UPCOMING OPPONENTS
Game Notes
Loyola Marymount Lions at UC Irvine Anteaters
Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - 7:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Tickets | Program
New Mexico Lobos at UC Irvine Anteaters
Saturday, September 17, 2016 - 8:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Tickets | Program
FIRST KICKS
+ UCI and LMU will matchup for the 25th time in their histories, 12th at Anteater Stadium where the 'Eaters are 8-3 against them
+ This is the second consecutive match against a WCC opponent, the 'Eaters lost at Santa Clara and will still play at Portland to complete matches against WCC foes
+ All-time, UCI is 38-40-3 against WCC schools. Wednesday's match will be the 82nd meeting between UCI and the West Coast Conference
+ New Mexico is 1 of 4 Conference USA schools the 'Eaters have matched up with in addition to Denver, UAB, and Florida International
+ This is the 21st meeting between UCI and Conference USA with over half of those (13) coming against the Lobos. UCI is 9-8-4 all-time against the conference
+ UCI's 3 goals through 5 matches are one more than 2015, last year's Anteaters scored their third goal in its sixth match, a 2-1 loss at oral Roberts
+ UCI's Sunday loss vs. Florida Gulf Coast was its first at home to a non-conference opponents since 2013. Under coach Volk, the squad is now 6-1-1 in home non-conference contests
+ The own goal scored in the Santa Clara match was the first to go against the Anteaters since 2012 in a 2-1 loss at Gonzaga
+ Elliot Farmer stands third in the Big West and 53rd nationally with 19 saves. The team is averaging four saves per match ranking 75th in the country
+ Mario Ortiz is the only 'Eater with multiple assists on the year, his two rank him second in the conference and 62nd in the nation
+ Jose Ortiz has 13 shots with seven on target. His average of 1.4 shots on goal per match ranks within the top 100, nationally, and is he averages a shot every 23 minutes and a shot on goal every 43 minutes
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine only played one match last week with a trip up to Santa Clara and Buck Shaw Field in Stevens Stadium for its first Saturday night match of the year.
The 'Eaters held possession in the first half and outshot the Broncos, 5-3, with freshman Jose Ortiz firing three of the shots in his second career start and first as a forward.
The match entered the half scoreless, and SCU came out firing on offense. They would put home the match's lone goal in the 66th minute off a deflection awarded as an own goal. The 'Eaters would nearly reply with an own goal in the 85th minute, but were shut out.
Elliot Farmer made one save in net while the Anteaters turned three of their eight shots on target in a match where the teams were separated by one shot and corner kick, each.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
'Eaters are back to two matches this week with both coming at home starting Wednesday with LMU. The Lions are 3-3 having most recently beat UC Davis, 2-0 to go with wins over Grand Canyon and FGCU the weekend before. The Lions have had six different goalscorers led by junior Alvaro Madrigal and senior Adrien Perez each with double-digit shots.
UCI and New Mexico meet up late Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. The Lobos joined UCI in South Bend losing a pair of one-goal matches to UND and IU. Since then, they've rattled off four home wins over CSUN, Cal Poly, Bakersfield, and Grand Canyon, all shutouts. Senior Niko Hansen has three goals and 17 shots to lead all Lobos. The defense and junior keeper Jason Beaulieu have allowed two goals and face an average of nine shots a game.
NOTEBOOK
Schedule Sharing
UCI and a majority of the west coast programs have a lot of overlap in opponents. UC Irvine is 1 of 4 Big West opponents that show up on LMU's slate along with Cal Poly who they played in an exhibition. Also showing up on LMU's schedule are two WCC opponents along with Grand Canyon, FGCU, and New Mexico who the 'Eaters all face counting 9 of the 18 schools on LMU's ledger that both LMU and UCI will play.
Common Core
New Mexico takes a similar route with UCI much like LMU. Both will also play LMU while 5 of the 6 opponents the Lobos have already played appear on UCI's schedule including CSUN and Cal Poly from the Big West, Grand Canyon, UCI's lone win, and Notre Dame and Indiana from the opening Mike Berticelli Memorial Tournament
Finding Their Footing
The Anteaters have switched up the starters in each contest this season. Matthew Tilley is the only field player to be present for all 450 minutes thus far. Alongside him have been Luis Leon, Mario Ortiz, Thomas Janjigian, and Noah Gaines for all five starting lineups.
Overcompensation
UCI has yet to reach overtime despite eight OT matches in 2015. UCI's first six games have been settled in regulation just three times since 2000 with the last time being 2010 when OT wasn't reached until game nine.
THROW-INS
+ UCI and LMU will meet on a Wednesday, the first non-conference Wednesday match since the opener of the 2010 season, a 4-0 home win over Gonzaga
+ Under Coach Volk, the 'Eaters have gone 4-3 in Wednesday Big West games since 2014
+ The last two matches between UCI and LMU have seen a total of five goals scored in each, UCI has won each 3-2, in OT at LMU, and 4-1, last season at home
+ UCI began the series against LMU with 12 consecutive victories from 1984-94, since then UCI is just 2-8-1
+ Only one of the last eight matches have featured a shutout (2001 - L, 0-1 at LMU)
+ Saturday's match against New Mexico will be played at 8:00 p.m. to accommodate the USL match before it. The OC Blues FC will take on Rio Grande Valley FC Toros at 5:30 p.m. in Anteater Stadium
+ This is the first trip to Anteater Stadium for the Lobos since 2002. The last three meetings have all come at New Mexico in 2003, 2009, and 2012
+ UCI and New Mexico have been decided in overtime in each of the last two matches with each program winning once
+ UCI has won the last three home meetings, UNM last won in Anteater Stadium in 1993, 2-1
+ The last meeting in 2012 featured an equalizer from Cameron Iwasa with three seconds remaining in regulation followed by a game-winner in the 109th minute by the Lobos
+ 5 Anteaters on the 2016 roster were present for that meeting in 2012: Thomas Janjigian, Noah Gaines, Michael Sperber, Matthew Tilley, and Elliot Farmer
+ Tilley was the only 'Eater to play in the 2012 match starting and playing all 109 minutes on defense
+ Farmer claims Albuquerque, N.M. as his hometown, and went to St. Pius X HS in New Mexico
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