Interactive Bracket | Box Score 
PORTLAND -- Big West double champion UC Riverside’s magical season ended Thursday at the hands of No. 18 Portland in the first round of the NCAA Championship. Trailing by two, the Highlanders prevented a shutout by kicking in a late goal in the 89th minute, but ultimately fell by a final score of 2-1 at Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex on Portland’s campus.
 
UC Riverside ends its season with an 8-8-4 record. The Highlanders were riding a win streak of four and had not been beaten in nine out of their last 10 matches, securing both Big West regular season and championship titles in the process, coming in. The Pilots, at-large entrants from the West Coast Conference, improve to 13-2-3 and move on to face eighth-seeded Oregon State in the second round.
 
The Pilots got up early, scoring in the 17th minute with a goal from Jacob Babalai and assisted by Sebastian Nava. UC Riverside trailed 1-0 at halftime. It only took 100 seconds in the second stanza for Portland to score its second goal, put in by Gurman Sangha with the help of Babalai and Greg Tracey.
 
The Highlanders were unsuccessful in their first seven chances in the second half, but finally broke through with 98 seconds left on the clock. UCR pushed its backline up and Aleksander Vukovic, an All-Big West First Team defender, received the ball from Noah Lopez, another All-Big West First Team honoree, and flicked into the lower right corner for the score. It was Vukovic's second goal of the season and Lopez's fifth assist. The Pilots ran out the clock from there for the win.
 
The Highlanders had a 16-15 shooting advantage, but the Pilots were more accurate with a 10-6 edge in shots on goal. Issa Badawiya recorded five shots, with one on goal. Christian Ceja had two shots, both on goal. Big West Co-Goalkeeper of the Year Carlos Gonzalez compiled eight saves.
 
It was UC Riverside’s second appearance in the NCAA Championship, the first coming in 2018. The Highlanders captured their first-ever Big West regular season crown and second Big West Championship title in school history this season.