury for the third straight match, and
Nolan DiCenzo on the back line after yellow card accumulation. They were picked up nicely by players like
Abraham Brown, in just his second match as a field player for the Anteaters, and
Danny de Lorijn, playing vital minutes throughout, as each were direct contributors to UCI's score on the evening.
Both sides gain a vital point as Cal Poly moves up to second on 12 points while the 'Eaters get a tough road point sitting at 10 points in the final postseason spot with two matchdays remaining. On the horizon are two matches against squads the Anteaters hold one-point advantages over in the standings starting with Sacramento State who comes to UC Irvine Saturday for the regular season home finale starting at 6:00 p.m., and the regular season finale next week at UC San Diego on Saturday, November 2.
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