Oscar Penate vs. Fullerton
Devyn Billingsley
1
Cal St. Fullerton CSF (8-4-5, 3-1-3)
1
UC Riverside UCR (4-7-4, 3-2-2)
Cal St. Fullerton CSF
(8-4-5, 3-1-3)
1
Final
1
UC Riverside UCR
(4-7-4, 3-2-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Cal St. Fullerton CSF 0 1 1
UC Riverside UCR 1 0 1

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Highlanders Share Points with Cal State Fullerton

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Oscar Penate scored the Highlanders' second goal inside 10 minutes in as many matches as UC Riverside played to a 1-1 draw with Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday night at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium.

Including Wednesday, UCR and Cal State Fullerton have now played to a one-goal game or a draw in each of the last 10 meetings.

Penate netted the Highlanders' fourth goal inside 10 minutes this season and second in as many matches. Issa Badawiya crossed a ball into the box in the fifth minute off the feed from Brendan Clark, who made his 50th collegiate appearance on Wednesday night.

Penate recorded a season-high five shots against the Titans on Wednesday and has now led UCR in shots in the past two meetings after three in last year's draw in Orange County. 

UC Riverside's golden opportunity to double its lead was shut down in the 29th minute with the trio of Penate, Badawiya and Andrew Alexander tearing up the midfield. Alexander centered it to Penate, who carried it all the way into the 18 and passed it off to Badawiya. Badawiya's attempt at the far post was blocked before Penate's rebound just missed the near post. 

Luka Lukic looked to continue his hot streak in the 35th minute with a through ball from Leopoldo Hernandez, but the shot was swallowed up by Fullerton's keeper. The goal would have put Hernandez in the top five for career assists at UC Riverside. 

UCR would not see its lead last long past the intermission as Carlos Gonzalez was beaten in the 51st minute for Fullerton's equalizer. 

Gonzalez was at the ready all night aside from the Titans' equalizer, coming up with the point-blank save in the 77th minute after saving a sure top-shelf goal minutes before. Gonzalez made four saves altogether in the midweek fixture.

Alexander was sent off in the 81st minute for a second yellow card and UCR played the final nine minutes of regulation down a man. Lukic fired a shot towards the far post with a right foot seconds later before the Highlanders won a crucial free kick at the top of the 18. Clark's take nearly found the top shelf.

Short-handed UC Riverside gave the Titans all they could handle in the final nine minutes of action with most of the possession in the final third and three of its 14 shots on the night. 

UC Riverside will hit the road for the final time in the 2022 regular season, kicking off from CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, October 22 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.