Interactive bracket | Box score
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Big West champions UC Irvine fell to No. 5 seed and host Nebraska, 4-0, on a drizzly 52-degree day from Barbara Hibner Soccer Stadium in the third round of the 2023 NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Tournament.
This is the third-straight season UCI’s season culminated with a successful trip to the NCAA Tournament, and a second consecutive appearance in the third round. This marks just the second time in Big West history that a team has made back-to-back runs to the Sweet Sixteen, joining Long Beach State’s 2010-11 teams. The Anteaters capped the 2023 campaign with a record of 10-8-6, going 4-1-1 in the postseason.
Nebraska improves to 16-3-3 on the season, and the Cornhuskers advance to take on the winner of second-seeded Stanford and No. 6 seed Mississippi State in the national quarterfinals on Nov. 24 or 25 at the home of the highest seed remaining in the quadrant.
NU came out of the gates hot, putting the UCI injury-depleted altered starting backfield on their heels from the outset. The first goal came in the 14th minute off the pass from Nebraska’s Gwen Lane. Abbey Schwarz fired from the left foot with the shot finding the back corner of the net, squeezing just inside post and past a diving Glo Hinojosa.
In the 30th minute, Nebraska’s Elanor Dale got the long-range entry pass from Schwarz to go top shelt and tie the Huskers single-season scoring record with 27. With just under five minutes to play, NU struck again as Hayley Peterson’s first goal of the season came off a header off the corner kick.
Nebraska’s final strike of the match was the record-breaker with Dale’s free kick just outside the box slid past Hinojosa.
All told, the Huskers outshot UC Irvine 25-11 in the contest. Laila El Behery led the UCI offense with three shots, all on-goal, while Nebraska’s senior Dale fired off 11 shots in the contest.
Hinojosa saved four attempts for the ‘Eaters, while Nebraska keeper Samantha Hauk denied seven attempts from the UCI. Hinojosa’s collegiate career ends with a program-tying 31 shutouts, knotted with current assistant coach Danielle de Seriere in the record books.