Women's Soccer Alone Atop Big West Standings Following 2-0 Win Over Hawai'i

Sunday, October 6

Riverside, CA

1:00 pm

UC Riverside

Hawai'i

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Women's Soccer Alone Atop Big West Standings Following 2-0 Win Over Hawai'i

10/7/2013 9:43:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Riverside—The UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team is alone atop the Big West Conference standings for the first time since the 2005 season thanks to a 2-0 victory over visiting Hawai'i Sunday afternoon (Box Score/Video Recap).

The win improved the Highlanders to 5-7-1 on the season and a perfect 2-0-0 in conference play. Entering Sunday's match, UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly were all 1-0 on the season, but the Gauchos and Mustangs both lost, and the Titans tied Cal State Northridge leaving UCR alone in first place.

This also marks the first time UC Riverside has won its first two matches in conference play since that same 2005 season.

The victory over the Rainbow Wahine didn't come easy as Hawai'i forced the pace of the match throughout the first 45 minutes of play. They outshot the Highlanders 8-3 in the first period including 3-0 in shots on goal.

One shot that didn't count came with less than three minutes to go in the half, as an apparent Hawai'i score was erased by an offside call. The Rainbow Wahine took three more shots over the final two minutes of the period, but the teams' entered the half tied at zero.

Whatever Coach Gonzalez said to his troops at the half did the trick, as the Highlanders turned the tables on Hawai'i outshooting them 11-7 in the final 45 minutes of play. UCR's first score came courtesy of a handball in the Rainbow Wahine box. Tyler Cunningham struck the subsequent penalty kick to the right side of the goal for a 1-0 Highlanders advantage.

UC Riverside's second score of the day came in the 79th minute as the Rainbow Wahine tried to clear the ball out of their defensive end. Kaitlin Anzalone secured the ball from 27 yards out, and her shot found the right side of the goal as well putting the Highlanders up 2-0.

UCR goalkeeper Elizabeth Silas recorded a career-high tying eight saves on the day while recording her second shutout of the season.

The Highlanders are on the road this Thursday for a 7 pm PT match at UC Irvine before returning to the Inland Empire Sunday for a 6 pm meeting with Cal State Fullerton.