UPCOMING MATCHES

Opponent: BYU Cougars
Date / Time: Fri., August 17, 2012 / 7:00 PM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Stadium (2,500)
Live Stats: ucirvinesports.com
Twitter Updates: @UCIAthletics / #WSOC

Opponent: #14 Texas A&M Aggies
Date / Time: Mon., August 20, 2012 / 7:00 PM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Stadium (2,500)
Live Stats: ucirvinesports.com
Twitter Updates: @UCIAthletics / #WSOC

STORY LINES

• UC Irvine women's soccer looks to win its third straight season opener. UCI defeated UT-San Antonio on a neutral site in 2011 and Idaho at home in 2010. Both matches ended in 2-1 scores.
• BYU transferred to the West Coast Conference in 2011 from the Mountain West Conference.
• UCI played four matches at Anteater Stadium against non-conference foes in 2011. The most recent was a draw against San Diego in the NCAA Tournament. USD would come out on top after penalty kicks.
• UC Irvine went 2-1-0 during the regular season against non-conference foes at home in 2011. UCI lost 2-1 to Saint Mary's between victories over Hawai'I and Portland.
• The two matches against Hawai'I and Portland were played in front of over 1,000 fans in each including a UCI women's soccer record 1,611 in attendance to watch the 3-1 victory over Portland.
• UCI matched up with the West Coast Conference five times in 2011. Wins came against San Diego and Portland, draws were with Santa Clara and San Diego, while Saint Mary's dealt the sole defeat.

ON THE HORIZON

• Two UCI matches, 8/20 vs. Texas A&M and 8/26 vs. Auburn, will be broadcast over visiting team radio
• BYU and LMU from the WCC will visit Anteater Stadium. UCI has not played LMU since 2008, while it hasn't opposed BYU since 1997.
• LMU is now home to former UCI assistant coach Wendi Whitman, now LMU's associate head coach.
• UC Irvine will take on a pair of SEC schools in its other two home matches in Texas A&M and Auburn. UCI has faced the SEC just once in a 2-0 victory over Mississippi State in 2011 on a neutral site.
• UCI is 1-1-0 all-time against Texas A&M including a 1-0 win at Texas A&M last season. Both matches were when the Aggies were apart of the Big 12.
• UCI's match against Texas A&M will be the Aggies' first ever soccer match as an SEC school.
• At the time of UCI's win over Texas A&M in 2011, the Aggies were ranked 11th. This time, the Aggies will be ranked 14th.

A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE

• UCI will play four home matches in the first nine days. It follows that up with zero home matches over 39 days.
• UC Irvine will not play at Anteater Stadium in the month of September, part of a nine-match road trip.
• The nine matches consist of six road matches, three neutral-site matches, two matches in Colorado, and one against a ranked squad.
• There are four schools ranked in the preseason poll on UCI's ledger: No. 10 Pepperdine, No. 14 Texas A&M, No. 18 Long Beach State, and No. 25 Auburn.
• UCI will face five MAC Hermann Watch List players: Chelsea Buckland (Oregon State), Nadia Link (LBSU), Lindsi Cutshall (BYU), Kelley Monogue (Texas A&M), and Michelle Pao (Pepperdine).

QUICK HITS

• UC Irvine led the Big West Conference in average home attendance in 2011 at 694.
• UCI finished second in the Big West in goals-per-game (1.86) and goals-against-average (0.92)
• UCI was the only Big West school in 2011 to have two players, Natalia Ledezma and Lexi Kopf, record 10+ goals.
• UC Irvine was held scoreless twice in 2011, the lowest total of any Big West school.

DEFENDING THE CROWN

• Defenders have accounted for UCI's last three goals scored. Amanda Hardeman scored two of her three goals on the year in postseason play. Zoya Farzaneh netted her only goal of the season in UCI's NCAA First Round match.
• Jenn Randazzo saved a season-high eight shots against Mississippi State. She had three seven-save efforts, all against ranked schools Portland, Santa Clara, and Texas A&M.
• UC Irvine has held their opponents without a corner kick eight times since 2008.

NUMEROLOGY

• Natalia Ledezma and Lexi Kopf each earned a hat trick last season. The program had just two hat tricks prior to that in its existence.
• UCI's offense had a stretch of 12 straight matches with a goal scored in 2011. UCI also went 16 straight in 2009 and 20 straight matches to start the 2010 season.

PRESEASON

• The Anteaters were picked to finish second in the Big West behind Long Beach State. LBSU earned eight of nine first-place votes with UCI earning the ninth.
• Natalia Ledezma and sophomore Cami Privett were voted to the Big West Preseason All-Conference Team.

SOCCER AT THE NEXT LEVEL

• Former 'Eater keeper Danielle de Seriere returns for her second season with Dutch soccer club FC Twente. She played just one match in 2011 which ended in a draw before succumbing to injury.
• CoCo Goodson joins de Seriere on FC Twente in 2012. The two begin play Aug. 17th with the high-powered preseason FC Twente Tournament before the season gets underway, Aug. 24th, against fellow Dutch club, FC Utrecht.
• Rachel Flemming, a 2008 alum, started her first season as a defender for LA Strikers FC. She started 12 of the club's 14 matches in 2012.
• Anteater alums Judy Christopher and Sarah Devine are together on the San Diego SeaLions of the WPSL. The SeaLions finished the season 5-1-0 and fell in the regional final. Christopher had one goal and two assists in the campaign.

• Head Coach Jennifer Rockwood has been BYU's only coach since the program started up in 1995
• BYU missed the NCAA Tournament last year for the first time since 2004
• The Cougars finished 2011 at 11-5-3 and 5-2-1 in their first year in the WCC finishing in fourth.
• Carlee Holmoe led BYU with 19 points in 2011, was second with five goals
• BYU has five players from California including GK Katherine Snyder who is from Lake Forest, Calif.

SCOUTING THE 12TH MAN

• Head Coach G Guerrieri has been Texas A&M's only coach since the program started up in 1993
• Texas A&M has made the NCAA Tournament in 17th consecutive seasons
• The Aggies finished 2011 at 16-6-2 and 6-1-1 in the Big 12 finishing in second.
• Kelley Monogue's 19 goals in 2011 were tied for sixth-most in the NCAA
• The Aggies claim six players from southern California
• Texas A&M has never opened a season outside of Texas
• The last time the Aggies opened a season away from home was 2001