RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside picked up its first win of 2023, taking all three points when it mattered most in a 2-0 win over Sacramento State on Wednesday night at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium. The Highlanders have now won seven of the last 10 in the series. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UC Riverside wasted no time finding an early chance with Aleksandar Vukovic pushing a ball just past the near post before Armando Ibarra Jr. was caught offside minutes later. Ibarra threaded a ball into the box with a golden opportunity for Noah Lopez, but Sacramento State's keeper was there for the save in the 15th minute. 
• Lopez and Brendan Clark laid claim to a pair of shots on goal seven minutes apart before Ibarra Jr. launched the third of the half from well beyond the 18 at the 27th minute mark. 
• UCR had a chance to take the lead at the end of the first half with Luka Lukic putting a free kick over the bar, a microcosm of the Highlanders' dominance on the ball through the first 45 minutes. Lukic beat a defender and streaked down the right side, but couldn't find the inside of the near post. 
• Lukic's persistence paid off after the halftime break. The Serbian netted his second of the year and second at home in the 54th minute on assists from Diogo Baptista and Jason Garcia. UC Riverside continually crossed the ball in from the right corner flag, but it was a ball on the left post this time that put UCR up a goal less than ten minutes into the second half. 
• Both sides traded scoring chances in the 71st and 72nd minutes. Clark's free kick from just outside the 18 was juggled on the line, but corralled at the last second to maintain the one-goal advantage. AJ Meade-Tatum blocked a shot from straight on and far out a minute later to prevent the equalizer. 
• Wednesday's final 10 minutes were nothing short of dramatic. Gonzalez stayed on his line to stop a header inside the box in the 84th minute and Highlanders went a man up two minutes later on a second yellow. 
• Lopez then sealed the deal in the 88th minute after subbing on for Lukic, scoring on assists from Scott and Edward Castro. 

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

• UC Riverside's first win of the season vaulted the Highlanders into a five-way tie for third in the Big West alongside UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly.  
• Luka Lukic was UCR's man of the match against the Hornets with a goal on three shots - one on net - all in 51 minutes off the bench. Lukic was a major part of UCR's dominance on the ball, as the Highlanders held 57 percent of possession on Wednesday. 
• Scott recorded his second straight match with an assist after helping set up Lopez' decisive strike. Meanwhile, Castro now has a goal involvement in two of the Highlanders' last three home matches. 
• Gonzalez recorded the 12th shutout of his Highlander career on Wednesday and has now passed Edwyn Gutierrez for second all-time in program history. 

FROM COACH CUPELLO

• "Right now, we're focused on enjoying the reward of a good performance, and then trusting the process to prepare for UC Santa Barbara on Saturday."

UP NEXT

• UC Riverside will hit the road for a rematch of last year's Big West Championship final, battling UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, October 7 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN+.