Men's Soccer Gutted in Loss at UC Riverside

Wednesday, October 9

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 PM

UC Irvine

4-6-1, 1-2-0

UC Riverside

3-5-2, 1-1-1

Team	1	2	Final F
UC Irvine	0	0	0
UC Riverside	0	1	1

josh-kenworthy-uci-msoc-2024-sdsu-ucriverside

Photo by: Matt Brown

Men's Soccer Gutted in Loss at UC Riverside

October 09, 2024 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer's goalkeeping was again in the spotlight as a Big West point was snatched from them in the dying embers in a 1-0 loss Wednesday night against UC Riverside at UCR Soccer Stadium.

A scoreless match through the first half stayed that way until the match turned on its head.

A ball slipped through the Anteater back line with a Highlander in hot pursuit. UCI keeper Paul Jing came out of his box to cut off the run, but clipped the UCR player instead sending him off with a red card
Third-year defender and first-year Anteater Abraham Brown was called into duty having played 48 collegiate minutes and 13 in just one match as an Anteater as he took on the keeper's role
The ensuing free kick at the top of the box was headed away by the Anteater wall, and UC Riverside would gather the loose ball on the left wing firing a shot off the crossbar and out with the match staying 0-0

The match had just seven total shots leading up to that point as the 'Eaters now down a man pushed for a goal of their own.

Solid opportunities were fired wide first by Isaac Powell running onto a bounding ball at the edge of the box and sending it just long of the far post in the 77th minute
A dangerous set piece was whipped into the box that Josh Kenworthy headed along but also just wide in the 79th minute
Meanwhile, Brown racked up his first save diving to push aside a long-range attempt by the Highlanders

With a 0-0 scoreline looming in the 89th minute, the Highlanders drove up the right wing and sent a cross into the box that was deflected to an oncoming Ethan Gonzalez who deposited a shot that Brown could do nothing with into the back of the net and a 1-0 UC Riverside lead.

The heartbreaking finish to the match leaves UC Irvine without a point and now 1-2 in Big West play. UCR took the slim shot advantage, 9-7, and put six of their shots on target while the Anteaters did not have any official shots on frame.

Brown draws the unfortunate loss in the match while collecting two saves. Paul Jing in the starting role saved three in the match and remains without a goal allowed in his brief career of two matches and 147 minutes.

Next up is a home match against No. 23 UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, October 12

EVERYONE IN THE BOX!! ?????????????????????????

A denial by the wall followed by help from our friend the crossbar and we're still level!!

Red card to keeper Paul Jing puts the 'Eaters down a man and now in goal defender Abraham Brown

68' | UCI (10 men) 0-0 UCR #TWZ pic.twitter.com/0SuZbJOBnc
— UCI Men's Soccer (@UCImsoc) October 10, 2024