Men’s Soccer Draws with CBU in Crosstown Showdown

Saturday, September 23

Riverside, Calif.

7:00 p.m.

UC Riverside

0-6-2, 0-0-0

California Baptist

2-4-2, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
California Baptist	0	1	1
UC Riverside	0	1	1

Men’s Soccer Draws with CBU in Crosstown Showdown

9/23/2023 9:22:00 PM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside played to a 1-1 draw with California Baptist in Saturday's Crosstown Showdown at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium.

HOW IT HAPPENED

UC Riverside was on its back foot early, doing their best to keep the Lancers out of the attacking third. The Highlander back line forced all three of CBU's early shots to come from outside the 18.
Armando Ibarra Jr. showed his range in the 11th and 14th minutes with a pair of attempts from well beyond the 18. Ibarra had a closer encounter in the 32nd minute, but was denied on the doorstep.
Brendan Clark won a free kick in the 22nd minute after Wes Hastings played a ball through the midfield, as UCR's first set piece of the evening was punched away. Luka Lukic tried to clean things up with the opener and had no luck, but almost was able to put a shot on net in the 28th minute after a Lancer defender lost his footing.
UC Riverside saw a glimpse of open space, though, late in the first half and used just two passes to move the ball into the final third. CBU's back line pushed the Highlanders off the ball and a potential opener, and a pass into the middle soon after found a waiting Noah Lopez who couldn't find the net.
Jona Martinez played a ball in the 50th minute to Edward Castro on the near side, who fired a ball into the far post for the opener and his first career goal. Carlos Gonzalez swallowed up a Lancer attempt on the other end before Castro almost doubled the lead six minutes later.
UCR's back line came to the rescue after Gonzalez came off his line before the ball was re-centered in the box, but the Highlanders were able to knock the ball away. CBU later leveled the match in the 80th minute.
Andrew Alexander went down in the box in the dying seconds and won a corner for UC Riverside, but a waiting Lukic wasn't able to put the winner away.

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

Ibarra's four shots marked the second match in his last three that the senior has tallied at least four attempts.
Castro's opener was his first goal in his eighth match as a Highlander, while Martinez logged his first career assist. The goal was the second of the season by a UCR substitute, both of which have come at home - Luka Lukic scored off the bench against Gonzaga in the season opener.
UCR logged at least 10 shots for the third time in four matches after a maximum of nine through the season's first four matches.

UP NEXT

UC Riverside turns its attention to Big West play this week, kicking off the conference schedule with a 6:00 p.m. start time at UC Irvine on Wednesday, September 27.