SAN DIEGO - UC Riverside kept rolling on both sides of the pitch with a 2-0 win at San Diego on Friday night at Torero Stadium. Now at 3-0, UCR has only conceded once this season with a +6 goal differential.
"Our defensive unit has been very strong the past few games," head coach Tim Cupello said. "We have individuals that step up in critical moments, and we have a team that appreciates the importance of defending with all 11 players."
UCR got on the offensive in the shot category once more. Andrew Alexander picked up where he left off from last week's game-winner at Canisius, recording the first two shots at Torero Stadium for either side.
The attacking did not stop there for the Highlanders. Noah Lopez found himself in front of the net in the 14th minute, but hit the ball to the left of the post. Brendan Clark lobbed a ball into Caio Guazzelli in the 34th minute, but Guazzelli's volley sailed over the bar. Oscar Penate made his UC Riverside debut in the midfield, coming on for Noah Lopez in the 26th minute and playing 58 minutes on the night.
Carlos Gonzalez came up big on the defensive end in the 22nd minute, winning a one-on-one situation off his line to keep the game scoreless.
San Diego kept applying the pressure for the remainder of the first half, but UCR countered with five of their nine first half shots in the final minute of play.
The Highlanders played into a crowded front of the box on the attacking end, making for their first real chance of the second half in the 52nd minute. San Diego's back line picked up from the first half in clearing the ball away. Gonzalez came off his line once more two minutes later to keep San Diego at bay.
UC Riverside broke the deadlock in the second half for the third game in a row. Adolfo Magana played a ball through a defender's legs on the right side to a waiting Andrew Alexander, whose slow roller across the face of goal found Jonick Pineda for the tap in.
Guazzelli entered Friday leading the Highlanders in shots and finally got his goal after a narrow miss in the first half. Carlos Osorio dispossessed a San Diego defender in the 83rd minute and played it forward before giving it off to Guazzelli's left foot for the more comfortable 2-0 UCR lead.
The Highlanders racked up 13 shots on the night, marking the third straight game this year with double-digit attempts. Guazzelli, Clark and Alexander paced the squad with two each.
"There's still a lot of work ahead of us," Cupello said, "but I'm very happy with where we're at for this point of the process."
UC Riverside is back on the pitch on Thursday, September 9 to host California Baptist in the Crosstown Showdown and home opener.
