Women's Soccer Tackles Unbeatens UC Davis, UC Riverside

UPCOMING OPPONENTS

Game Notes

UC Davis Aggies (3-9-0, 2-0-0) at UC Irvine Anteaters
Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 7:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
ESPN3 | Live Stats | Tickets

Series: Tied, 9-9-3 - 2016 meeting: Oct. 13 at Davis - W, 1-0

UC Riverside Highlanders (6-7-2, 3-0-0) at UC Irvine Anteaters
Sunday, October 15, 2017 - 2:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Tickets

Series: UC Irvine leads, 12-4-1 - 2016 meeting: Oct. 2 at Riverside - W, 2-0

FIRST TOUCHES
3-0 - Thursday will mark the 4th straight season UCI has hosted an ESPN3-broadcasted match. The 'Eaters are 3-0 in previous years defeating UCSB 2-1 in 2014 and pitching shutouts against LBSU in 2015 and UCSB in 2016

1,426 - Sophomore Maddie Newsom hasn't played every minute of the season, but her 1,426 minutes played leads the Big West Conference and ranks third in the nation as a goalkeeper

70% - Since the conference went to nine programs in 2013, schools that have earned 10 or more points have made the Big West Tournament 70% of the time (16 of 23). No school has missed the tournament when earning 12 or more points

LAST WEEK RECAP
UCI made it through another Big West week unscathed with a draw and a win to rise to the top of the standings now with 10 points.

The 'Eaters tussled with rival Long Beach State Thursday night with 42 shots between them but no goals playing to a scoreless 0-0 draw.

Sunday brought the firepower that Thursday lacked as UCI jumped out to the lead in the 15th minute, and then tied the match up at 2-2 heading into the half after relinquishing the lead in the 17th and 24th minutes. Kiana Palacios and Noel Baham teamed up for the decisive third goal in the 72nd minute to get the road win at Hawai'i, 3-2.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Big West action comes back home with two matches this week starting with an ESPN3 match Thursday night vs. UC Davis followed up a matchup Sunday with undefeated UCR.

UC Davis returns to Anteater Stadium for the first time since their 2-1 win over UCI on Senior Day. UCI took the match in 2016, 1-0, as the overall series is tied, 9-9-3. The Aggies began the season 1-9 with a lone 2OT win over USF, but they've turned it around in Big West play with wins over Hawai'i and Cal Poly. They have three goals in those most recent matches after scoring five times in its first 10 matches. Mandy McKeegan (2 G, 3 A) and Mahlah Catline (3 G) have steered the Aggie ship thus far, however the opposition has held court putting up 100 more shots total this season that UCD and the Aggies average just seven shots per match, half as many as UCI's 14 per match. Alexis Smith returns in net after earning the win in the 2015 match, and she's stopped 62 shots to lead the Big West.

The week ends with a Sunday afternoon match against a surprise UC Riverside who is 3-0 in conference play taking down Cal Poly, UCSB, and Cal State Fullerton. In comparison, UCR also defeated Toledo and drew with Penn while losing to San Francisco. UCI has had command of the series since coach Juniper took over winning nine of the 11 matchups including all five played in Anteater Stadium. Quinley Quezada and Ashley Webb have each scored three goals and assisted two others while Darielle O'Brien (2 G, 3 A) and 12 other Highlanders have contributed with a point this year. Annie Bailey has emerged in net since conference play started to post a pair of shutouts and 13 saves in three matches. She also earned the draw against Penn, and defenders Makenna Herrero and Amanda Roy have been at her aid.

RECORD RISERS
A few Anteater seniors are entering rarified air in the all-time UCI record book. Kiana Palacios put home another goal in Hawai'i giving her 24 for her career tying her for fourth-most with Shawna Burke and Tanya Taylor with her sights on Kim Cusimano's 26 goals next. The Sunday goal was also the game-winner, the ninth for Palacios who will join Tracie Manz, Nicole Bucciarelli, and Laura McGrail as the fourth 'Eater with at least 10. The senior also reached 60 career points, the sixth Anteater with as many. Two points will tie Cusimano with 62 and 5th in the UCI records.

Elsewhere getting historical recognition is Noel Baham. On top of her second career Big West Player of the Week honor, she added a goal and assist in the Hawai'I match giving her the current team lead with 16 points in 2016, and she reaches 40 points for her career. She also played in her 73rd career match and is tailed by Andrea Mensen's 71 matches as they inch toward Zoya Farzaneh and Mar Rodriguez who each sit 10th all-time with 78 matches played. Baham could reach the top 10 by playing all four remaining regular season contests and at least one tournament match should UCI earn a spot. Baham's specialty, however, has been assists of which she now has six to lead all 'Eaters and 19 over her career. She will become the fourth Anteater to reach 20 in her career with her next assist, and the next name on the list shows up at 21 assists in the form of Tanya Taylor.

Maddie Newsom should also be recognized as her next win will tie her for 5th with Amee Chapman at 22, and next shutout will surpass Chapman for third all-time with 16.

THROW-INS
+ Former Anteater defender, Sarah Devine, is an assistant coach for UC Riverside. Devine manned the backline during both of UC Irvine's NCAA Tournament runs and was named All-Big West in 2012.
+ Six Anteaters have amassed 50 or more career matches played in Andrea Mensen, Alex Karlowitsch, Noel Baham, Lili Andino, Kiana Palacios and Grayson Galbraith. The squad's active leaders are Baham with 73 matches played and Palacios with 60 starts.
+ Kiana Palacios scored three times in the U20 CONCACAF championships finishing third and earning a spot in the U20 Women's World Cup. She added three more goals in the U20WWC in which Mexico reached the Quarterfinals of the knockout round. From there, she has earned a spot with the Mexican National Team playing in friendlies over the offseason in Canada and Sweden
+ Lili Andino has also earned some national team experience playing with the Puerto Rican national squad over the summer
+ UCI's improved to 19-48-8 against the Pac-12 Conference in their history and are 1-1-1 against them this season in addition to an exhibition draw with No. 3 USC, the reigning national champions
+ Last season was the fourth time since 2000, all under coach Juniper, that the squad scored 30 or more goals. UCI allowed less than 20 goals in a season in 2016 for the seventh time in program history and third under coach Juniper

Schedule

Women's Soccer Tackles Unbeatens UC Davis, UC Riverside

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Players Mentioned

Lili Andino

Noel Baham

Grayson Galbraith

Alex Karlowitsch

Andrea Mensen

Maddie Newsom

Kiana Palacios

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