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IRVINE, Calif. -- Scoring in the 80th minute, No. 3 seed UC Irvine secured a 1-0 victory over sixth-seeded Cal State Fullerton at Anteater Stadium in the first round of the 2025 Big West Men's Soccer Championship.

The win advances the defending champion Anteaters (8-7-3) to take on second-seeded UC Santa Barbara in Saturday night's semifinal from the Gauchos' Harder Stadium. The two squared off against each other back on Oct. 12 in Irvine, as UC Santa Barbara came away with the 1-0 road victory. Meanwhile, the Titans cap the 2024 campaign at 7-6-7.

Junior Misael Gonzalez struck with the game-winner late in the run of off the pass from Brady Treinen. In goal, senior Luke Pruter played a key role with one save as the defense held firm for the shutout, the fourth of the season.

Cal State Fullerton had Brandon Limes between the posts as the graduate student recorded four saves. Senior Sulaiman Bah led the team in shot attempts with three. Fitz Williams and Roberto Ordonez each contributed with two shots.

In total, the Titans outshot the Anteaters 12-8 in the contest, but could never find the target. In the regular-season meeting between the two, Cal State Fullerton prevailed 2-0 back on Oct. 2, but this time, the home team's single-goal advantage was enough to send UCI through.