The 'Eaters were the only squad to escape the opening weekend of Big West with all six points, and now look to continue that pace with a road trip to a ranked UC Davis squad before defending the fort against the dangerous UC Santa Barbara


   


Storylines
• The Anteaters swept player of the week accolades with Alvaro Quezada earning offensive honors and Greg Patenaude scoring defensive honors as recognized by the Big West, the first career honor for either player
• UCI is 2-0-0 through its first two Big West matches for the first time since 2010 and just the fifth time ever (1994, 2005, 2006, 2010). UCI has won the first three matches of conference play twice. It was the program's first win to open Big West since 2010
• The 'Eaters' eight wins have matched their total from last season (8-8-3)
• UC Irvine has taken the conference lead in scoring with 25 goals as well as shots per match with 12.92
• UC Irvine men's soccer finished non-conference play with a 6-4-1 mark, UCI entered conference play at 5-3-1 in 2017
• Ivan Canales has scored his 20th career goal Wednesday night becoming the 12th Anteater in program history to reach 20
• Canales' goal was also his seventh career game-winner entering him into the top 10 all-time in program history
• Alvaro Quezada assisted on three goals over the weekend including the team's first two-assist performance vs. UCR. He leads the Big West with six total. The 'Eaters are eight in the nation with 30 assists, second in the conference
• The program will celebrate the 2008 Big West champion and NCAA Tournament squad Saturday night vs. UC Santa Barbara with team member present and recognized at halftime
  
About UC Davis
• The Aggies have been rolling to a 7-2-3 record rising as high as 12th in the national rankings. UCD's only loss prior to last week was to No. 17 Saint Mary's before CSUN dropping them, 3-0, Saturday night as the Aggies are still searching for their first BWC win
• UC Davis went 11-7-3 in 2017 reaching the Big West Final before falling in PKs to CSF. The Aggies went 7-2-1 winning the Big West North, and have a streak of three straight wins over the Anteaters. The preseason projections slotted UC Davis to finish fourth
• Six different Aggies have multiple goals on the year led by Adam Mickelson's three, seven different Aggies have accounted for their seven game-winners as well, the backline of Justin Wright, Roy Boateng, Brian Quintero, and Jake Haupt have held down the fort for over 1,000 minutes each, and junior keeper Wallis Lapsley had played nearly every minute registering 48 saves and a sterling 0.74 GAA before exiting at halftime vs. CSUN.
• UC Irvine last won at Davis in 2010 going 0-3-0 at Aggie Soccer Field since and 2-6-0 in all matches
 
About UC Santa Barbara
• The Gauchos have ebbed and flowed to a 7-5-0 mark also falling to Saint Mary's, but picking up big wins over New Mexico, St. John's, and UCLA. UCSB split its first week of conference falling at Sac State on the road before dropping CSF in overtime
• UCSB stumbled in 2017 going 6-8-5 with an early conference tournament exit. Preseason projections had UCSB finishing 2nd.
• Sophomore standout Rodney Michael has accounted for six of the team's 13 goals, Thibault Candia has complimented him four times with assists, new defender Faouzi Taieb has three goals and an assist standing tall with her linemates Jan Ilskens and Hunter Ashworth, and keeper Ben Roach has three shutouts with a 0.80 GAA, but Alan Carrillo did start in the loss at Sac State 
• UC Irvine has not beaten UCSB at home since the 2011 Big West Final, and is 0-5-1 in the regular season since then after drawing, 1-1, in Anteater Stadium in 2017
 
With a win...
• ...UC Irvine would snap streaks of three losses to UC Davis or six matches winless against UC Santa Barbara
• ...UCI would earn all nine points in its first three Big West matches for a fourth time (2005, 2006, 2010)
• ...on Saturday, UCI would runs its streak to six straight home wins
 
Up Next
• The Anteaters complete their home regular season slate hosting Cal State Fullerton senior night, Wed. Oct. 17, before heading up to Cal Poly for a Sunday start, Oct. 21, at 5:00 p.m.
 
New Normal
The new Big West schedule format comes into affect for the first time since 1986 in which each program will play the others just once during the regular season. The top six point totals will earn a spot in the Big West Tournament. The 'Eaters have not been participants in the Big West Tournament since 2015. It also marks the first time the Big West has gone without divisions since 2011. UC Irvine has won the Big West regular season title in each of the last two seasons that featured a one-division format (2010 & 2011)

