NCAA Tournament Run Ends in Third Round - UCI Athletics (2024)

Derek Blalock

• Box Score

Game Recap: Women's Soccer | November 20, 2022 | Alex Roberts-Croteau

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. --- UC Irvine women's soccer saw their season come to an end from an NCAA Third Round 3-1 defeat Sunday against No. 3 Alabama in Alabama Soccer Stadium.

HALF HEARTED
The sides played to a relatively even first half without any goals conceded. The Crimson Tide (22-2-1) held a majority of the possession, but managed just two shots with none on frame against the Anteater defense. UCI (11-6-7) took the few openings they could find and threatened, but were also turned away the scoreless draw continued into the half.

ON A ROLL
The intensity heightened as the second half commenced with UA in pursuit of a goal. Glo Hinojosasold out with a brilliant leaping save on a set piece to hold Alabama back early in the second half.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME GLO?!?!?!? #STRONGwomen #RipEm x @NCAASoccer pic.twitter.com/AJJiCkD9Et

— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) November 20, 2022

The opening goal finally came in the 56th minute from an outstanding individual effort. The Tide earned a corner kick putting Felicia Knox on the ball. Her right-footed service couldn't be touched by anyone as it sought out the upper far corner settling into the back of the net for the Olimpicoon a 1-0 Alabama lead.

UA fed off the momentum and battered the Anteater goal soon after. A few entrances into the box were dealth with until the 60th minute. A cross from the far sideline landed right near the goal mouth for Ashlynn Serepca to nudge home and quickly put the Tide up 2-0.

UC Irvine switched on minutes later getting a corner kick opportunity of their own in the 66th minute. Amber Huff took her usual position and whipped a service in finding a leaping Suus de Bakker heading the ball down and just in under the bar to draw closer and trail 2-1.

SUUUUUUUUUUUUS!! ????? Header finds a way off Amber's beautiful corner in the 66th minute!!

UC Irvine 1-2 (1) Alabama #TWZ x @NCAASoccer pic.twitter.com/kLJwf6stdu

— UCI Women's Soccer (@UCIwsoc) November 20, 2022

The match opened up with UCI now in pursuit of the equalizer. The 'Eaters went on the rush numerous times with four more shots in the half and tries from Tati Fung and Erin Covey on frame. Amber Huff drove to goal before unleashing a laser from 35 yards that just whistled over the crossbar.

The crushing blow came in the 88th minute as Alabama continued to press the issue and got a call drawing a foul in the box. Knox finished what she started putting home her attempt over a diving Hinojosa to all but put the match away.

FINAL SCORE: #3 ALABAMA 3, UC IRVINE 1
The season ends for the second time in program history in the NCAA Third Round. The 2022 Anteaters join the 2010 squad as teams to make it to this point, the furthest UCI has ever gone in women's soccer. UCI comcludes 2022 with a record of 11-6-7 and a 3-2-5 Big West record as they finished in sixth place.

For UCI against Alabama it was their first meeting. UCI is now 3-7 all-time against the SEC with one win in four matches i nroad matches.

UCI's goalscorer Suus de Bakker netted her third goal of the season all coming in postseason play. Amber Huff added one final tally to her impressive total with her 11th assist on the year, two coming in the NCAA Tournament, seven in postseason play, and 10 in her last seven matches.

Glo Hinojosa was credited with just one save on the match as she finishes with 161 in her career to go with 11 wins this year and a program-record-tying 11 shutouts.

UCI was out-shot, 14-6, including 12-5 in the second half. Both sides finished with four shots on target. Each team scored on a corner with Alabama holding the 10-2 edge there.

Postmatch Quotes
Amber Huff - "It's nice to see our fans here and hear them cheer. Alabama has a lot of fans and I can hear them and their parents a lot and we hear a lot of negative. Then you hear one voice cheering for you we think 'ok, we can do this.' We only need one to be able to beat them. That's what it felt like, having as many fans as we had."

"The last five years? Out of 10? I give it an 11. I would say the last year it kind of brought it all together from last year and we found the missing piece of the puzzle, and this was the greatest experience I've had."

Head Coach Scott Juniper - "Difficult to get too many words out and in that moment I think more importantly, one of our fifth-year seniors talked about how proud she was of her teammates. I thought that was a big moment. Lovely to hear how proud she is of what they've achieved. So just a few words, a lot of big hugs. We're losing a lot of great players this year to graduation and they will be missed greatly. I don't know quite how we're going to replace these girls."

"You should expect that in these big games. You've got to bring a level of physicality. I thought that the officials did a really good job. Never going to agree with every single decision but I thought they managed the game well. We were prepped for it. After our Friday game, I thought that was significantly more physical in different ways. But I thought it was really good competition. I think it was clean, physical, and we stood up to most of it."

"Glo Hinojosa, I mean how much has been written about her in the last few weeks. She's been phenomenal. She's just starting to break some records of our assistant coach who holds a lot of the records at UCI. Danielle (de Seriere) also played in a Sweet 16 game her senior year and also wore #33. Just a fantastic story to be albe to mentor her to beat some of her old records."

"Alex Jaquez, she's hilarious, a ferocious competitor, brings the energy. She sets the temperature for us every day; when she's having a great day, dozens of other players have a great day. She brings players with her when she goes to compete. Just like so many others, it's impossible to replace them. She was a striker when she came to UC Irvine and we converted her to a left back and that says a lot about her character. It's not about her, she just wants to be part of the team, was prepared to do whatever we needed to do. So for a striker that used to be in front of goal to play left back and to do it the way that she does. It is phenomenal. Amber, Alex, and all the other fifth-years, I think they've all got a big future in the game professionally somewhere if they choose to pursue that."