UC Irvine exploded for three goals in the second half and outshot Fairleigh
Dickinson 21-6 for the match as the Anteaters opened the 2003 SOCCER TOWN
Classic with a 3-0 victory over the Knights on Saturday evening at Titan
Stadium.
UCI evens its record at 1-1 overall while the Knights drop their season
opener and fall to 0-1 overall on the year.
After a scoreless first half, UCI junior Angie Mouw scored the first goal
of the year for the Anteaters off a cross from teammate Brittany Webster.
Webster's cross went over the head of the FDU keeper to a waiting Mouw,
who skied over her defender and headed the ball just inside the near post
for the 1-0 lead.
Hayley McNallen would add a second goal in the 84th minute, taking advantage
of a yellow card called against the Knights. She bent in a free kick to
the far post from just outside the penalty area, making it 2-0.
McNallen would have her hand in the third goal of the half for the Anteaters,
finding Allyson Spencer with a corner kick in the box as Spencer headed
it home in the 87th minute from about three yards out for the final tally.
UCI had the first solid chance of the match off a corner kick early in
the first half. McNallen placed a ball to the back post to Tara Weldon,
whose shot hit the post square and bounced back to a FDU defender who
cleared it out of danger.
With just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half, McNallen and Kim
Lloyd had two chances to score as McNallen's inital shot was saved by
goalkeeper Andrea Maston, but she couldn't control the rebound. Lloyd
then gathered the ball and tried to leap over Maston, but the keeper got
enough of her hands on it to deflect the ball away and preserve the 0-0
tie.
Fairleigh Dickinson was led by Kristen Habenicht, who had three shots
on the evening.
The 2003 SOCCER TOWN Classic continues Labor Day afternoon with a pair
of matches. UC Irvine will meet San Diego State in the first match of
the day at 1 p.m. while Cal State Fullerton will open its 2003 regular
season schedule against Fairleigh Dickinson at approximately 3 p.m.
