STOCKTON, Calif. --- UC Irvine women's soccer got a much-needed win to close out non-conference action Thursday night at Knoles Field topping Pacific, 3-2, on the back of two
Laila El Behery goals.
- Laila El Behery had a career night contributing to all three Anteater goals
- She was ready on the doorstep after a corner kick settled in the box in the 23rd minute as she back heel-kicked a ball into the goal for a 1-0 Anteater lead
- Just over two minutes later, El Behery was on the receiving end of a corner kick as the ball fell to her and shot out for Kaitlyn Paculba to run onto and smash through a crowd and inside the far post for a 2-0 UC Irvine lead
- With the match level once again in the 80th minute, a short corner went to Mirayah Villalpando who chipped a service into the box that kicked around off Tigers and Anteaters before it fell to El Behery who punched it in for the lead back, 3-2
- The fourth-year Anteater booked her first career brace and first career match with a goal and an assist
- El Behery's five points are a career high and first for the program since 2021 when three different players had five or more points in a match
- El Behery's 80th-minute goal goes down as her second career game-winner, and she raises her career totals to 11 goals, three assists, and 25 points
- The 'Eaters had a battle on their hands as the host Tigers erased a two-goal deficit
- A smash from the right wing by Sierah McCallum helped bring the match to within 2-1 in the 38th minute of the first half
- In the 51st minute, the Tigers drew even off an Alexis Pashales header that snuck between Ashley Naylor and the bar to make it 2-2
- UCI finished with an 11-8 shot advantage turning eight of their shots on frame, and they added a 6-3 edge in corner kicks
- Ashley Naylor in goal gets the victory while recording four saves and a couple of them at max effort to keep the Tiger attack down
- Paculba got home the other Anteater goal, her third of the season and first since the brace in the season opener. Paculba's goals have now all come in victories. She and El Behery are now even atop the squad in goals in 2024
- Three other 'Eaters got on the scoresheet with assists
- Chifumi Sasaki registered her first collegiate point with an assist on the night's first goal
- Desiree Mendoza joined El Behery with assists on the second goal. It's her first point of the 2024, ninth career assist, and 29th career point
- Mirayah Villalpando set up the game-winning goal for her second assist of the season to lead the team, second of her career, and up to six career points
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UC Irvine completes its non-conference slate with a record of 2-4-2. Next up is Big West play with the opener at UC San Diego Thursday, September 19, with kickoff at 7:00 p.m.
