IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer is back in the Big West Final after a dramatic 1-0 win Saturday night in Anteater Stadium topping 3-seed Cal Poly in the Big West Semifinal.
UCI is back to the Big West Final for an eighth time in program history and third time under Big West Coach of the Year
Yossi Raz. The 'Eaters will head to top-seeded UC Santa Barbara for the Big West title to be played on Friday, November 14 with a sixth time on the line for the program and second in the last three years.
High and Mighty
- The first half was high-octane with end-to-end soccer at times and a mixture of great chances and sterling defense
- Each team had a massive chance in the first six minutes
- UCI built along the wing and fed a cross into the box that Marcus Lee put on goal that was handled by Cal Poly's keeper in the fourth minute
- The Mustangs charged ahead from a throw-in in the sixth minute only to strike a ball off the cross bar. The rebound kicked out giving CP another chance, but Joe O'Shaughnessy met the soft shot for the save
- Either side had more chances missing by inches on one occasions for eight shots in the first 15 minutes
- The best chance of the first half came in the 18th minute as the Mustangs again attacked off a throw-in
- Fluid passing into the box put the ball on Sean McTague on the left wing firing from the edge of the six-yard box only to be denied by O'Shaughnessy with a save from his face to keep things scoreless
- Things slow on the offensive side with one total shot down the final 25 minutes of the half
- UCI held a slight edge in possession at 55%, but were also flagged for two caution despite just five fouls to Cal Poly's eight
Pressure Gage
- UC Irvine turned things around coming out of the halftime whistle with a couple chances early on. They also added a third caution just outside of the first minute of the half
- UCI nearly grabbed the lead in the 62nd minute setting up a brilliant feed following a set piece to Agaton Pourshahidi all alone in the middle of the box, but his volley sliced wide of the left post
- Two more cautions came with Cal Poly receiving their first. Pourshahidi got two more solid chances with one tracked and saved by Cal Poly in the 72nd minute
- The Mustangs nearly got on the end of a threatening set piece from the sideline that O'Shaughnessy hauled in for the only shot in the half for Cal Poly in the 81st minute
- The match turned however in the 84th minute with the game-winning goal
- UCI won the ball along the sideline and charged upfield through Misael Gonzalez Lopez
- His lead pass was perfectly placed into the box that Gage Lyons was able to run onto and win getting a deft chip over the hard-charging keeper and into an empty net for the 1-0 lead
UC Irvine 1, Cal Poly 0
- Lyons' game-winner is his third of the season, the only Anteater with multiple game-winners of their 10 this year
- His goal gives him five overall and 11 points, both second on the team
- Assists went to Gonzalez Lopez, just his second this year, and Lee, who takes over the team lead with five
- O'Shaughnessy and the defense held up their end with his eighth shutout of the year and the team's ninth
- He made three saves as the backline allowed just two shots in the final 70 minutes of play
- The Anteaters improve to 10-3-6 on the season with wins in two straight and unbeaten in their last 10 (5-0-5)
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