First Touches
• The Anteaters have shutout their opponents in four straight home matches. Their home shutout streak has reached 402 minutes last conceding in the 52nd minute against James Madison on Sep. 2
• Greg Patenaude matched a career high with five saves Saturday vs. Sacramento State
• Six Anteaters have opened their scoring accounts this season, most recently Jalani Ambrose who opened Wednesday's match with his first goal. Others are Daniel Crisostomo, Jose Soto, Manny Acosta, Christian Gutierrez, and Michael Orozco. For Orozco, Gutierrez, and Acosta, it also represented their first collegiate points
• UC Irvine earned 14 corner kicks in the win over Pomona-Pitzer tying a program record that has been set four times prior with the most recent coming in a Big West Tournament match in 2015 at Cal Poly. The squad averages five corners per match good for second in the Big West
• A pair of Anteaters hit milestones on Wednesday as Ivan Canales made his 60th career start and Daniel Crisostomo started his 50th career match.
• Jose Ortiz started both matches last week giving him 50 career appearances in an Anteater uniform
• Greg Patenaude is 1 of 4 Big West keepers with a goals-against-average under one (0.93) ranking third
• Patenaude also ranked seventh in the nation with 1,163:32 minutes played among goalies, second in the Big West
• UC Irvine earned 14 corner kicks in the win over Pomona-Pitzer tying a program record that has been set
four times prior with the most recent coming in a Big West Tournament match in 2015 at Cal Poly. The squad averages five corners per match good for second in the Big West
• Alvaro Quezada produced the first 2-assist match of the season for the Anteaters on Wednesday
• Three of the top four point-getters in the Big West are Anteaters (Ortiz - 16, Quezada & Canales - 14)
• UC Irvine also has leaders in game-winning goals (Canales - 4) and shutouts (Patenaude - 5)
• Two Anteaters were honored in the Courtyard Marriott San Diego Central Aztec Soccer Tournament where it finished 1-1. Ivan Canales and Jose Soto were named to the all-tournament team
 
Yes He Can
Senior Ivan Canales scored his 20th career goal Wednesday joining 11 other Anteaters in program history. His 19th career assist came Wednesday as well placing him in a tie for third all-time Canales has a chance to join Kevin Smith (22 G, 24 A) as the only Anteaters with 20 goals and assists over a career. His next assist will be No. 20 and make him just the third 'Eater with 20 or more. He's added to his point total now at 59 over his career. His next point will make him the eighth 'Eaters with 60 or more. Wednesday night's goal was also his fourth game-winner of the season which ranks fifth in the nation. He has seven over his career which slips him into the top 10 in program history
 
Starting a Trend
Junior Jose Ortiz scored again Saturday night giving him a goal in all six home matches this year. His seven goals are second in the conference, and he's had two three-match scoring streaks this season. He also added a game-winner, the second of his career and first since his freshman campaign.
 
Opening Statements
UC Irvine now stands at 22-9-4 all-time in season openers, 2-3-1 when opening on the road. UCI fell in its home opener Friday, 2-1 to Utah Valley, to snap its streak of 13 straight unbeaten home openers that dated back to 2004.
 
Voter Turnout
UC Irvine was not part of the voting this week, but have earned votes in the United Soccer Coaches three times this season earning a high of 20 votes. Poll results are released every Tuesday. The 'Eaters have not landed in the top 25 since 2015, but do hold a 20-25-6 all-time record against ranked opponents
 
Exhibiting Quality
UC Irvine took to the pitch twice last week for exhibition matches starting at home Thursday defeating Bakersfield, 2-0. Ivan Canales and Axel Adler scored first-half strikes. They finished up Sunday with a trip to UCLA for the first men's soccer match in newly-constructed Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Bruins, who are receiving votes in the national preseason poll, would take the victory scoring in the 71st minute to defeat UCI, 1-0.

Playing Professionally
• UC Irvine has 11 Anteaters making a mark on various professional circuits
• Two MLS staples continue to be Miguel Ibarra and Brad Evans. Ibarra is in his seventh pro season where he's earned over 150 caps between Minnesota United FC and Leon of LigaMX. In his sixth season with MLS-side MNUFC, he has six goals upping the midfielder's career total to 27. Evans has bounced between Sporting KC and its USL side, Swope Park Rangers, seeing action in four matches total. He's played 226 matches with 28 goals in his 11 pro seasons largely with Seattle Sounders FC and Columbus Crew SC winning an MLS title with each
• The pair also account for all of the national team appearances for UCI alums. Evans took part in 27 World Cup qualifiers, Gold Cup, Confederations Cup, and friendly matches scoring an infamous goal in stoppage time of an WCQ to defeat Jamaica. Ibarra has three caps under his belt, all in U.S. friendlies.
• Six Anteaters reside with USL clubs, most prominently Cam Iwasa as one of the league's leading scorers on Sac Republic FC scoring 27 times over four seasons. Marco Franco has joined with Penn FC while Thomas Janjigian is on the backline for Reno 1868. Mats Bjurman and Giovanni Godoy have teamed up on local side Orange County SC scoring seven goals between them this season. Tarek Morad also joined up with USL side Tampa Bay Rowdies recently after a few years with Louisville City FC
• Others still making waves Enrique Cardenas, playing with Golden State Force FC when he's not coaching at College of the Desert, Lester Hayes III and Amani Walker, each playing with at times with NPSL side Albion SC Pros SD, and Irving Garcia is still extending his career going on sixth overall as a professional and second year now with Guatemalan side, Suchitepequez.
 
