Saturday, October 31
Riverside, Calif.
2:00 PM
California Baptist University
12-3-2, 3-1-2
1
vs
0
UC Irvine
10-6-2, 4-1-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Irvine | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| California Baptist | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Photo by: Matt Horrocks
10/31/2026 4:27:00 PM | Men's Soccer
RIVERSIDE --- California Baptist men's soccer put a bow on the 2026 regular season with a Halloween matinee against the UC Irvine Anteaters. Playing not for conference positioning, but for a higher placement in the RPI, the Lancers earned a hard-fought 1-0 win to propel CBU into the postseason with a wave of momentum behind them.
The Lancers finish 2-0 against the Anteaters this season, both by 1-0 finals.
Saturday's victory caps off CBU's regular season with a record of 12-3-2. By clinching their dozenth win, CBU has set a new single-season wins record as a Division I program.
The Lancers had won 11 matches twice since transitioning to Division I in 2018, doing so consecutively in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The 2022 Lancers were the first team in program history to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Tournament.
"Irvine is an excellent team and always an intriguing tactical matchup, so we are pleased to close out our regular season with a big win," said coach Coe Michaelson after the game.
It took 20 minutes for the Lancers to tack a goal on the board, thanks to a penalty that was drawn after Justin Ojo was tripped in the penalty area. Senior Drew Hardin was the one to step up, and he converted as he fired left, while UCI goalkeeper Joe O'Shaughnessy went the opposite way.
Hardin closed the regular season with four goals, matching his career-high (2025), and has scored in back-to-back matches.
Goalkeeper Ulrik Stroem recorded his eighth shutout of the season, which ties him for the second most in Division I. The freshman tallied two saves in the winning effort.
"I thought it was a very professional performance even if we were a bit wasteful in the final third," added Michaelson. "Now we shift gears to the postseason. We can't wait to host a home Pac-12 Tournament game next Saturday."
Saturday's result should prove to be a positive for the Lancers in the RPI. CBU entered Saturday ranked No. 42, whereas UCI sat one spot behind the Lancers at No. 43. Saturday's result goes down as a quad two victory for the Lancers. An updated RPI will be released on Sunday morning.
Still to come Saturday is a series of matches that will determine CBU's seeding and opponent in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Lancers will go into Saturday night owning a one-point lead over Oregon State for first place. Should OSU lose to Gonzaga in their regular-season finale, the Lancers will be outright regular-season conference champions for the second season in a row and will own home-field advantage in the postseason.
A win or draw for Oregon State tonight secures the Beavers home-field advantage moving forward.
California Baptist will host its semifinal contest, no matter how Saturday night finishes. That match will be on Saturday, November 7, at 7 p.m.
The Lancers finish 2-0 against the Anteaters this season, both by 1-0 finals.
Saturday's victory caps off CBU's regular season with a record of 12-3-2. By clinching their dozenth win, CBU has set a new single-season wins record as a Division I program.
The Lancers had won 11 matches twice since transitioning to Division I in 2018, doing so consecutively in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. The 2022 Lancers were the first team in program history to qualify for the NCAA Division I National Tournament.
"Irvine is an excellent team and always an intriguing tactical matchup, so we are pleased to close out our regular season with a big win," said coach Coe Michaelson after the game.
It took 20 minutes for the Lancers to tack a goal on the board, thanks to a penalty that was drawn after Justin Ojo was tripped in the penalty area. Senior Drew Hardin was the one to step up, and he converted as he fired left, while UCI goalkeeper Joe O'Shaughnessy went the opposite way.
Hardin closed the regular season with four goals, matching his career-high (2025), and has scored in back-to-back matches.
Goalkeeper Ulrik Stroem recorded his eighth shutout of the season, which ties him for the second most in Division I. The freshman tallied two saves in the winning effort.
"I thought it was a very professional performance even if we were a bit wasteful in the final third," added Michaelson. "Now we shift gears to the postseason. We can't wait to host a home Pac-12 Tournament game next Saturday."
Saturday's result should prove to be a positive for the Lancers in the RPI. CBU entered Saturday ranked No. 42, whereas UCI sat one spot behind the Lancers at No. 43. Saturday's result goes down as a quad two victory for the Lancers. An updated RPI will be released on Sunday morning.
Still to come Saturday is a series of matches that will determine CBU's seeding and opponent in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Lancers will go into Saturday night owning a one-point lead over Oregon State for first place. Should OSU lose to Gonzaga in their regular-season finale, the Lancers will be outright regular-season conference champions for the second season in a row and will own home-field advantage in the postseason.
A win or draw for Oregon State tonight secures the Beavers home-field advantage moving forward.
California Baptist will host its semifinal contest, no matter how Saturday night finishes. That match will be on Saturday, November 7, at 7 p.m.
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
UCI
CBU
Goals
0
1
Shots
6
14
Shots on Goal
2
3
Saves
2
2
Corners
5
3
Fouls
13
13
Scoring Plays
Drew Hardin (3)
CBU Drew Hardin PENALTY KICK GOAL.
19:08
Game Leaders
mid
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
fwd
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
0
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Tuesday, November 28
