RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside went up 2-0 early, but dropped a 5-2 decision to UC San Diego on Wednesday night at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Noah Lopez wasted no time opening the scoring, finding the back of the net in the second minute. Lopez secured the brace with a second goal in the 11th minute from Edward Castro. 
• UCR did plenty of sprinting with a fast-paced tempo in the opening 20 minutes, but UC San Diego picked up the pace while getting on the board with a free kick in the 23rd minute. The Tritons equalized shortly after in the 25th. 
• UC Riverside strung together a brilliant buildup through the midfield in the 30th minute, but wasn't quick enough with the strike to go ahead. UC San Diego did go ahead, however, piecing together its third goal on the night in the 39th minute. 
• UCR was on its back foot out of halftime with two quick chances from UC San Diego before Joel Rivera was sent off on a straight red, effectively putting UCR down a man for the remaining 40 minutes. UC San Diego tacked on another goal from the spot in the 51st minute.
• UC Riverside earned its first corner kick of the night in the 54th minute, but UC San Diego's back line headed the inswinger out of danger. The Highlanders earned successive set pieces in the coming minutes with similar unsuccessful results. 
• UC Riverside saw successive attempts in the 74th and 75th minutes from Andrew Alexander and Luka Lukic, respectively, with no scoring from either strike. UC San Diego all but sealed the win with a fifth goal in the 89th minute. 

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

• Lopez scored his third and fourth goals in three career matches against UC San Diego on Wednesday. The junior now has three goals and an assist in his last three matches overall and with first his strike against the Tritons, now owns UCR's second goal this season in the opening 10 minutes. Castro, meanwhile, now has a goal and two assists in his last two appearances.
• The opener was also UCR's earliest goal in a match since Roberto Garcia-Vargas scored 2:43 into a 2018 visit to LMU. 
• Lopez's second goal marked the third straight year a Highlander has scored twice in a Big West match.
• Diego Arrieta made his season debut in the 79th minute, seeing the pitch for 11 minutes on Wednesday night. 
• Luka Lukic has now recorded at least three shots in three consecutive matches and has 10 total - four of which have been on frame - dating back to UCR's 2-0 win over Sacramento State on October 4.

UP NEXT

• UC Riverside is now headed off on its final road trip of the season, beginning on Saturday, October 14 with a 3:00 p.m. kickoff at UC Davis on ESPN+.