The UC Irvine Men’s Soccer team (6-5-2, 2-1-1 Big West) notched a scoreless tie against their conference-rival, the California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) Roadrunners (3-2-6, 0-0-4), on Oct. 10. The match marks three straight scoreless games for the Anteaters, and an auspicious beginning to their roadtrip after coming off two straight home and conference wins against Cal State Fullerton and CSUN on Oct. 3 and Oct. 7 respectively.
The first half was one of missed chances for UCI. Starting off slow, the ‘Eaters seemed to be on the front foot as a backline augmented by fifth-year defender, Abraham Brown, was able to keep possession in the midfield amid stiff physical competition from the Roadrunners. Nevertheless, it was Bakersfield who struck first. In the fourth minute, CSUB won a corner. Although the initial cross didn’t find a Roadrunner’s head, it eventually fell to the boot of Roadrunner senior forward Justin Knighton, who attempted an over-the-head bicycle kick that sailed high above the crossbar.
Two minutes later, a cross slung in from the right side found Bakersfield senior midfielder Jesse Wangusi. Positioned just at the edge of the box, his shot deflected weakly off of UCI senior defender Mario Nordstrom.
Irvine’s first major chance came in the 11th minute, courtesy of Anteater senior forward Gage Lyons. Receiving an accurate lofted pass from fifth-year midfielder Isaac Powell, Lyons’ first touch was rough. However, it worked in his favor as Bakersfield graduate student goalkeeper Zenden Hart wasn’t able to corral the ball. With the net wide open, Lyons’ strike was denied by an off-the-line deflection from CSUB senior defender Filip Arras, who ran a veritable mile in his heroic defensive action.
The Eaters’ next big break came in the 15th minute, when Hart slipped and fell on a patch of grass in his own box. In the process, he tripped UCI junior forward Marcus Lee, and a penalty was called. After a brief review, Lyons stepped up to the spot. His shot, aimed left, was saved by Hart. Lyons’ hasty rebound then went wide left and was a heart-wrenching result for UCI. The senior forward is currently tied second in total goals in all the Big West with five goals.
Irvine was back on the attack in the 24th minute. Charging up the right side alone, Lyons managed to keep possession against a harrying Bakersfield defender. He was only stopped by a hard-charging Hart who deflected his shot out of bounds. At the half hour mark, CSUB counterattacked when a pass from Wangusi found the waiting Arras lurking at the edge of the box. Unfortunately, his shot was well off-target and sailed over the crossbar.
The rest of the half was a gruelling stalemate as neither team produced another significant opportunity. Going into half-time, the score remained deadlocked at 0-0.
The second half began with a flurry of activity. In the 46th minute, CSUB sophomore forward Mpawenayo Jackson weaved a through-pass into the UCI penalty box. It was immediately scooped by Anteater sixth-year goalkeeper Scott Williams. In the 50th minute, the Anteaters hit back. Beginning out wide on the left wing, Lee slipped a cross on the ground that found junior defender Cristian Gallo. He quickly passed the ball to freshman midfielder Javier Bedolla Vera, but his shot was weak and promptly scooped up by Hart.
In the 62nd minute, Irvine had one of its best chances since the penalty to score. From a corner, Lee stepped up and swung a ball to the far post. He found the towering head of junior midfielder Cade Williams, who made contact. However, his header from near point-blank range was saved by Hart. Two minutes later, Nordstrom once again had the ball at the edge of the box after a series of failed clearances by the Roadrunner defense. His effort went wide right without need for the goalkeeper.
In the 66th minute, Irvine got another corner. With senior defender Brady Treinen this time at the spot, he floated a cross into the box, finding sophomore defender Gustavo Gonzalez. Unfortunately, his header was off target and planted firmly into the ground where it dribbled off-target to the left of goal. This was the last of Irvine’s major chances in the game, as both defenses clamped down hard on each sides’ offenses.
The Roadrunners’ offense tried to get back to work in the 73rd minute when, from more than 40 yards out from goal, Bakersfield’s Wangusi attempted a long-range strike. His shot was right at Williams, who wasted little effort in securing the ball. Just a minute later, Williams saw another attack, this time originating from a Knighton interception that made its way to CSUB senior forward Joey Velasquez. His cross swung in and found the head of junior forward Nils Heinrich. His shot, aimed at the bottom right of goal, was weak and easily saved by Williams again.
The ‘Eaters put together a promising attack in the 79th minute. Beginning with a Nordstrom charge up the right, he laid the ball off to Lyons just wide of the opponent’s box. However, his touch was heavy, and the ball dribbled out of play.
One last chance materialized for Cal State Bakersfield in the 89th minute of the match. Desperate to draw three points, Roadrunner junior midfielder Charlie Cazares stepped up to take the corner. His initial cross was far too middle, and Williams came out of his net to parry it out. Then, the ball made its way to sophomore midfielder Jacob Bernauer who heaved the ball into the box. A scramble ensued, but eventually, Williams and the ever-threatening Arras got into a foot battle to get a hold of the ball sailing towards them — a battle Williams won as he scooped up the ball and made the clearance.
Although only registering two saves on the game, Williams’ proactivity in the net and strong defensive line in front of him helped secure his conference-leading fourth shutout in just eight games. Additionally, in a brilliant breakout campaign for the Anteaters, Williams moved up to second in all of the Big West in total saves with 20 saves, as well as in goals against average at a 0.75 average.
The Anteaters’ next match is against the Sacramento State Hornets in a non-conference game at Hornet Field, Sacramento on Oct. 17.
Stanley Shi is a Sports Staff Writer for the fall 2026 quarter. He can be reached at szshi@uci.edu.
Stanley is a second-year Global Studies and History double major. He began as a sports intern in the Spring 2026 quarter. Stanley is an avid fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers and enjoys watching both baseball and ice hockey. In his free time he also reads non-fiction.