UC Irvine Falls To California Baptist

RIVERSIDE, Calif. –  The Anteaters could not mount the comeback in the final minutes of the game as they fell to No. 18/18 California Baptist 12-11 on Wednesday evening.
 
Freshman Cole Francisco recorded two goals in the final eight minutes to lead UCI with three total. The attacker also added a team best two steals.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Luka Krstic and Jack Stevens were the other Anteaters to record multiple goals with two each
• Tyler Padua, Ethan Shipman, Johann Thrall, and Brody Luke rounded out the scoring
• Gage Verdegaal dished out a game best three assists
• Zayd Mahmoud made the start in the cage and stopped six shots in 24 minutes
• Jacob Pyle entered the game in the fourth to make two saves
• Stevens led all players with four drawn exclusions
• No. 18/18 California Baptist was led by Bohdi Bowden with five goals on nine shots

SCORING BREAKDOWN

• First period: The Anteaters took the early lead in the contest on an outside shot from Jack Stevens off the pass from Gage Verdegaal at 5:26. After a two-goal comeback from the Lancers, Luka Krstic netted the five-meter conversion at 1:40 to tie the contest. CBU took back the lead with six seconds left after making the stop on one end, 3-2.
  • Krstic (1) and Stevens (1)
• Second period: After making the stop, Zayd Mahmoud threw the length of the pool for Johann Thrall to go for the score at 5:24. No. 18/18 California Baptist went up by two, 5-3, at 1:58 before UCI responded on the next possession as Tyler Padua (1:40) was fed in the center and then with eight seconds left Jack Stevens drew the ordinary foul and shot from around six-meters out to knot the contest 5-all.
  • Padua (1), Stevens (1), and Thrall (1)
• Third period: CBU went up by two to start the second half and would find a way to respond every time the Anteaters drew within one. The Brody Luke and Ethan Shipman contingent put together the first two goals with Shipman dishing to Luke at 4:26 and then Luke going cross pool to Shipman (2:17) for a far side strike. The period ended in excitement when Padua passed over to Cole Francisco on the restart for a half court launch into the cage to draw within one, 10-9.
  • Francisco (1), Krstic (1), Luke (1), Shipman (1)
• Fourth period: Within the first minute of the final period, Verdegaal threw across the pool to Francisco to bounce it in nearside at 7:07 to even the game 10-all. CBU then scored on back-to-back possessions (3:49, 3:15) to reclaim their two-point advantage. No. 5/7 UC Irvine made every attempt to mount the comeback, but Francisco's cannon with five seconds left was not enough as the Anteaters dropped 12-11.
  • Francisco (2)

 
UP NEXT
No. 5/7 UC Irvine opens their Big West slate with a home contest against No. 15/13 UC San Diego on Friday Oct. 11 at 6 p.m.