SANTA BARBARA, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer saw its Big West Championship title defense end Saturday night in the semifinals at Harder Stadium, 2-1, to UC Santa Barbara.
A tale of two halves with the Anteaters the much superior side in the first 45 minutes:
- The score sheet was one-sided with UCI shooting 11 times to two for the Gauchos
- They had the advantage everywhere you looked with 52% of possession, four of the five corners earned, and committed just a single foul in the half
- The best chances came for the 'Eaters with the only four shots on target
- UCI was denied consecutively in the sixth minute with Agaton Pourshahidi and Isaac Powell both turned away
- The ensuing corner kick bounded around the box with Mathias Winum giving it a try and blocked from about 10 yards
- Marcus Lee found himself alone on the right wing and just firing a shot over the bar in the 20th minute
- Samuel Atiye had two chances in the 30th and 32nd minutes with one scooped up by the UCSB keeper
- Mario Anaya sent a shot from outside the box on net that was stopped on a dive in the 40th minute
- Justin Conyers had the final opportunity running onto a cleared corner and missing low and hard wide of the left post
The teams came back from the half, and the Gauchos took the initiative:
- UCSB had two shots within the first two minutes, and continued to put up tries with the first six shots of the half and all missing the mark
- The Anteaters found the breakthrough in the 58th minute on their first shot
- A pair of clearances led to Lee picking it up on the right wing and punting in another entrance. A cleared header dropped near the top of the box, and Isaiahs Gutierrez smashed home a volley through traffic to make it 1-0 Anteaters
- The Gauchos wouldn't let that lead linger long as just under two minutes later, they found the back of the net from a corner kick that rolled through the box and tipped off a pair of Gaucho boots and in to tie things at 1-1
- UCSB was determined to get that first lead earning seven corners in the half, all before the 73rd minute, and five of them within an eight-minute span
- Luke Pruter was tested twice on long-range strikes including in the 80th minute on a dangerous set piece hovering around the top of the box that he punched away with little to distract him
The dagger came in the 82nd minute in a goal that was eerily similar to UC Santa Barbara's opener:
- The Gauchos crept up on the box along the right wing feeding a ball into the six-yard box, and Isaiah Barber stuck his foot out first to touch it toward goal and in for the 2-1 UCSB edge
The minutes ticked down with UCI furiously mounting an attack. Multiple chances fell to Anteater feet in the attacking third with little behind them toward goal. Pourshahidi got on the end of a cross in the 85th minute, but it popped up gently landing in the keeper's mitts as the Gauchos held off the attack and secured the win.
UC Irvine finished with one more shot and shot on goal in a match that ended up even along most of the scoresheet. UCSB claimed slim advantages in possession and corners while drawing the only two cautions.
Gutierrez registered his first career goal as the freshman doubled his point total on the season to four.
Luke Pruter drew the loss in net stopping three shots.
UC Irvine's season stands at 8-8-3 reaching the Big West Semifinal for a fourth consecutive season. They finished third in the Big West with a 4-3-2 record and await their postseason fate with the NCAA Selection Show scheduled for Monday, November 18.
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