No. 3 Gauchos, Mustangs Up Next for UCI
October 01, 2012 | Men's Soccer
UC Irvine Anteaters at No. 3 UCSB Gauchos
Date / Time: Fri. Oct. 5, 2012 / 7:00 PM
Site: Santa Barbara, Calif. / Harder Stadium
Live Stats: ucirvinesports.com
Twitter Updates: @UCIAthletics / #MSOC
UC Irvine Anteaters at Cal Poly Mustangs
Date / Time: Sun. Oct. 7, 2012 / 1:00 PM
Site: San Luis Obispo, Calif. / Alex G. Spanos Stadium
Live Stats: ucirvinesports.com
Twitter Updates: @UCIAthletics / #MSOC
FREE KICKS
- UC Irvine has won the Big West regular season title each of the last two seasons. It also has three Big West Tournament titles in the last four years including a 2011 win over UC Santa Barbara in double overtime.
- The 2012 scoring breakdown has seen six goals from juniors, five from sophomores, two from freshmen, and one own goal.
- UCI is 3-0-1 in its last four matches against UCSB.
- Three of the last five UCI-UCSB matches have gone to overtime, but none have gone to overtime at UCSB since 2001.
- The last time UCI was 0-2 in conference play was 2009. It went on to win eight of the next 10 conference matches which included the Big West Tournament.
- UCI and Cal Poly have faced each other twice a season every season since 2001. UCI holds three sweeps, CP claims one, they have split twice, and tied both matches once in 2003.
FAR POST
- The Anteaters play 10 regular season non-conference matches: seven on the road, five outside California, and three against 2011 College Cup participants (UCLA, New Mexico, and Louisville). They are currently 3-5-1 in non-conference.
- UCI currently has four ranked opponents on its ledger: No. 3 UC Santa Barbara, No. 4 New Mexico, No. 9 UCLA, and No. 24 UC Riverside. Louisville is also receiving votes.
THROW-INS
- The Big West Conference has been split into the North and South Divisions with the addition of its eighth member, Sacramento State, in 2012.
- Everett Pitts has been named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award. Andrew Fontein was a finalist in 2011.
- Gor Kirakosyan earned Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors on September 3rd.
ATTACKING IN NUMBERS
- UCI went 5-1 in 2011 when playing in front of over 1,000 fans. So far in 2012, UCI is 0-3-0 in such games.
- UCI had 1,670 fans in attendance for Friday night's loss to Sacramento State. That total is the largest in regular season history and fourth-largest in Anteater Stadium history.
- UCI was the only Big West school with two players (Miguel Ibarra, Christian Hernandez) to compile 24+ points in 2011.
- UCI keeper Andrew Fontein played all 2,160 minutes in net for UCI. Only five keepers played more minutes in 2011 than Fontein; all of them reached the Elite Eight and none of them played every one of their school's minutes.
IN THE BOX
- LONE RANGER: Sophomore Cameron Iwasa remains the only Anteater to appear (and start) in every match this season. He has played in 981 of the 1,050 total minutes in 2012.
- SLIDE TACKLE: UC Irvine has gone eight matches without a win after starting the season 3-0-0. It hasn't had this type of losing woes since 2007 when it went eight matches without a win to finish at 6-9-5.
- CROWD PLEASERS: UCI is averaging 1,197 fans on the road to lead all Big West schools. Its 596 home average and 882 overall average are third behind Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara.
PRESEASON
- UC Irvine began the season with its highest ever ranking in the NSCAA/Continental Tire Preseason rankings at 13th in the nation.
- UC Irvine found its way onto the College Soccer News' (15th) and TopDrawerSoccer.com's (13th) preseason rankings.
- The 'Eaters were picked to finish first in the Big West South Division receiving six of eight first-place votes
- Senior defender Everett Pitts and junior midfielder Christopher Santana represented UCI on the Preseason All-Big West squad.
SOCCER AT THE NEXT LEVEL
- Brad Evans and the Seattle Sounders FC are currently 13-7-10 and have clinched a playoff berth. Evans has two goals and three assists in 30 starts with the Sounders.
- Evans ranks fifth all-time in games played, tied for fifth in goals (14), and tied for fifth in assists (15).
- Two Anteaters were drafted in the 2011 MLS Supplemental draft. Miguel Ibarra went in the second round to the Portland Timbers with Andrew Fontein following in the third round to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
- Ibarra has accrued four goals and four assist playing alongside Amani Walker with the Minnesota Stars FC of the NASL to compliment Walker's eight goals and five assists.
- Fontein is currently with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL, but has yet to see playing time.
- Ibarra and Walker each scored in a 2-1 quarterfinal win last weekend. They host San Antonio in the semis Oct. 6th while Fontein plays at Carolina. Both matches are the first of two legs.
GAUCHO MARKS
- Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg is in his 14th season at UC Santa Barbara.
- Vom Steeg has garnered National Coach of the Year honors twice, 2004 and 2006, and Big West Coach of the Year honors three times, 2004, 2005, and 2010.
- The Gauchos went 15-7-1 in 2011 losing in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
- UCSB is currently 7-0-3, 3-0-0 at home.
- Achille Campion leads the squad with five goals and 11 points in just six matches.
- UCSB also has goals from Nic Ryan (4), Ema Boateng (3), and Javier Castro (3).
- Austin Mansker has played all but one half this season compiling 20 saves and a 0.69 goals-against-average in net.
- UCSB ranks lowest in the Big West in goals allowed (8), saves (21), and yellow cards (15), but highest with 61 corners.
MUST(ANG) WIN
- Head Coach Paul Holocher is in his sixth season at Cal Poly following seven years with UC Santa Cruz.
- Cal Poly finished 2011 at 6-9-3, 3-6-1 in Big West Conference play.
- The Mustangs are currently 6-4-0, 1-1-0. They are 4-1 at home with the one loss coming to a ranked UCLA squad.
- Mackenzie Pridham leads Cal Poly in scoring with five goals and three game-winners.
- Chase Hauser and Wade Hamilton have split time in net. Hauser is 5-1-0 with 18 saves while Hamilton is 1-3-0 with seven. Each tout a 1.00 goals-against-average.
- Cal Poly is near the middle of the pack in nearly every category in the Big West. It does average three offsides per match to lead all schools.
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Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Men's SoccerForward/Midfielder
/ Men's SoccerForward/Midfielder
/ Men's SoccerForward
/ Men's SoccerMidfielder
/ Men's SoccerDefender
/ Men's SoccerForward
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