IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer broke through for three points Wednesday night in Anteater Stadium taking down CSUN, 1-0.??????
Getting On Top
- Anteater Stadium was host to Hispanic Heritage Night on Wednesday and a raucous crowd of 1,784 in attendance
- Things were slow to start with not much action to report outside of a CSUN corner in the opening minute, but really picked up in the 14th minute
- The 'Eaters were on the attack with a shot blocked and a return from Travis Babineau from outside the box punched away for a corner
- The ensuing corner made its way to Misael Gonzalez Lopez who created some space on the left side of the box and lifting a shot just over the far post
- The goal kick that followed was intercepted in the 6-yard box by Gonzalez Lopez who again created space and fired but was denied on a brilliant CSUN save. The rebound popped up with Gonzalez Lopez going for it with a high kick and striking the Matador defender and incurring a caution
- Both sides continued to forge ahead and put up shots, but the one that counted came in the 29th minute
- The attack opened up with Marcus Lee driving up the midfield. His feed to Gonzalez Lopez got him around the collapsed backline and found some room on the right side of the box before putting it away in the upper right corner and snatching the 1-0 lead
- The defenses took control down the final 15 minutes of the half as UCI held their lead into the break.
Fighting For Position
- The teams put on a spirited display in the second 45 minutes with a pair of rivals fighting tooth-and-nail.
- Gage Lyons had an early chance streaking up the left wing, but his shot just rolled wide of the far post on a sharp angle in the 48th minute
- The Matadors responded putting up a pair of shots in the 55th and 57th minutes that just missed high
- The play was intense with numerous fouls and four of the match's six caution coming in the second half
- CSUN continued to get their shots up with seven in the match, but just one on target that came in a key moment
- In the 87th minute, the Matadors were building up the wings and working toward the box finally getting something up on a hard line drive toward the right post that Joe O'Shaughnessy punched away on a dive to keep the lead and shutout
UC Irvine 1, CSUN 0
- The win is a breath of fresh air for the Anteaters who had been winless over the last seven matches (0-3-4) and finished in a tie over their last four.
- The win puts UCI at 6-3-5 overall on the season and puts them on seven Big West points (1-0-4) jumping from seventh to fifth place in the standings
- UCI remains unbeaten at home this year with a 6-0-3 record. They also remain unbeaten in one-goal matches (3-0), in matches where they score first (6-0-4), and when leading at the half (4-0-4)
- Misael Gonzalez Lopez added to his team lead now at six goals on the year and 12 points
- It's his first game-winning goal as well as UCI has had six game-winners from six different Anteaters
- Marcus Lee provided the game-winning assist, his second assist and point this season
- Joe O'Shaughnessy got back on the shutout train for the first time in over a month. It's the team's sixth shutout and fifth clean sheet for O'Shaughnessy needing to save just one shot
- UCI had the statistical advantage on shots, 10-7, and shots on goal, 3-1. CSUN managed nine corner kicks to two for the 'Eaters
UC Irvine is back in the thick of the Big West as they travel up to Sacramento State for their next matchup on Saturday, October 18 with kickoff at 3:00 p.m.
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