2017-18 Highlights
• UCI returned to a .500 campaign in 2017 after consecutive five-win years
• The Anteaters led the conference in scoring in the regular season with 35 goals led by conference-leader Giovanni Godoy's 13. They also put up a Big West-best 41 assists, its most since the 2010 campaign, with Daniel Crisostomo and Mario Ortiz topping the conference with nine each
• UCI took down one of its two ranked opponents in 2017 defeating No. 8 Denver, 1-0, on a neutral site. It also took No. 9 Louisville to the wire on the road as the 'Eaters stand 20-25-6 all-time against ranked foes

Trending Up
UC Irvine's 8-8-3 campaign and fourth place finish in the Big West South in 2017 doesn't jump off the page, but its a move in the right direction after back-to-back five-win seasons in 2015 and 2016. The goals rose with the results with the team scoring 35 goals, up from 20 in 2016 and 23 in 2015. The Anteaters also dropped 41 assists on those goals last season, its most since 2010's total of 42 assists.

Back for More
Here for his second season as the head coach of the Anteaters is Yossi Raz. He made great strides within his first two years as the head of Cal Poly Pomona taking a program that won three matches prior to his arrival, pushed them to a 7-7-3 mark in his first go, and jumped to a 17-1-2 record in his second season leading to a national title appearance by his third year.

What's Missing?
The right foot of Giovanni Godoy is the largest omission from the 2018 Anteaters after the reigning Big West Offensive Player of the Year graduated and is now playing alongside 'Eater alum Mats Bjurman on Orange County SC. His conference-leading 13 goals accounted for 37% of UC Irvine's production including half of the squad's eight game-winning goals.

Senior Step-Up
The Anteater core in 2018 will be strongly represented by senior leadership of Ivan Canales, Daniel Crisostomo, and Luis Leon. Canales returns following a third All-Big West selection, the midfielder centerpiece has a new number and an edge and the attacking leader going forward. Crisostomo is one of the nation's leading returners in assists after dishing out nine as a junior. Over the summer, he continued to add to his resume in the midfield playing for Orange County FC and was named to the National XI for the season of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). Leon has rode a consistent offensive ledger accounting for multiple goals and at least six points in each of his first three years as an Anteater.

Second-Year Sensations
The Anteaters got positive dividends from its new crop of transfers a year ago with a steady hand in the midfield from Victor Falck, and also on the backline, Jose Soto stood above the rest earning an All-Big West selection. Impactful freshmen Alvaro Quezada and Lawrence Yamaguchi fit right in to coach Raz's mentality, and will be prime figures to keep the scoring at a high level for the 'Eaters

Chon Zone
Another hefty absence will be the skillful frame of Mario Ortiz who contribute nine assists a year ago, but another Ortiz, Jose, is primed to join the scoring barrage. He's contributed five goals to this point in his career including three as a sophomore

Keeper's Corner
The healthiest competition on the squad could come between the posts with senior Greg Patenaude and junior Alex Waldron each coming in with an experienced hand. Patenaude finished the 2017 season as the No. 1 guy scoring a pair of wins in the final three matches. Waldron played half of the matches in his first year, and them rolled through a majority of his sophomore campaign atop the depth chart putting together nine wins and five shutouts across the seasons. The two will likely each see time through the exhibition matches.

What does the Future Hold?
The recently-revealed nine newcomers joining the squad in 2018 for coach Raz features some very veteran talent. Three transfers enter the fray with two in line to be big parts of the 2018 plans. Senior back Darren Hamilton has commanded backlines on the junior college and Division I levels, and will provide a huge boost to pair with Soto. Jalani Ambrose has a couple of years experience from Santa Clara skating down the wings and being thrust into a defensive role. In addition to the vets, the 'Eaters bring on six freshmen that could be called upon with an abbreviated roster of 25 players at coach Raz's disposal. The likes of Axel Adler and Ben Reveno who will make their first steps onto an Anteater pitch, and the returns of redshirts Manny Acosta and Christian "GunGun" Gutierrez will also be felt in the formation

Opposing Views
UC Irvine's collective schedule might not be so daunting from first glance, but a lot of postseason experience lays in waiting for the Anteaters with squads like Pacific and San Francisco coming off tourney appearances last year. Others have been successful elsewhere such as UCF projected to win the American Athletic Conference in the preseason, James Madison the reigning Colonial Athletic Association regular season champs, and Brown finish third a year ago in a highly-competitive Ivy League. In addition, five Anteater opponents have earned votes in the United Soccer Coaches preseason rankings which includes Sunday's opponent, UCLA.