There was a familiar shade of orange casting over the sky as the sun set over Anteater Stadium on Saturday evening, Oct. 9. The UC Irvine Anteaters (2-10-1, 2-2) were coming off of a rough start to the season, but that was all behind them as they opened their fourth game of the Big West Conference with a 1-0 victory over the Sacramento State Hornets (6-5-2, 1-3) to improve to 2-2 in the rigorous conference.
The Anteaters started off the first half in full attack, recording nine shots opposed to one from Sacramento State. The ‘Eaters had their first big opportunity 32 minutes into the game, as senior midfielder Asish Chattha found himself wide open in the middle of the 18-yard box. However, his shot was sent right to the waiting Sacramento State sophomore goalkeeper, Mac Learned.
UCI continued to apply pressure to open the second half, pressing the Hornets deep into their portion of the field. In the 54th minute, the ‘Eaters were finally able to break through. Graduate forward Robert Mejia led the Anteater attack as he delivered a ball into the box, finding junior defender Eddy Berumen. With a couple shifty moves, Berumen outran his defender towards the right corner flag, sending in a magnificent cross to the back post. A sprinting Chattha then connected with his left foot, delivering the ball into the back of the net for the first and only goal of the game.
“We were able to catch a rhythm. Something we like to do is get shots on goal, put pressure on the defenders, and just by doing that even though we didn’t get as many chances as we liked, I think we progressed and took a step in the right direction,” Chattha said. “We had a pretty hard non-conference, projected to be number one, but then something like today feels like a good step and showing that we’re top competitors and gives us a lot of momentum to keep fighting to the end.”
Chattha recorded his third game-winning goal of his career and sixth all-time, accounting for eight of UCI’s 16 shots, outshooting the entire Sacramento State team, 16-7.
Although the lone goal of the game was scored by Chattha, it was the flawless defense that was most notable in the victory for the Anteaters.
Irvine recorded their first shutout of the season, led by sophomore goalkeeper Luke Pruter who recorded two saves in the victory, breaking a streak of 14 matches without a clean sheet.
UC Irvine sophomore defender Mathias Winum echoed his praise for the team’s defensive unit.
“We have a great backline,” Winum said. “The whole team is great, but especially our backline with four or five people who can come in and make a difference for us. It’s trust the whole way, and I know whoever is going to be on the field is going to give 110%.”
The defender also provided a positive outlook for the team looking forward to the rest of the season.
“Today we showed that when we click, it’s really good and we can be a force in the Big West and we’re going to keep this going,” Winum added.
James Huston is a Sports Co-Editor for the 2022-23 school year. He can be reached at hustonj@uci.edu.
Liam Huston is a Photo Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. He can be reached at hustonl@uci.edu.