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Conference Kickoff Pits Anteaters Against Hornets, Aggies
September 24, 2012 | Men's Soccer
THIS WEEK'S MATCHES
Sacramento State Hornets at UC Irvine Anteaters
Date / Time: Fri. Sept. 28, 2012 / 7:00 PM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Stadium
Live Stats: ucirvinesports.com
Twitter Updates: @UCIAthletics / #MSOC
UC Davis Aggies at UC Irvine Anteaters
Date / Time: Sun. Sept. 30, 2012 / 4:00 PM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Stadium
Live Stats: ucirvinesports.com
Twitter Updates: @UCIAthletics / #MSOC
FREE KICKS
- The Anteaters begin Big West play looking for their third straight Big West regular season title.
- The 2012 scoring breakdown has seen five goals from juniors, four goals from sophomores, two goals from freshmen, and one own goal.
- UCI has not played a home match since September 7th.
- Sacramento State is playing in its first ever Big West conference match.
- The Anteaters have had just four players play in every match; freshmen Matthew Tilley and Bryan Breslin, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Michael Breslin, and sophomore Cameron Iwasa. Iwasa and Michael Breslin are the only two to start every match as well.
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 1-4-1 on the road in 2012.
- UCI currently has four ranked opponents on its ledger: No. 3 UC Santa Barbara, No. 5 New Mexico, No. 12 UCLA, and No. 19 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. UCI will face each school in the North Division once while facing each school in the South Division twice, once at each location.
- Everett Pitts has been named one of the 30 candidates 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
- The Anteaters were the only Big West school with two players (Miguel Ibarra, Christian Hernandez) scoring 24 points or more 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 played in the Elite Eight and none of them played every one of their school's minutes.
- UCI played in front of attendances of over 1,000 fans six times in 2011. In those matches, UCI went 5-1 outscoring their opponents 12-5. In 2012, UCI is 0-2-0 in 2012 after falling at No. 14 UCLA (2-1) and at No. 7 New Mexico, 2-1, in double overtime.
IN THE BOX
- SLIDE TACKLE: UC Irvine has gone six matches without a win after starting the season 3-0-0. It hasn't had this type of losing woes since 2007 when it had stretches of six and eight matches without a win en route to a 6-9-5 season.
- SAVING GRACE: Redshirt freshman Michael Breslin has been a revelation in net of late keeping the Anteaters in matches. He has a total of 42 saves to lead all conference keepers which includes 22 in the last three matches.
- SLIM PICKINGS: UCI's 3-5-1 record is not reflective in its +/- 0 goal differential. UCI has four losses by just one goal each in contrast to its three wins by two goals each.
PRESEASON
- UC Irvine began the season with its highest 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 in second place in the Western Conference at 13-6-9 after a 1-1 draw at Portland over the weekend. He has two goals and three assists in 27 starts with the Sounders.
- In the Sounders' all-time records, Evans ranks fifth 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 with Andrew Fontein following in the third round.
- Ibarra plays alongside Amani Walker with the Minnesota Stars FC. Ibarra has three goals and four assists to compliment Walker's seven goals and five assists.
- Fontein is currently with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL, but has yet to see playing time.
- All three are currently in the playoffs. The Stars play Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals Sunday, 9/30 at 5:00 p.m. Tampa Bay earned a first-round bye.
BIG WEST HORNETS NEST
- Head Coach Michael Linenberger is in his 24th season as the head coach of SSU.
- This is Linenberger's second conference change after ushering the Hornets into the MPSF and Division I in 1992.
- The Hornets finished 2011 at 9-8-2 including a 1-2-0 record against Big West schools. They are currently 3-4-1.
- Sacramento State is 0-3 on the road this season being outscored 10-1.
- The Hornets have a win over USD and loss at Oregon State, both common opponents.
- Gabe Silveira leads the Hornets with three goals scored.
- Sacramento State has four players with a pair of assists each.
- Senior Bryan Oliver has started the last seven matches in net allowing 11 goals while stopping 39 shots.
AGGING THEM ON
- Head Coach Dwayne Shaffer enters his 16th season with UC Davis after five years between Dayton and Clemson.
- UC Davis fell in the Big West semifinal match in 2011 ending its season at 7-8-4.
- The Aggies are currently 2-3-4 with all four draws coming consecutively on the road.
- Matt Wiesenfarth was the Big West Freshman of the Year in 2011. He has yet to score a point this season.
- A new freshman has emerged in Ryan Gross leading the team in points with two goals and two assists.
- Junior keeper Omar Zeenni has allowed nine goal in eight matches while stopping 30 shots.
- The Aggies hold conference leads in least goals scored (7), least offsides (10), and most fouls (139).
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For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mailathletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mailaaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
Players Mentioned
Midfield/Defense
/ Men's SoccerGoalkeeper
/ Men's SoccerGoalkeeper
/ Men's SoccerForward/Midfielder
/ Men's SoccerForward/Midfielder
/ Men's SoccerForward
/ Men's SoccerMidfielder
/ Men's SoccerDefender
/ Men's SoccerForward
/ Men's SoccerDefender
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