UPCOMING OPPONENTS

Game Notes

UC Irvine Anteaters at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos

Thursday, October 6, 2016 - 7:30 PM
Harder Stadium - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Video | Live Stats

UC Irvine Anteaters at Cal Poly Mustangs

Saturday, October 8, 2016 - 7:00 PM
Spanos Stadium - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Video | Live Stats

Broadcast Information

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+ UCI dropped its first two conference matches for the third time since 2000 (2004, 2012)

+ Since the Big West split into divisions, UCI is 1-5-2 in its weekends against UCSB and CP including 0-3-1 on the road with three of four matches heading into OT

+ UCI is winless in its last three conference matches at UCSB. The programs are split in their last 19 matches in Harder Stadium at 9-9-1

+ The 3-1 loss in 2016 was the first matchup to be decided by more than one goal since 2011

+ Conference matchups have gone into overtime 10 times with UCI winning once in 1996

+ UCI and Cal Poly have drawn in each of their last two matches, both by a score of 1-1

+ The nine draws all-time between UCI and CP are the most for UCI vs. any opponent

+ UCI is 6-8-5 all-time in Spanos Stadium with eight matches going to overtime

+ Only two of the 19 matches have been decided by more than one goal - a 2-0 loss in 1985 and a 3-0 win in 2002

+ Cal Poly eliminated UCI in the Big West Tournament's first round in 2015, 1-0, despite UCI's 14 corner kicks that tied a program record

+ A Cal Poly win would give it back-to-back wins over UCI for the first time since 2004

+ 2015 was the first time UCI and CP met twice in the same season since 2011. Prior to that, the programs had met twice each season from 2001-11

+ The Anteaters' non-conference schedule has been deemed the 10th-toughest in the nation, overall their schedule ranks 16th-toughest including its early conference matches

+ Luis Leon notched his second career two-goal match on Saturday matching his Sept. 24 performance vs. LMU. His six career goals lead all active Anteaters. His six shots vs. Sac State tie a career high in a match also set in that LMU match

The Anteaters stumbled out of the gate to start Big West play allowing two goals to Sacramento State in the first 36 minutes on Thursday and trailing 2-0 at the half. Thomas Janjigian's 57th-minute strike cut the deficit to 2-1, but the Hornets' James Del Curto stopped 14 shots in net to tie single-game high this season in the NCAA to steal a 2-1 win from UCI.

Saturday night, UCI and UC Davis bounced back and forth starting with a ninth-minute Aggie goal. UCI responded with 33rd and 34th minute goals from Luis Leon to take the lead and carry through into halftime. UCD scratched back with goals in the 61st and 67th minutes to regain the lead, and Armando Quezada with help from a pair of team saves held the advantage for the 3-2 keeping UCI winless on the weekend.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

UC Irvine completes play against the Big West North starting Thursday night at UC Santa Barbara. The Gauchos are 5-5-1 taking out schools like Ohio State and USD, but went on a tough five-match losing stretch to ranked squads like Butler, Akron, UCLA, and Cal. Kevin Feucht's eight goals top the conference and are ninth in the nation. Kevin DePuy was named a Preseason All-American and has five goals to date. UCSB matches average a total of 3.8 goals in them, and they have featured a shutout just three times with two to their name in front of freshman keeper Titouan Le Roux. UCSB is coming off its third straight OT match while earning four points in the opening weekend of Big West play

Trip to Cal Poly will come Saturday after the Mustangs fell in each of its first two conference matches. CP ran through the No. 1 non-conference schedule in the nation taking on four programs in the top 11 including a win over No. 6 UCLA. CP is 2-0-1 at home this season paced by Justin Dhillon with five of the team's seven goals and leads the Big West with 1.56 shots on goal per game. CP's 9.9 fouls per match are the least in the conference, and they also ranked last all major offensive categories in the Big West.

Getting Jiggy With It

The strongest individual performance from the week came from senior Thomas Janjigian. His newfound position as a winger led to his first career goal in the 57th minute against Sacramento State. He came back with two assists in the loss to UC Davis giving him a hand in all three goals on the weekend. The two-assist match was the second of his career with the first coming Nov. 9, 2013 vs. CSUN, and his nine career assists make him the active Anteater leader.

Shot Callers

The 'Eaters put up 16 shots on goal in Thursday's loss vs. Sac State. It's the fourth time in the last five seasons with 16+ shots on goal. It fired exactly 16 vs. LIU Brooklyn in 2012, vs. Iona in 2013, and at Sac State in 2015. The 2015 'Eaters also put up 17 shots on goal in a 5-1 win at UCR.

Down South

 UC Irvine was unable to earn a point in the Big West opening weekend as it sits in fourth in the Big West South. Since the Big West was split into divisions, the lowest number of points to make the Big West Tournament has been none from UC Riverside in 2012. The average number of points from a third place team has been 12.1 over the four years.

Over Timing

UCI has yet to reach overtime in 2016 despite eight overtime matches in 2015. UCI's first 11 matches this season have all ended in regulation. The 2003 Anteaters did not play an OT match until its 12th match. The 1993 Anteaters with 18 matches until it played overtime. The only other squads to go 10+ games into a season without over have been 1999 and 2010, but reaching OT in the 10th match.

THROW-INS

+ Alex Waldron made his collegiate debut Saturday vs. UNM. Thursday was his first start earning his first win, save, and shutout to defeat Oregon State on the road, 1-0

+ Alex Waldron's penalty kick save in the 75th minute marks the second PK save in the last three chances for UCI keepers - Elliot Farmer saved a PK attempt vs. CSUN in the 89th minute of their match at UC Irvine in 2015

+ Michael Sperber's next start will be his 70th career and make him the 11th Anteater with 70 or more starts in a career

+ UCI earned 12 corner kicks in Thursday's loss to Sacramento State, the most at home since it earned 12 on Sept. 2, 2012 vs. Detroit

+ UCI was called offside 10 times at Oregon State, the most in the last three years eclipsing the nine vs. CSUF in 2013

+ Six of the Anteaters' nine goals this year have come in the second half. Under Volk, the team has scored just 21 of their 69 goals in the first half. All nine goals have come in a different minute in the match

+ Giovanni Godoy scored his first career goal on a penalty kick vs. Portland, it was the first successful PK goal for the 'Eaters since October 22, 2014 scored by Eduardo Calzada

+ The squad's 178 fouls committed lead the Big West and rank second in the nation (George Washington - 182)

+ UCI and UCSB will meet Thursday as two of the three schools that commit the most fouls

+ Janjigian and Mario Ortiz are each tied for fifth in the Big West with three assists