Anteaters’ Hopes for Women’s Soccer Berth Fade

UC Irvine tested Cal Poly San Luis Obispo goalkeeper Kristina Grigaitis for the last time with 18 seconds left Sunday. As she had been throughout the Mustangs’ 2-0 victory, Grigaitis was ready.

Tracie Manz’s shot from 15 yards seemed headed into the goal, as did many other shots earlier. Grigaitis, Manz’s teammate at Estancia High, dived and made a two-handed save.

“I knew I had to make that save,” said Grigaitis, a senior. “I knew it was the last shot I would see.”

It was a final moment in a flawless game for Grigaitis, who made nine saves in leading the Mustangs to victory in the Big West Conference tournament championship game at Cal State Fullerton. Each time the Anteaters threatened, Grigaitis was there.

Manz slipped by the defense and came in alone early in the second half. Grigaitis dived, forcing a high shot over the crossbar.

Later, Manz tried to connect with Nicole Bucciarelli on a crossing pass. Grigaitis got to the ball first.

With 10 minutes left, Wendy Yokoyama passed to Kelly Dohmann in front of the net. Grigaitis lunged to the right to snag the header.

“We did everything we needed to do but score,” Irvine Coach Marine Cano said. “[Grigaitis] was the difference. There were two certain goals she made great saves on. There may have been more, but there were two for sure.”

The Anteaters (13-7-2) most likely saw their chances of an NCAA berth end. Irvine was unbeaten in its previous six games, going 5-0-1. Cano was building a case to be included in the 32-team field, which will be announced today.

“One of the criteria is to be playing well at the end,” Cano said before the game.

Afterward, he was still clinging to those hopes.

“I think we still have a chance,” Cano said. “We have 13 wins and that’s more than five of the top 10 teams.”

The Anteaters seemed on their way to victory No. 14 early in the game Sunday. Manz had a breakaway five minutes into the game only to have Grigaitis meet her 25 yards from the goal. Grigaitis blocked the shot with her feet.

The two had been teammates at Estancia, where Manz was a four-time All-Pacific Coast League selection. Grigaitis was a two-time all-league pick. Manz, who missed seven minutes because of a cut on her elbow, finished with four shots on goal.

“I knew they were going to come at me,” Grigaitis said. “They have so much offense. They have people up front, like Tracie, who have so much speed and quickness.”

Bucciarelli, for example, who had scored five goals in the last three games giving her 17 on the season. She had one shot and was shadowed constantly by the Mustang defense.

Patty Teal, whose two goals Friday led to a 3-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton, scored again Sunday. It was more fluke than flair.

Teal was trapped to the side of the goal. She got off a slow rolling shot that wasn’t headed toward the goal. But the ball deflected off the hands of Anteater goalkeeper Stephanie Boes and into the net to give the Mustangs (12-9-1) a 1-0 lead at the 23rd minute.

It didn’t bode well for Irvine. Before the game, the Anteaters were 0-6-2 when the opposing team scored first.

The score stayed 1-0 until Michelle George picked up a rebound in front of the Anteater net and fired a high shot past Boes in the 82nd minute. Irvine was left with little time to rally.

“Even in the last minute, I kept thinking if we scored one then we could come back quickly and get another,” Cano said. “I thought all day if we got one goal, we’d get three.”