RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside conceded a late goal on Thursday night to drop a 2-1 decision to Gonzaga at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Gonzaga pressed early with a pair of shots in the first three minutes, neither of which were on frame. The visitors persisted, though, opening the scoring in the ninth minute on the rebound. 
• Christian Ceja logged UCR's first shot of 2023, an attempt at the bottom center of the goal in the 29th minute. Andrew Alexander had a chance at the equalizer just before halftime, but the attempt went out past the left post. 
• Edward Castro put his stamp on his collegiate debut with the Highlanders' first shot of the second half, missing just wide in the 52nd minute.
• Luka Lukic converted from the penalty spot in the 60th minute for the second-half equalizer. 
• A UC Riverside free kick in the 74th minute dropped to Brendan Clark in the box, but Aleksandar Vukovic's effort to put the rebound away was unsuccessful.
• Gonzaga had an opportunity at an empty net in the 80th minute before the ball could roll across the box. GU capitalized in the final minute of play, though, for the game winner. 

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

• Freshman Nathan Scott was named to the starting XI in the midfield alongside Ceja, Diogo Baptista and Lukas Juodkunaitis. 
• In addition to Scott and Juodkunaitis, Castro and Diego Ramirez also made their UCR debuts in Thursday's season opener. 
• Luka Lukic's 60th-minute equalizer was his fifth as a Highlander and the first for UCR from the spot since 2021. 
• UCR put up three of its four shots on goal in the second half.

UP NEXT

• UC Riverside is headed to the Pacific Northwest to battle Oregon State on Sunday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m. on Pac-12 Network.