After enduring a season full of its own trials and tribulations, the UCR men’s soccer team secured the Big West South Division title Wednesday evening with a road win over the 18th-ranked UC Irvine Anteaters.
Though it was the Anteaters who would register eight of the first 10 shots of the match, the Highlanders were able to put the ball in the places it actually mattered, scoring the first point of the game off a Tyler Miguel goal in the 24th minute. Just over 10 minutes later, Miguel scored his second goal of the match, assisted by fellow Highlander Philipp Dominique.
Miguel’s pair of goals in this match were also his first two of the season, allowing him to match his season total of two goals last year as a freshman.
In the second half, the Anteaters outshot the Highlanders 9-6, but were unable to find the back of the net, allowing UCR to clinch their fourth shutout victory of the season behind goalkeeper K.C. John.
With the victory, the Highlanders conclude their regular season with an overall record of 5-9-4, and a conference record of 4-3-3. The Highlanders’ strong conference record also earned them a first-round bye in the upcoming Big West tournament, giving the team much-needed rest and extra time to prepare for their next opponent.
Up next for the Highlanders is a playoff tilt against the Cal State Fullerton Titans on Nov. 12, in which the team will play at the friendly confines of the UCR Soccer Stadium for the right to advance to the conference championship on Nov. 15.
