HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky men's soccer team fell to UC Irvine on Sunday afternoon by a final score of 5-2. The Anteaters scored four goals in the first half of the match.

"I have to take complete responsibility for this loss today," said NKU head coach Stu Riddle. "I didn't set the team up in the right formation or prepare the team to win the match. Give credit to UC Irvine. They were ruthless and punished us for not being ready to play."

NKU SCORING SUMMARY

• Rikard Lindqvist put the Norse on the scoreboard in the 70^th minute. Alex Greive was fouled in the box, and NKU was awarded a penalty kick. Lindqvist converted from the spot for his second goal of the season.
• Lindqvist added another goal just over a minute later. He secured a pass that was played over the top of the UC Irvine defense. His first shot hit the post, but he was able to gather the rebound and tap the ball in from close range.

FIRST HALF SUMMARY

• Alvaro Quezada gave the Anteaters an early 1-0 lead in the fourth minute. A ball was played into the box on a corner kick. The ball bounced around in the box and was controlled by Quezada. He fired a shot from close range to give his team the early advantage.
• A few minutes later, Luis Leon took a shot from just outside the box. Jim Barkei wasn't able to handle the ball, and it went into the back of the net.
• In the 14^th minute, Giovanni Godoy tapped in a shot from close range to extend the lead to 3-0. Leon made a nice pass to the right side of the six-yard box, and Godoy found himself with an open net.
• The final goal of the first half came in the 19^th minute. Godoy made a cross from the right side of the field. The ball hit a NKU defender and resulted in an own goal.  

 
SECOND HALF SUMMARY

• The Norse had a great opportunity to score in the 52^nd minute. A foul in the box led to a penalty kick for NKU, but Greg Patenaude made a great save on the shot to keep the Norse out of the scoring column.
• Ivan Canales gave UC Irvine a 5-0 lead in the 55^th minute. Daniel Crisostomo played a pass on the ground through the defense, and Canales' shot went to the left of Christian Carey, who entered the match at the start of the half.
• Lindqvist scored two goals in the second half to make the score 5-2.

MATCH NOTES

• The Anteaters had 26 shots in the game, with 11 being on frame.
• Jim Barkei and Christian Carey combined for six saves in the match.

UP NEXT
NKU is set to host Fort Wayne on Friday, Sept. 1 with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at NKU Soccer Stadium.