nolan-dicenzo-uci-msoc-2025-ucla
Robert Huskey
0
UCLA UCLA (0-1-0, 0-0-0)
2
Winner UC Irvine UCI (1-0-0, 0-0-0)
UCLA UCLA
(0-1-0, 0-0-0)
0
Final
2
UC Irvine UCI
(1-0-0, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UCLA UCLA 0 0 0
UC Irvine UCI 0 2 2

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

UC Irvine Opens with 2-0 Win Over UCLA

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer made a big statement to start their 2025 season serving up a 2-0 win over UCLA in Anteater Stadium Thursday night.

Scoreless Through 45
  • The sides played a scoreless first half that felt even despite a wide margin of possession in favor of UCLA
  • Each side had a slow roller on target early in the half as their only shots on goal with a 5-3 shot advantage for the Anteaters
  • The best chance came in the 24th minute as Oliver Roche put Sergi Solans on a breakaway for the Bruins, but the Anteater defense recovered to stop Solans as he beared down on goal with just a shot blocked near the top of the box
'Eaters Cash In
  • As the second half began, both sides were still searching for the opener and got some promising moments early
  • The breakthrough happened in the 64th minute starting with a free kick from Brady Treinen well in his own half
    • The long ball bounded around near UCI's attacking third before falling to Isaac Powell. He pushed with force to the box and found daylight firing between UCLA's keeper and the near post for the goal and 1-0 lead
  • UCLA made a push following the goal searching for an opening in the Anteater third with a couple tries easily snuffed out by the defense
  • UCI found their opportunity to add onto the lead in the 82nd minute
    • A corner kick was awarded that fell to a mass in the six-yard box and popped out ot Nolan DiCenzo. He took a quick side step and punched a shot on goal, through the keeper's legs, and in to make it 2-0
UC Irvine 2, UCLA 0
  • The win is the first for the Anteaters in the series since 2013, also coming at Anteater Stadium, and is the fourth win for UCI over the Bruins in the 24th all-time meeting
  • The 'Eaters improve to 22-14-5 all-time in season openers and have now won 11 consecutive season openers played at home
  • Isaac Powell's goal is the fourth of his career with three of them counting as game-winners
  • Nolan DiCenzo's goal was the second of his career and first since his freshman season in 2022
  • Joe O'Shaughnessy was making his Anteater debut in net stopping two shots. Following his eight matches a year ago at Division II Florida Southern College, he picked up his third career collegiate win, first in Division I, and first career collegiate shutout
  • O'Shaughnessy was 1 of 6 players making their debut with the Anteaters along with transfer Gage Lyons. Along with O'Shaughnessy in the starting lineup were Hunny Yoo and freshman Zac Smuck and Gustavo Gonzalez, all recording their first collegiate games and starts, and Cristian Gallo off the bench also made his collegiate debut.
  • The Anteaters held the advantage in every stat including shots (12-6), shots on goal (4-2), corner kicks (3-2), possession (61% - 39%), and also fouls (13-11) in a match that featured no cautions.
  • A crowd of 1,734 were in attendance for the match, the fifth-largest crowd in men's soccer history, and 25th crowd of over 1,000 fans in men's soccer history. This is the sixth crowd of 1,000 or more fans in a match that featured UCLA and the highest-attended UCLA match.
Postmatch Thoughts
Nolan DiCenzo - "We've been talking about this game since the Spring and we've been building up the momentum for this. All wee, the guys were super focused. Yossi worked us this week knowing the expectations, and we knew whichever team was mentally tougher was going to come out with the result. I think tonight our boys worked extremely hard, found our moments, and we put two in and got the shutout."

"Our corner kick takers have been putting the balls into really good sports this year, and that's just what happened. They know how to hit it into dangerous areas, and when you get a lot of people jumping in one place, that will happen. Luckily, I was in the right spot, and God's gift just let it go from my right foot. Super fortunate but happy with the result."

Isaac Powell - "That play felt really good. I didn't get a lot of moments to get forward this game, which I don't mind, but I'm glad the one moment I got to get forward and get running was that. I feel like what I'm good at offensively is to push with power, and I was able to produce something nice out of it. Normally, I would have made that last pass, but I saw the shot and I took it, and it went pretty well."

"I thought the game plan was perfect. Over the last few years in our battles with UCLA, I feel like our players weren't as confident going into it and on pressing and maintaining the game. I think this game, we did a great job in knowing where to be at the right time and exactly what they were going to do and how to prevent it. I think the voice is excellent from the front line to the back row on eating every second ball, every first ball, getting through every press and sitting on them offensively. So year, I thought the game plan was perfect and we executed."

 

 

 
 

 
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