No. 10 UCSB suffered a 9-7 loss to No. 7 UC Irvine on Saturday afternoon in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation contest at Campus Pool. The game marked the last home contest of the season for the Gauchos.
With the loss, UCSB falls to 12-12 on the season and 1-5 in conference play while UC Irvine improves to 15-9 and 3-3 in league.
UCSB's Milos Golic scores on this penalty shot to give the Gauchos a 4-3 lead in the second quarter
Most of the game was a seesaw battle with the teams being tied on five occasions. Irvine got on the scoreboard first when Cole Bielskis scored following the first ejection of the game with 4:07 on the clock. During the next possession, UCSB notched its first goal: another power play point scored by Milos Golic.
UCSB then took its first lead of the game at the 2:46 on the clock when Zsombor Vincze scored during another Gaucho six-on-five. Less than a minute later, Bielskis knotted things up at two-all.
UCI took a 3-2 lead less than three minutes into the second quarter on a power play goal by Brandon Johnson, but less than a minute later, the game was again tied when Noah Smith scored on a six-on-five. The Gauchos took a 4-3 lead at the 4:05 mark after Brian Shoemaker drew a five-meter penalty and Golic converted the free shot.
In the last two minutes of the half, Johnson and Harvey Newland posted back-to-back goals to give Irvine the 5-4 advantage at halftime.
The third quarter was a battle of the team’s defenses and the first goal wasn’t scored until the 2:22 mark, when Vincze tied the game at 5-5. On the next possession, Irvine drew a five-meter penalty and Mihailo Jevtovic scored on the free shot to give the Anteaters a one-goal advantage heading into the final quarter.
Greg Enloe and Kyle Kruip scored back-to-back goals in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter, giving Irvine its largest lead of the game at 8-5. With 3:37 on the clock, Brian Shoemaker put the Gauchos back within two goals and at the 1:06 mark, Vincze scored to cut the Irvine lead to just one goal.
Unfortunately, Irvine was able to tally one more goal in the last minute to finish the game with the 9-7 win.
Vincze led UCSB with three goals in the loss, marking his fourth hat trick of the season. In goal, Fraser Bunn posted eight saves.
UCSB will head to No. 4 UCLA on Sunday for a 1 p.m. contest with the Bruins at Spieker Aquatics Complex.
UC Irvine 9, UCSB 7
UCI Goals: Cole Bielskis 3, Brandon Johnson 2, Mihailo Jevtovic, Greg Enloe, Kyle Kruip, Harvey Newland
UCI Saves: Matt Johnson 8
UCSB Goals: Zsombor Vincze 3, Milos Golic 2, Brian Shoemaker, Noah Smith
UCSB Saves: Fraser Bunn 8
