IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine junior forward Cameron Iwasa scored six minutes into action and junior midfielder Mitchell Alvarez scored five minutes after the restart as UC Irvine dealt the Cal Poly men’s soccer program a 2-0 loss at Anteater Stadium on Friday evening.

Sophomore goalkeeper Wade Hamilton chalked up six saves for the Mustangs (8-5-0, 1-2-0), who received a match-high three shots on target from senior forward Mackenzie Pridham, but produced just two total shots during the second half.

Pridham forced UC Irvine sophomore goalkeeper Michael Breslin into two saves inside the opening 68 seconds and fired a third shot wide in the fourth minute. It was UC Irvine (7-3-2, 2-1-0), however, with the breakthrough as Iwasa flicked a free kick from sophomore midfielder Mats Bjurman past Hamilton at the left post for a 1-0 lead.

Pridham’s third shot on target came two minutes later and sophomore midfielder Matt LaGrassa and junior midfielder Steve Palacios were each stopped by Breslin midway through the first half, but Cal Poly failed to find the equalizing goal.

UC Irvine, which outshot the Mustangs 18-16, returned to double its lead on 51 minutes as senior midfielder Enrique Cardenes drove onto the Mustang goal before feeding Alvarez, who fired past Hamilton from five yards in a one-on-one setup.

LaGrassa forced another save from Breslin in the 59th minute, but the attempt marked the final time Cal Poly would directly assault the Anteater net.

The Mustangs compiled four corner kick opportunities to UC Irvine’s one.

Cal Poly, which dropped a second successive match for the first time this season, completes its two-match road trip on Sunday, Oct. 13 at No. 4 Cal State Northridge.

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