IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine scored a pair of first half goals and the Anteaters blanked visiting UC San Diego, two-nil, at Anteater Stadium on Wednesday night. UC Irvine improved to 6-7-3 overall and 4-1-2 in Big West play. The Tritons fell to 4-10 (1-6).
 
It was UC San Diego's first loss by more than one goal this season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
In the 25th minute, the home team got on the board thanks to a goal from Ashish Chatta who fired low left and scored – a rocket shot from the top of the box.
 
The score remained one-nil late in the first half. Looking for a second goal, UC Irvine took a shot in traffic. Tritons' keeper Nick Shor made a terrific kick save – his third of the half – but the Anteaters corralled the rebound and Kelvin Neumetzler redirected the ball into the back of the net, giving UCI a 2-0 lead at the half.
 
The Anteaters held a 9-3 first half shot advantage, while earning four first half corners to two for the Tritons.
 
In the second half, the Tritons applied pressure but were unable to dent the scoreboard. UC San Diego held a 7-4 advantage in shots after halftime and the Tritons earned five corner kicks after halftime.
 
In the 81st minute, Noah Sonenstein was issued a red card and the Tritons played a man down for the final nine-plus minutes.
 
Shor was credited with four saves on the night.

QUOTABLE
"We put forth a valiant effort tonight, and the score didn't reflect the way the game went," said UC San Diego head coach Jon Pascale. "They were good team that could move the ball really well. I thought our effort was unbelievable against a really strong team."
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• Wednesday marked the first meeting between the Tritons and Anteaters since 1995.
• This was the first time the Tritons have allowed multiple first half goals this season. All told, UC San Diego has surrendered six first half goals in 14 matches.
• UC San Diego is 2-7 on the road in 2021. The Tritons have one more road match remaining – Oct. 30 at UC Riverside.

UP NEXT
The Tritons return to Triton Soccer Stadium in La Jolla on Saturday for the home finale at 5 p.m. vs. CSU Bakersfield. The Homecoming Week match is also Senior Day – with all of the festivities covered on the live ESPN+ broadcast.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.