Women’s Soccer: UCI rallies to tie USC

While its primary home field is undergoing emergency maintenance to restore a damaged playing surface, the UC Irvine women’s soccer team is on a bit of a recovery mission of its own.

The turnaround from a rocky opening four matches continued Sunday, when the Anteaters rallied to tie No. 14-ranked USC at the Anteater Recreation Center fields.

Freshman Kiana Palacios banged in a loose ball in front in the 75th minute to notch the equalizer that allowed the Anteaters (3-4-1) to extend their unbeaten streak to four.

UCI, which had won its three previous home games, including a 2-1 verdict over San Diego on Friday at the ARC, continued the trend of encouraging performances, Coach Scott Juniper said.

“I think we figured out what a tough schedule those first four games were,” Juniper said of losses at Santa Clara, UCLA, Auburn and Indiana in which UCI was outscored, 10-1. Against UCLA and Auburn, the Anteaters had a combined deficit in shots of 39-2.

“We definitely got tougher,” Juniper said. “It was a really tough four games, but we got better in every area because of it. I don’t think we fear anything right now, and there is nothing we haven’t seen.”

What the Anteaters saw early on Sunday was a USC unit that connected easily to control the flow for most of the opening half.

But the hosts appeared more determined and more effective after halftime and throughout the two 10-minute overtime periods.

“I like the way we stuck to our principles and I think we were the aggressors for most of the overtime,” Juniper said. “It looked like [the Women of Troy] were just trying to hold on.”

UCI, indeed, had three quality scoring chances in overtime, including a couple culminating in shots by senior forward Laura McGrail.

“[McGrail] is playing that senior role and she’s a warrior,” Juniper said. “She is putting her body on the line and she almost won the game for us twice in the second half and in overtime.”

McGrail was also involved in her team’s lone goal, which began with a cross by junior defender Clarissa Robles. Robles’ drive from the left wing, glanced off McGrail, who leaped high to get her head on the volley. McGrail’s flick was outside the frame on the right doorstep, where Palacios was waiting to direct it in.

It was the team-leading third goal for Palacios, who came in tied with McGrail for the top spot.

McGrail was credited with her first assist of the season, while Robles collected her team-best fourth assist of the season.

“There is no limit to where [Robles] can go in the game,” Juniper said. “She’s the best right back I’ve seen this year and we’ve seen some good ones. She has been phenomenal and she is only getting better.”

Robles also nearly prevented USC’s goal in the seventh minute, as she appeared to get a piece of the scoring deflection by Katie Johnson off a shot from the top of the box by Natalie Donaldson.

But Johnson managed to put the ball past the defense for the visitors (5-0-2).

Juniper said the performance Sunday extended the recent trend that has helped his team recapture its confidence.

“We’ll focus on the performance [against USC] and the performance couldn’t be more encouraging,” Juniper said. “We probably could have won that game two or three times. We’re competitors, so we want to win the game, but if you would have offered me a tie before the game, I would have at least thought about it for a few seconds.

“[Late in the first half] was a really good momentum shift for us and we just kept encouraging [the players],” Juniper said. “It was about their mindset to continue to play the game. When you are physically tired [playing in oppressive heat that hovered around 100 degrees], You have to apply the mindset of doing the right thing and trusting each other with the ball in tight spaces. Once they did that, we dominated a lot of the possession.”

USC finished with a 12-7 advantage in shots, after leading, 5-2, in that category before intermission.

UCI goalkeeper Jenn Randazzo had one save, as did USC counterpart and fellow senior Caroline Stanley.

UCI returns to action on Friday against Oklahoma, at 7 p.m. at the ARC.