COUNTRY STRONG

The Anteaters are becoming a known national commodity with its weekly visit to the rankings. Their play has begun to bleed over into the stat column.

UC Irvine's 11-1-2 record gives it a .857 win percentage, tied for the best mark with Creighton, of the same record, and a 12-2-0 Syracuse squad. Syracuse's 12 wins top the country with the 11 from UCI and Creighton standing as the second-highest total.

The Anteaters have slipped into the top-40 in other statistical categories as well:

UCI tops the conference with 26 goals and 26 assists, both the 18th-most in the NCAA. The scoring offense of 1.86 goals and assists per match rank 21st and 29th in the nation, respectively.

Cameron Iwasa's five assists are 36th-best in the country.

The team's goals-against-average is 40th-lowest according to the NCAA at 0.813 belonging to Michael Breslin. His 79.7% save percentage falls at No. 52 in the country.

NUMBERS NEVER LIE

The Anteaters find themselves in a familiar spot reaching No. 3 in the NSCAA/Continental Tire college rankings this week, matching their program and season high from the beginning of the month. UCI also earned an unprecedented seven first-place votes out of the 24 given.

The 'Eaters are also ranked in the five other notable publications:

The Bennett Rank, which relies on statistics and calculations, have the 'Eaters as the No. 8 team in the nation, the lowest of all the publications.

College Soccer News echoed the NSCAA with a jump from No. 6 to No. 3.

Top Drawer Soccer gave UCI a hefty raise from No. 10 up to No. 2, its highest ranking ever in any publication.

Soccer America pushed UC Irvine up 12 spots from No. 16 to No. 4.

College Sports Madness slid the Anteaters up from No. 12 to No. 3.

UCI earned a preseason ranking four previous times from 2009-12. Its highest preseason ranking came in 2012 at No. 13 in the nation. The 2014 Anteaters were ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll.

SOUTHERN COMFORT

UC Irvine got three very important points on Saturday night with a shutout win over Cal State Fullerton. A technically-sound yet physical affair saw the 'Eaters get the goal they needed in the 72nd minute.

UCI stands four points ahead of second-place CSUF now with this week's opponents, UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge, jockeying for the final spot in the South with four points each.

The 'Eaters have allowed just two goals in Big West play, least in the conference along with UC Davis, and have been the least penalized squad committing just nine fouls per match with seven cards issued.

The Anteaters stand in the middle of the pack according to most of the other stats since conference play began.

Individual stats are sparse with Anteaters. Iwasa's 13 shots stand as fifth-most in the conference.

Mario Ortiz is one of seven players with multiple tallies in conference play while Gor Kirakosyan is one of eight players with multiple assists.

Michael Breslin is very prevalent among the defensive statistics. He remains the lone keeper to record three shutouts along with a Big West-low 0.38 goals-against-average.

His 19 saves, fourth-most among keepers, has given him a conference-best .905 save percentage.

BATMAN BEGINS

The Anteaters have more from the professional ranks as a second alum has earned a spot with the U.S. National Team. Speedster Miguel Ibarra has gotten the call from Head Coach Jurgen Klinsmann to join the 21-man roster for their upcoming friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras.

Ibarra earned his first-ever cap entering in the 90th minute of a 1-1 draw against Honduras last Tuesday, October 14.

The Lancaster-native transferred to UC Irvine in 2010 and accumulated 10 goals and 18 assists in his two years as an 'Eater. He garnered Big West Tournament MVP, Big West co-Offensive Player of the Year, and All-American accolades before hearing his name called in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft by the Portland Timbers.

Ibarra was loaned out to Minnesota United FC where he has spent the last three seasons and scored 13 times while assisting on 10 others in 75 matches. The 2014 season has seen him near the head of the league with eight goals, two game-winners, and five assists en route to a pair of player of the week awards and most-recently, North American Soccer League Player of the Month status for September leading Minnesota to the head of the league table.

Ibarra joins another Anteater All-American and Seattle Sounders FC captain, Brad Evans, who has made his mark with the national team over the last year scoring a game-winner in a World Cup Qualifier vs. Jamaica and earning a spot training with the final 30 before the final cutdown for the 2014 World Cup.

HIGHLANDERS CLIMBING

UC Riverside has struggled in the 2014 season posting a 2-9-2 record with wins against Pacific and Sacramento State. This coming off a 9-8-3 season in 2013, its third straight winning season.

UC Irvine took both matchups last season after UCR swept the 2012 campaign. All-time, the Anteaters hold a 15-7-3 advantage with just four of the last 14 matchups featuring a shutout.

Upperclassmen Michael Salazar, Otis Earle, and Juan Mendoza have taken the reins scoring eight of the team's 13 goals. Sophomore Romario Lomeli and freshman Ricardo Ruiz have each assisted on three goals. The Highlanders have actually gotten most of its production from the midfield and even have three goals, four assists, and a game-winner from defenders.

Junior keeper Ashkan Khosravi has played a majority of the matches in net stopping 53 shots while allowing 15 goals.

UCR tends to take advantage in the first half outscoring their opponents, 9-5, while giving up 11 goals to four after halftime. UCR ranks near the middle of the pack in most categories, however, since conference play has begun, they have taken the most shots (92) and corner kicks (37 - tied with UCI). In contrast, it also commits the second-most fouls (77) while being called for just five offsides.

CHARGING MATADORS

Cal State Northridge was coming off a 15-7-1 2013 season earning a national seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Matadors have slumped into the homestretch of this season, however, with a 5-7-2 record after beginning the season well within the rankings.

CSUN has taken down No. 18 UAB and always dangerous Tulsa and Bakersfield squads while falling to schools such as Denver, Air Force, and a then-No. 1-ranked UCLA. CSUN topped UCR last week to end a five-match winless skid.

All-time, the 'Eaters and Matadors are dead even at 19-19-5. UCI has had CSUN's number of late winning the last four including the Big West Tournament final in 2013.

The Matadors boast one of the nation's elite goal-scorers and MAC Hermann contender, Sagi Lev-Ari, whose posted eight goals on the season and all five game-winners.

David Turcios and Gabe Robinson have benefitted in the assist department posting four and three, respectively. Fellow senior Marino Peixoto is the only other Matador with multiple goals.

Adam Hobbs has started 12 of the 14 matches allowing just 12 goals and stopping 33 shots in net.

Lev-Ari has struggled since conference play opened finally registering his first goal last week in the win over UCR. CSUN ranks in the bottom half of most Big West categories including less than a goal per contest while leading the conference with 37 offsides calls.