IRVINE, Calif. — The UC Santa Barbara Women's Soccer team lost its first conference game Thursday night as they were defeated 2-0 by UC Irvine.
 
FROM HEAD COACH PAUL STUMPF
"It was a pretty even match for the most part," said Stumpf. "A couple of mistakes by us in front of our goal, and credit them for capitalizing. There are definitely some lessons to learn from this game."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara engaged in a defensively focused first half, with several fouls and corner kicks setting the tone. UC Santa Barbara's goalkeeper, Maddie Buckley, made crucial saves, including one in the fifth minute. UCI's persistent attacks paid off when they scored in the final seconds of the first half, giving them a 1-0 lead just before halftime. A free kick from past midfield was headed by UCSB from 10 yards in front of the goal but unfortunately went in their own net.
 
UCI extended their lead early in the second half with a goal 50th minute, bringing the score to 2-0. UC Santa Barbara responded with pressure, including a shot by Isabella Ong and a saved attempt by Reese Wroblewski at 57:35. The Anteaters maintained a strong defense throughout the half, with the UCI goalkeeper making several saves, including one against Emma Corcoran's top-left shot in the 84th minute. The match concluded with the 'Eaters holding onto their 2-0 advantage.
 
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will regroup and continue their road trip this upcoming Sunday as they take on Long Beach State at noon in Long Beach. For those unable to attend the match will be streamed through ESPN+ with live stats available through ucsbgauchos.com/WSOCLiveStats.