alissey-fang-uci-wsoc-2025-lmu-hawaii
Matt Brown
2
Winner UC Irvine UCI (8-4-7, 5-2-3)
0
Hawaii Hawaii (4-8-8, 2-4-4)
Winner
UC Irvine UCI
(8-4-7, 5-2-3)
2
Final
0
Hawaii Hawaii
(4-8-8, 2-4-4)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Irvine UCI 2 0 2
Hawaii Hawaii 0 0 0

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | | Alex Roberts-Croteau

'Eaters Triumph in Hawai'i, 2-0

WAIPAHU, O'ahu --- UC Irvine women's soccer finished the regular season strong with a resounding 2-0 win Thursday night at Waipi'o Peninsula Soccer Stadium defeating Hawai'i.

The win puts UC Irvine at 18 Big West points going 5-2-3 and in a tie for fourth place. With a tiebreaker over UC Santa Barbara, the 'Eaters earn the 4-seed in the Big West Championship and will host their opening-round match Sunday night, November 2, in Anteater Stadium against UCSB with kickoff at 6:00 p.m. The winner advances to the Big West Semifinal, November 6, which will be played at the No. 1 seed, CSUN. The Matadors will also host the final, November 9.

Memorable Moments
  • The opening whistle brought up some emotions in the final regular season match
    • Aislynn Crowder was penciled into the starting lineup and took her position on the pitch despite a leg injury that had sidelined her all season. The sixth-year collegiate player and fourth-year Anteater was subbed off shortly after played started to cheers and embraces from her teammates, coaches, and the fans. For Crowder, it's the 53rd match of her career and 24th time as a starter playing her 2,533rd minute with the Anteaters.
    • Other notable faces in the starting lineup included three 'Eaters making their starting debuts - Alissey Fang, Gianna Costello, and Jenika Davis
  • As play began, things started off slow with no action for the first seven minutes and a pair of shots put up by UCI as the first 23 minutes ticked off the clock
  • The Anteaters began their push in the 24th minute with a Kori Pickelle shot saved, and then a score in the 27th minute
    • The Colombini sisters were zipping around the Hawai'i 18-yard box with Ella Colombini feeding a ball back across from the right wing that found Mia Colombini
    • Mia Colombini corraled the pass and settled it about 15 yards away before putting a shot on frame that rolled off the keeper, by, and in for the opening goal and 1-0 lead
  • Seven minutes later was the next shot in the match and sequence leading to another goal
    • The Anteaters drove upfield with a through ball intercepted but still making it to Kelsey Swyney
    • Swyney battled through the Hawai'i defense to rip a shot the was saved and rebounded hard back towards her.
    • Again she fought through the crowd and got a foot on the ball nudging it by the oncoming keeper and in for the goal and 2-0 lead in the 34th minute
  • The half came to a close with UC Irvine registering all six shots with four on goal, the only corner, and 59% of the possession
Seeing It Out
  • The host Rainbow Wahine had a little more to say in the second half putting up five shots
    • The biggest chance for UH was a 56th-minute shot that needed saving by Laurynn Ziller, the only shot on goal recorded by Hawai'i
  • The Anteaters were mostly in defend mode looking to preserve the clean sheet mustering up just three shots and none on goal. Hawai'i used three goalkeepers in the match including two in the second half with neither facing a shot on target
UC Irvine 2, Hawai'i 0
  • The Anteaters finish the season on a three-match unbeaten streak at 1-0-2 as they improve to 8-4-7 overall on the season
  • The winning goalkeeper was Savanna Arruda who made the start and played 50 minutes, the first win of her Anteater career
    • Laurynn Ziller checked in in the 34th minute and played into the half before Arruda returned in the 74th minute
    • Ziller collected the only save on the match, and the duo split the shutout for the second time this season while the team totaled its 10th shutout of 2025
  • Mia Colombini's goal to start things is her seventh of the year tying her among the Big West leaders
    • It's also the fifth conference goal for her which is the outright most among Big West goalscorers
    • Colombini also connected on the game-winner for her third this season tying her for the most in Big West play
  • Ella Colombini collected the assist on the goal, her seventh to lead the team and one off of the Big West leader
    • This is also the second time she has assisted on her twin sister's goal on the season
  • The other goalscorer was Kelsey Swyney who knocked in her first career goal and point coming in her fifth career match and the 32nd minute of her career
  • In the match, all 22 Anteaters on the roster saw action including Gracie Haley playing her first minutes of 2025
The stage is set for UC Irvine hosting the Big West First Round on Sunday, November 2, with kickoff at 6:00 p.m. UCI is in the championship for the 17th time as a program and fifth year in a row. 

 

 

 





 
Print Friendly Version