LOS ANGELES - Noah Lopez scored the opener in the 13th minute, but UC Riverside played to a 1-1 draw with LMU on Sunday afternoon at Sullivan Field.
UC Riverside put in a good offensive push in the first 10 minutes and found an outlet down the far side in the 12th minute for the Highlanders' first corner of the match, not having to wait much longer for a 1-0 lead.
Lopez delivered with his third goal of the year and second in three games in the 13th minute. UCR had numbers in the attacking third and crashed the box before the sophomore was right in front for the put in from Leopoldo Hernandez and Oscar Penate.
Penate found himself in a 1v3 situation in the 23rd minute, but only needed to beat two LMU defenders in the six-yard box before having his point-blank shot pushed aside. The Lions nearly equalized a minute later with a ball just over the bar.
Carlos Gonzalez was tested early with LMU putting pressure on the junior goalkeeper, but several near misses by the Lions through 25 minutes kept Gonzalez and the Highlanders out of trouble. Gonzalez laid out for another crucial save in the 75th minute, finishing his afternoon with five stops to tie a season high.
Scrappy play in the latter stages of the first half saw UCR withstand LMU pressure for an equalizer, but the Highlanders controlled the midfield, pace of play and passing lanes for the duration of the opening 45 minutes. Luka Lukic nearly doubled the lead just seconds after subbing on in the 42nd minute.
LMU's urgency continued into the second half, but Carlos Gonzalez came up with two point-blank saves in the 56th minute to keep the Highlanders in front. UCR's defense briefly collapsed in the 67th minute, but the ball sailed over the bar to keep Lopez's goal as the difference.
The Highlander defense evaded an LMU equalizer and broke at pace the other way, but an inswinger to a newly subbed on Wes Hastings in the 70th minute was just off target. Aleksander Vukovic was in prime position with a downward header off a corner before the Lions equalized on the other end within the minute.
Chippiness and offensive urgency ensued in the final 10 minutes as both sides looked to bag the go-ahead score, but Gonzalez made one last save in the final minute of action off an LMU corner.
UC Riverside will continue its longest road trip of the season on September 22 when the Highlanders travel across Riverside for the Crosstown Showdown with California Baptist. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.
