The UC Irvine Men’s Soccer team (8-7-3, 4-3-2) narrowly defeated Cal State Fullerton (7-6-7, 3-2-4) 1-0 in the Big West Tournament Quarterfinals at Anteater Stadium on Nov. 6.
Fullerton defeated Irvine 2-0 in their first matchup on Oct. 2. However, UCI entered Wednesday’s win-or-go-home match as the three seed, while CSUF was the sixth in the Big West.
“No two games are alike in the Big West. No two games are alike in football generally,” UCI Head Coach Yossi Raz stated in a postgame press conference. “The team that played in the beginning of the conference was a very different team.”
The playoff atmosphere was in full effect as Irvine came out of the gates with high energy. The Anteaters were relentless in their offense, opting for an aerial attack over dribbling. The Titan defense met the challenge though, stopping multiple crosses throughout the first half.
The best opportunity for the ‘Eaters came in the 19th minute when junior defender Nolan DiCenzo received a corner kick in the middle of the box. While DiCenzo fired a shot before the Fullerton defense could collapse, graduate goalkeeper Brandon Limes saved and held onto the ball, keeping the game scoreless.
The first half was a defensive showdown, with neither team able to set themselves apart in the scorecards. The Titans held the advantage in shot attempts 6-4, while the Anteaters led in shots on goal 4-2.
The script was reversed in the second half, as CSUF applied the pressure offensively. Despite keeping possession in Anteater territory for prolonged periods of play, Fullerton couldn’t generate any scoring opportunities due to UCI’s physical defense.
The physicality and tension grew as the clock continued to tick. With neither team gaining control of the game, the midfield saw much of the action. Emotions ran high, even resulting in a yellow card to UCI’s bench in the 65th minute.
“We knew that the game would be similar to how we played; tight and contested with a lot of emotions,” Raz reflected postgame.
In the 68th minute, a UCI set piece found graduate forward Danny de Lorijn, who attempted a half volley from just inside the box — but Limes made the save comfortably.
Shortly after, in the 74th minute, Irvine freshman forward Marcus Lee made a solo run, dribbling past his defender and firing a shot from outside the box. The ball was scooped up by Limes, keeping the game scoreless.
However, in the 80th minute, UCI sophomore defender Brady Treinen played in a cross from the near to far post following a plethora of high headers from both teams. The cross found junior forward Misael Gonzalez, who turned toward the goal and rocketed a shot past Limes and into the side of the net, giving Irvine a 1-0 lead with just 10 minutes of play left.
“We just couldn’t find a way to get the ball into the net,” Gonzalez recalled to New University. “But one opportunity. One goal is all that matters. So you just have to be focused for when that one opportunity comes to you.”
For Gonzalez, the goal felt all the more personal considering he attended high school and junior college in Fullerton. Additionally, he was scouted by the Titans before coming to UC Irvine.
“It was a little personal. I was being recruited by them at first, but then they dropped it,” Gonzalez said. “I was really excited for this game, and we lost the first time as well. We had even more emotions to go out and win today.”
The Titans increased their urgency in hopes of snatching a late equalizer, but UCI’s defense proved too strong and prevented any real threat from the Titan offense in the last 10 minutes of play. Irvine held on to win the match, 1-0, and advance to the semifinals of the Big West Tournament.
UC Irvine will face the second seed UC Santa Barbara (10-4-4, 4-2-3) at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, Calif. on Nov. 9 in the second round of the Big West Tournament.
“We’ve played Santa Barbara many times. They’re an excellent team; well coached, full of tools,” Raz stated. “When the kickoff starts, we’ll be ready.”
Jordon Hum is a Sports Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. He can be reached at jrhum@uci.edu.
Edited by Benjamin Flores