IRVINE – Second-half strikes by UC Irvine senior forward Carlos Aguilar and senior midfielder Kevin Santora 13 minutes apart cancelled out Mustang sophomore defender Patrick Sigler’s opening goal as the Big West Conference-leading Cal Poly men’s soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision against the No. 22 Anteaters Wednesday evening at Anteater Stadium.

Junior goalkeeper Patrick McLain recorded five of his six saves during the first half for Cal Poly (6-8-1, 4-2-0), which, despite suffering its first defeat from a winning position this season, retained its perch atop the Big West table after fellow conference co-leader UC Santa Barbara (10-3-1, 4-1-0) was idle and second-place Cal State Fullerton (7-6-2, 3-2-1) was held to a 2-2 draw by cellar-dwelling UC Riverside. Even with the defeat, Cal Poly remains off to the second-best start to a Big West campaign in program history. Cal Poly’s 12 points from six matches is a feat bettered only by the 2007 Mustangs, who earned 14.

After firing a shot attempt wide in the sixth minute, Mustang sophomore midfielder Jacob Hustedt made amends in the 26th by finding Sigler in the UC Irvine box with a free kick. Cal Poly’s Hermann Trophy candidate notched his second goal of the season by heading past Anteaters goalkeeper Victor Chinchilla.

The shot, however, was Cal Poly’s last attempt until sophomore midfielder Evan Richter was turned away by Chinchilla in the 76th minute. During the drought, Aguilar reversed a Cal Poly clearing attempt past McLain in the 59th before Santora latched onto a cross by Aguilar in the 72nd and fired his game-winning attempt into the back of the Mustang net.

Cal Poly, which totaled six corner kick opportunities to UC Irvine’s three, was whistled offside twice.

The Mustangs, 19-3-2 at Alex G. Spanos Stadium since the venue’s 2007 opening, return home to host Cal State Northridge Saturday, Oct. 24 at 11 a.m.