‘Eaters champs

IRVINE — Senior forward Lexi Kopf had three goals to lead the UC Irvine women’s soccer team to a 5-0 Big West Conference victory over visiting UC Riverside on Sunday that clinched UCI’s second straight conference regular-season title.

The No. 24-ranked Anteaters (13-3-2, 6-1-1 in conference) are the No. 1 seed in the four-team Big West tournament that opens Thursday. They play No. 4-seeded UC Davis in a semifinal at 7 p.m. at UCI.

Natalia Ledezma had a goal and two assists for UCI, which also received a goal from Sarah Devine.

Ledezma has 12 goals and eight assists this season, while Kopf has 11 goals.

UCI has won six straight matches.