UC Irvine Women’s Soccer (5-6-6, 3-2-4) and Long Beach State (6-8-3, 3-4-2) ended their rivalry match in a 0-0 draw at Anteater Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 27.
The penultimate regular-season game carried playoff implications, with Irvine only holding a two-point lead over Long Beach in the Big West Conference standings. The Anteaters, coming off a 2-2 draw to UC Davis, looked to grow their lead with a win against the competitive LBSU team.
This installment of the Black and Blue rivalry was a story of defenses. The ‘Eaters dominated the first half, applying high pressure in the Long Beach territory, resulting in a significant share of possession and scoring opportunities.
The game’s first real scoring chance came when Long Beach redshirt freshman forward Kailey Supa received a cross in the penalty box, firing a shot that soared above the crossbar.
UCI’s first opportunity came from a free kick that found senior forward Laila El Behery after a collision between Long Beach redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Aurora Schuck and UCI senior forward Desiree Mendoza. Although El Behery found the net, the goal was overturned after a foul was called on Mendoza during the collision with Schuck.
The best Anteater opportunity of the half came in the 17th minute when senior defender Mihaela Perez launched a free kick from near the half-field line. Schuck managed to get a fingertip on the ball, deflecting it off the crossbar. Irvine senior forward Kaitlyn Paculba streaked in to volley the rebound, but the shot went straight into Schuck’s chest.
While Irvine controlled the first 30 minutes of the half, Long Beach gained some success in the final 15 minutes. Following a steal in the Anteater territory, Long Beach senior forward Summer Laskey attempted a wall pass with freshman midfielder Makena Irvine, but the Anteaters’ defense handled it well.
The second half was much of the same, with UCI maintaining control over the ball and pace of play. Mendoza attempted two shots early in the half; one off-target and the other saved by Schuck.
In the 66th minute, Paculba attempted a solo run after she found herself one-on-one on the near post side. After making a cutback to the center, the Beach defense caught up and forced a difficult sliding shot from distance, which Schuck saved with ease.
Two minutes later, Supa had an opportunity to score after a through ball placed her just ten yards in front of the goalpost. Instead, her shot went wide, deflecting off the side of the net.
In the 73rd minute, an Irvine set piece created a header chance for El Behery. However, the ball was placed too high, and El Behery could not generate enough power to get it past Schuck. This was a recurring theme for the ‘Eaters, with an abundance of opportunities landing in Schuck’s hands or out of bounds because of the lack of power.
The final scoring opportunity of the match came in the 88th minute, but it soared over the net after Paculba missed the target following a one-on-one solo run that placed her in front of the net. The game ended in a scoreless tie.
UCI won the possession battle, controlling the ball for a resounding 75% of the match. Their control resulted in four more shot attempts than Long Beach, ending the game with a 13-9 shot advantage. El Behery led the Anteaters with five total shots – two of which were on goal. Irvine graduate goalkeeper Ashley Naylor recorded two saves over the 90 minutes of play.
UC Irvine now looks ahead to their final regular-season game at UC Riverside (2-12-4, 0-5-4) on Oct. 31 in Riverside, Calif.
Jordan Hum is a Sports Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. He can be reached at jrhum@uci.edu.
Edited By Benjamin Flores and Jaheem Conley