SO CLOSE
IRVINE, Calif. ? California Baptist went toe-to-toe with No. 9 UC Irvine, Wednesday, as the 20th-ranked Lancers fell 11-9 in the final minutes of play.
The Lancers (22-9) were just one break short of tying the Anteaters in the closing minutes. After trailing 9-5 in the third, the Lancers got a late goal just before the period ended to make it 9-6. CBU got within one at 10-9 late in the fourth and had a shot to tie the game and force overtime when Aaron Steiger tried to float a shot over the UCI keeper, but the shot was pulled down by the goalie and the Anteaters countered with a game-clinching goal.
The Lancers were almost perfect on 6-on-5 opportunities going 6-for-7 and shot 52 .9 percent (9-for-17) from the field.
CBU took an early lead at the end of the first at 3-2 and still clung to a tie at 4-4 at the half, but five UCI goals in the third gave the Anteaters just the cushion they needed.
Hunter, who had struggled early in the year, seemed to find his niche against UCI posting two goals and two steals.
Steiger and Brent Troutman also scored a pair of goals while Chris Morgan, Norbert Karoly and Peter Hines all found the back of the net once. Morgan also dished out a pair of assists and notched a steal.
Zach Bowman accounted for eight saves in the cage for CBU.
The Lancers continue their road trip as they travel to Fresno Pacific, Saturday, before heading up to Stockton, Calif., Sunday, to take on Pacific.
