IRVINE, Calif. - UC Riverside opened its 2021 Big West schedule at UC Irvine on Wednesday night with a 2-0 loss at Anteater Stadium.
A physical first half included two yellow cards and 10 fouls for both sides, but not without scattered scoring chances for the Highlanders in their conference opener.
UCR won its first corner of the night in the 19th minute when Leopoldo Hernandez created a chance with a good inswinger, but a foul in the box negated any chance of an opening goal.
The Highlanders narrowly avoided conceding first in the 27th minute with a UC Irvine shot that Carlos Gonzalez was able to push wide with an outstretched left arm. It was the first quality chance of the first 45 minutes for either side.
Adolfo Magana collided with a defender in the attacking third in the 30th minute, setting up UCR's first good look of the night. Brendan Clark's free kick from just outside the 18-yard box found Hernandez, whose redirection sailed over the end line for an Anteater goal kick.
Another chance for the Highlanders in the five minutes later found Roberto Garcia-Vargas to the right of the goal mouth a few yards off the line, but the senior was unable to put his shot on frame.
The final five minutes of the half saw both teams trade chances by way of the set piece.
A yellow card to UC Irvine set up a free kick to Jonick Pineda in the 40th minute, and Pineda's ensuing free kick elevated but went straight to the Anteater goalkeeper. Oscar Penate picked up the game's second yellow card seconds later, as UCI's resulting set piece ricocheted off the woodwork to Gonzalez's right.
UC Riverside went into halftime tied for the second straight game.
The Highlanders experienced a slow start in the early minutes of the second half, but would pick up in the 54th minute.
Magana went down on the edge of the 18-yard box with Dorian Morrison taking the Highlanders' free kick at the spot of the foul. Morrison's first shot went into the UCI wall, but the rebound found Morrison's foot before it was cleared off the line.
Gonzalez was quiet in net for the first 15 minutes of the second half until stepping up to stop a UCI opportunity in the 62nd minute, a shot from the left side of the box.
An increase in pressure on the defensive end after halftime allowed for more possession and scoring chances for the away side, resulting in two key opportunities from Freymar Omarsson.
Omarsson started a counter attack in the midfield with a dispossession, and eventually found Hernandez on the right side of the box for a Highlander opportunity. Minutes later, the Iceland native split defenders on his way down the middle of the pitch before splitting two more in the box.
UC Irvine broke through in the 75th minute with a shot from a couple yards outside the 18.
The Highlanders nearly leveled the match in the 88th minute on a header from Hernandez saved on the line before UCI countered seconds later with their second goal of the game.
UCR continues its first week of Big West play on Saturday, October 2 with a 7:00 p.m. kickoff against CSU Bakersfield from UC Riverside Soccer Stadium. Live stats will be available at gohighlanders.com.
