Lev-Ari Joins 40-Goal Club in 3-0 Triumph at #3 UC Irvine

IRVINE, Calif. -

CSUN men's soccer defender Patrick Hickman scored his second of the season and forward Sagi Lev-Ari netted two goals as the Matadors (6-8-2, 2-4-1 Big West) cruised to a 3-0 win at No. 3 UC Irvine (11-3-2, 3-3-1 Big West) on Saturday night at Anteater Stadium. Lev-Ari's brace helped the senior become just the fourth player in Big West Conference history to reach 40 career goals.

The match was a defensive showdown until the second half, with the first shot of the night not coming until the 22nd minute of play. The first true opportunity for either side went in favor of the Matadors in the 35th minute when UC Irvine goalkeeper Michael Breslin was shown the yellow card and a penalty was awarded.

Marino Peixoto's shot was just high of the target, however, ringing the crossbar and staying out. Frenzied action for the Anteaters in the 42nd minute nearly put the home side ahead going into the break, but Cameron Iwasa hit the crossbar with a header and a rebound shot from Bryan Breslin was steered out of the goal by a CSUN defender.

The CSUN defense held strong to start the second half and goalkeeper Adam Hobbs recorded a pair of important saves in the first 10 minutes of the period to keep the score level. His work in the net set up the Matadors offensively and the team found the breakthrough it was looking for in the 63rd minute.

A long throw into the box was briefly cleared to Hickman before the sophomore bent a shot that went into the left side of the goal to put CSUN ahead 1-0. Hobbs came up with saves in the 73rd, 75th and 76th minutes to preserve the lead before the Matadors could strike for more.

In the 78th minute Lev-Ari beat an offside trap and had his initial shot saved by Breslin before putting away the rebound for the 40th goal of his career. He joins Drew McAthy (UCSB, 2001-04), Gerrell Elliott (Fresno State, 1988-91) and Rob Ryerson (UNLV, 1983-85) as the fourth player in conference history to reach the milestone.

Lev-Ari increased the lead to three goals when he scored his second of the night, this time in the 88th minute. Edwin Rivas dribbled into the area and slotted a pass back to Lev-Ari, who then fired a shot just under the crossbar for his 10th goal of the season.

Hobbs finished the night with seven saves to earn his fifth shutout of the year. With the win, the Matadors picked up a victory over their highest ranked opponent since knocking off then-No. 3 UC Santa Barbara 1-0 in 2009 at Matador Soccer Field.

The team will remain on the road for its next match, traveling to UC Riverside on Wednesday, Oct. 29 to take on the Highlanders at 7 p.m. The Matadors will then return home for a rematch against UC Irvine on Saturday, Nov. 1. The match against the Anteaters will also be Senior Night as the Matadors will honor the senior members of the team in an on-field ceremony prior to kickoff.

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