'Eaters Return Home Spoiled by 1-0 Defeat

Thursday, September 24

Irvine, Calif.

6:00 PM

UC Irvine

4-4-1, 0-0-0

California Baptist

6-2-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
California Baptist	0	1	1
UC Irvine	0	0	0

Matthew Miranda takes control in a 2026 match vs. LMU

Photo by: Jacob Thompson

'Eaters Return Home Spoiled by 1-0 Defeat

September 24, 2026 | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Alex Roberts-Croteau

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's soccer played their first match of the season in front of students with classes back in session, but fell 1-0 Thursday night in Anteater Stadium in a tightly-contested match with California Baptist.

Give And Take

The Anteaters and Lancers came out ready to go attacking each other's defenses out of the gate.
Nothing appeared on the stat sheet until the 11th minute when UCI earned a corner, and that ensuing ball found Mario Nordstrom with a strong header that hit the crossbar in the 12th minute
CBU got their own corner and shot in the 17th minute, but each defense was up to the task denying any finishing touches on attacks.
Isaac Powell found a chance near the edge of the box pummeling a shot into the keeper's mitts in the 33rd minute
Scott Williams was finally put to the test in the final minutes making two saves
- His toughest test came as the final seconds were counting down and a long set piece was flicked on by an Anteater defender and Williams leapt to tip the shot high with eight seconds in the half

Even Keel

The second half began and chances were again hard to come by in a match between two top-tier outfits
California Baptist got things going in the 63rd minute with their first of three corner kicks earned that ended on a shot high and hard.
A follow-up chance in the 67th minute was blocked, and a minute later, a clearance on the wing took a wild deflection right to a CBU player in the box, but Elijah Juge made the right step to block the shot and keep the 0-0 match rolling.
UCI finally mustered another chance on frame as Marcus Lee got some space, but it was saved in the 79th minute
The match looked destined for a draw, but the visitors found their goal in the 82nd minute
- A play out to the wing put Haruna Lukwago on the ball, and his low-line drive cross found Blake D'Agostino whose header slipped by the near post to put the Lancers ahead, 1-0

California Baptist 1, UC Irvine 0

The match saw just 13 total shots with five of them on target
Scott Williams was able to save two, but the loss drops him to 3-2 on the year as a starter
Notable lineup moves for the 'Eaters included Matthew Miranda earning his first career start.
- Bobby Jacobs made his collegiate debut in the match coming on in the final minutes

UCI is an even 4-4-1 on the season as it begins Big West play next and three non-conference matches still on the schedule. UCI's conference ledger opens on the road at No. 24 Utah Valley on Wednesday, September 30.