NORTHRIDGE — Time was running out on UC Irvine when Carlos Aguilar entered late.
Aguilar was hurting, shin splints and he was under the weather.
The rest of his teammates weren’t feeling much better Saturday.
At stake was the Big West Conference men’s soccer championship at Cal State Northridge.
Seeing his Anteaters struggling to take advantage of numerous scoring opportunities, Coach George Kuntz called on the junior striker in the regular-season finale.
Despite playing with a man advantage, the Anteaters’ offense took a blow when sophomore starter Spencer Thompson came crashing down, injuring his right ankle on a Matadors’ foul that prompted a red card in the 60th minute.
Twelve minutes later, the Matadors tied the match.
What followed is what Kuntz expected.
Aguilar delivered the game-winner with two minutes, 28 seconds left, lifting the Anteaters to a 2-1 victory and their first Big West Conference regular-season title and possibly the school’s first NCAA Division I Tournament berth.
The No. 11-ranked Anteaters (12-1-6, 5-1-4 in conference) went nuts. Aguilar wildly ran away from teammates, leaping toward a section in the visiting stands.
Catching Aguilar were family members. They safely raised him up into the crowd, where Aguilar celebrated and pumped his fists.
The Aguilars made the drive from Palmdale to watch their blood perform. When Aguilar got the chance, he capitalized against the Matadors (8-7-4, 4-3-3).
Striker Irving Garcia fed Aguilar a precise pass after beating defenders deep in the box. Aguilar finished the play after patiently waiting seven yards away in front of the goal.
“I had to go celebrate with them,” Aguilar said of his family members. “My family has been there for me and they came out to see me play. I just wanted to make a goal for them, but not only for them, but for my team, too.
“I’m good under pressure.”
Kuntz was well aware of that before his 14th season at UCI. Because of Aguilar, the Anteaters enter the inaugural four-team Big West Conference Tournament as the top seed. The Anteaters play host to No. 4-seeded UC Davis (12-3-4) Wednesday.
UC Santa Barbara, the No. 2 seed, plays No. 3 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
What a difference a year makes in conference play.
