IRVINE, Calif. - The Cornell men's soccer team fell 1-0 to UC Irvine at Anteater Stadium on Monday night. The Big Red dropped its first game of the season, moving to 2-1-0, while the Anteaters improved to 4-0-1.

The Big Red out-shot the Anteaters 12-6 in the contest, with Cornell also holding the edge in shots-on-goal 4-2. Connor Miller (three), Westin Carnevale (two), and Giorgos Diakos (two) pushed the issue, managing shots, but could not find a way to make them count.

"In terms of generating chances we were the best team today. What makes this game both beautiful and painful is that the better team doesn't always win.", John Smith, the Dr. Daniel P. Wood Head Coach of Men's Soccer mentioned.

Ryan Friedberg stopped one shot by the Anteaters, and allowed one in the 59th minute of the game. Friedberg's first allowed goal of the season proved to be enough for UC Irvine as his record between the pipes shifted to 2-1-0. "We had one lapse in judgment and they capitalized, which i have to give them credit for.", Smith added.

Cornell concluded its two game California road-stand with a split against a pair of Big West opponents in UC Santa Barbara and UC Irvine. "Overall to come out here, win on Friday and then perform the way we performed today says a lot about what this team is made of", Smith said.

"We now look forward to playing at home against another top program in Western Michigan on Saturday.", Smith concluded with.

MATCH NOTES
• Saturday marked the second all-time meeting between Cornell and UC Irvine, as the Anteaters evened the series, 1-1-0. The last time the squads took the pitch together was in September of 2022, with Cornell taking the win 1-0 at Anteater Stadium.

• Cornell doubled UC Irvine's total shots (12-6) and shots-on-goal (4-2). In Cornell's last two loses, the Big Red out-shot its opponent. The last time it happened was when Cornell held the shot advantage against the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2024 College Cup quarterfinal match.

NEXT UP
The Cornell men's soccer team will gear up for its home-opener against Western Michigan on Saturday, September 13. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Berman Field. Game action will be broadcast on ESPN+.