STOCKTON, Calif. – Despite a third straight game with a goal by freshman
Sierah McCallum, the Pacific women's soccer team dropped a 3-2 decision to UC Irvine Thursday at Knoles Field.
McCallum and junior
Alexis Pashales each scored their third goals of the season for the Tigers (1-6-1), including Pashales' 2-2 equalizer in the second half, but the Anteaters (2-4-2) ultimately earned the victory with a late goal.
"It was unfortunate to go down two goals early, but our team fought hard to come back," co-head coach
J.J. Wozniak. "Our team created some great chances. It was a fantastic response. It was a very good goal for us to tie it up. We felt good in the second half until that one big moment when they were able to get forward and score. We're just going to keep working and we'll get back at it on Sunday at UC Santa Barbara."
The high-flying match saw both sides trade great chances throughout the night with UC Irvine edging Pacific in shots on goal, 8-6. Pashales paced the Tigers with a goal on a team-high three shot attempts in 78 minutes. Junior
Haley Johnson, freshman
Brianna Norman, McCallum and senior
Audrey Fuchs added a shot on goal each in the effort offensively.
Freshman
Sierra Schwarz made her second career start in net, facing 11 shot attempts by the Anteaters and totaling five saves.
Four Tigers logged the full 90 minutes as Schwarz, redshirt sophomore
Faylinn Berkowitz, senior
Aly Milford and junior
Trianne Cooper competed the whole length of the match.
UC Irvine jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Laila El Behery and Kaitlyn Paculba found the back of the net in the 23rd and 25th minutes respectively.
The Tigers responded in the 38th minute as McCallum rushed down the right side and fired a well-placed shot into the left corner to cut into the Anteaters' lead, 2-1. Pacific trailed by that margin going into halftime.
Opening up the second half, the Tigers utilized McCallum's goal as momentum. The native of Henderson, Nevada found sophomore
Rina Ogimoto, who then chipped a cross into the box for Pashales. Pashales headed the ball off the cross bar and in to level the score at 2-2 in the 51st minute. McCallum and Ogimoto earned their first assists of the season on Pashales' equalizer.
Both teams continued to battle tightly until a cross bounced off a Tiger and was cleaned up by Laila El Behery for her second goal of the match, giving UC Irvine a 3-2 lead in the 80th minute.
The Tigers sought an answer like they did earlier in the night, but ultimately fell short of an opportunity to tie, resulting in a 3-2 victory for the visitors.
Pacific looks to regroup as the team hits the road for its next game on Sunday at 1 p.m. PT against UC Santa Barbara.
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