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LINCOLN, Neb. – The UC Irvine Anteaters are moving on after a 2-1 victory over eighth-seeded Gonzaga in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament.
The Anteaters (10-7-6) took down their second ranked team in as many tries in the 2023 national postseason, ending the year for WCC champion Gonzaga (14-4-2) on a crisp afternoon from the home of fifth-seeded Nebraska’s Barbara Hibner Soccer Stadium in Lincoln, Neb.
In the first round of action, UCI downed No. 1 seed UCLA on their home field, becoming just the second team in NCAA history to beat a No. 1-seed in the opening round, joining USC who dismissed top-seeded Santa Clara in 2006.
The ’Eaters are set to take on Nebraska on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT, after the fifth-seeded Huskers bested Tennessee, 2-1, in the nightcap.
On the attack from the first kick, the Big West champions dominated the run of play in the first half, scoring twice in the first 17 minutes to build an advantage that would never be relinquished.
UC Irvine got on the board first with a close range shot from Laila El Behery. Kiera Smeenge delivered the pass to El Behery whose shot found the top left corner over the outstretched arms of keeper Lauren Towne in the fifth minute. The goal for El Behery was the fourth on the season for the junior from Cairo, Egypt.
The second score on the day came quickly. In the 17th minute, Suus de Bakker started the play creation on the sideline, and Tati Fung delivered a perfect cross to the right foot of Lilli Rask. Rask fired away across the net and out of reach of the Gonzaga goalkeeper for the double-assisted goal. Rask, a graduate student from Tustin, Calif., netted a first goal of 2023, and a fifth career strike.
With just under six minutes to play in the fist half, Gonzaga responded to cut the advantage by half. The ball from Emilia Warta was deflected by the ‘Eater defense but directly to the foot of Katelynn Rigg who punched it in. The goal was just the third in the run of play allowed by the stout UCI back line since Oct. 12.
With 13 of their 14 wins on the season coming with a halftime lead, Gonzaga came out firing in the second in an attempt to equalize. In the 61st, the sure-handed Glo Hinojosa pulled a ball out of the air off the foot of Marissa Garcia. The close call iy the 64th minute came when Kelsey Oyler rocketed a shot on frame – literally. The ball hit the crossbar and ricocheted down but did not cross the line as UCI breathed a sigh of relief.
Still looking to equalize, Gonzaga got another opportunity in the 71st minute. UCI’s Hinojosa went out to clear the ball, but the Zags got possession for the chance. The graduate student from Chula Vista, Calif., was able to make a move back between the bars to record the save on another shot from Garcia. Hinojosa finished the contest with seven saves, while Towne tallied four for the Zags.
With just under seven minutes on the game clock, UCI’s Alyssa Moore looked to ice the game with the lone shot on goal in the period for the ’Eaters, but Towne got the save to keep the Zags pressing through the final minutes. Despite a pair of corner kicks, Gonzaga was unable to get another shot on goal in the game, sending the jubilant Anteaters into the third round.
UCI now holds the 7-0-0 record in the all-time series against Gonzaga, and advances to play in back-to-back Sweet Sixteens. This marks the first pair of consecutive appearances in the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a Big West side since 2010-11 when Long Beach State made a run to the national quarterfinals, the furthest any league team has advanced, to date.