'Eaters Return to NCAA Tourney to Host Grand Canyon in First Round
November 13, 2018 | Men's Soccer
UC Irvine is back in the NCAA Tournament after snagging an at-large bid, and its first test will be a streaking Grand Canyon squad coming off a WAC Tournament title as it heads into Anteater Stadium Thursday night
Storylines
>> The 'Eaters return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, sixth overall appearance in program history
>> UC Irvine secured an at-large berth for the second time, the 'Eaters' last trip in 2014 was also as an at-large playing the First Round
>> UC Irvine won its fifth Big West regular season title and first since 2013, and the program has won the last three regular seasons titles that featured a one-division format in the Big West (2010, 2011, 2018)
>> Ivan Canales was named Big West Offensive Player of the Year finishing the regular season as the conference's points leader with 25 and is tied atop the goal leaders at 10. His six game-winning goals remain the conference's best and second-best in all the NCAA. He is the second straight Anteater to take home this award (Giovanni Godoy) and the first Anteater to appear on All-Big West all four years
>> Daniel Crisostomo became the fourth Big West Midfielder of the Year in program history and first since 2013 after amassing three goals and assists along with his defensive handiwork. He joined Canales on the All-Big West First Team, his second career all-conference award
>> Three Anteaters represented on the All-Big West Second Team including Jose Ortiz (8 G, 4 A) and Darren Hamilton (3 A, 6 clean sheets) each making their first appearance while Jose Soto (1 G, 1 A) made his second appearance in two years with the squad. Alvaro Quezada, the Big West's co-assist leader with six graced the Honorable Mention squad as a sophomore, and freshman Michael Orozco (1 G, 1 A, 6 clean sheets) made All-Freshman Team as the fifth 'Eater in the six years the team has been named
>> Head Coach Yossi Raz claimed Big West Coach of the Year honors in just his second season at the helm. It's the first coach of the year at UCI since 2008, the seventh honor for UCI, fifth in the Big West, and third coach overall joining George Kuntz and Derek Lawther
About Grand Canyon
>> The Lopes bounded through the WAC Tournament with wins over Utah Valley, Air Force, and San Jose State without allowing a goal to take home its first title and head to the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a Division I program
>> GCU finished fourth in the WAC which included a no contest due to weather. UCI and GCU each faced LMU and Utah Valley this season with the Lopes winning all three matches against those opponents. Grand Canyon stood tall against good competition in 2018 facing five ranked opponents and beating all of them including Air Force twice, on the road at Seattle U, and starting the season with wins defeats of No. 12 Wisconsin and No. 20 Creighton. UCI and GCU have met twice before, both times in Anteater Stadium. UCI took the first matchup back in 1993, and most recently in 2016, the 'Eaters won 1-0 in a game where GCU outshot UCI, 14-5, and featured 45 fouls
>> Grand Canyon has 19 goals in 20 matches scoring two goals just four times all season. Jackson Jellah, Marco Afonso, and Josh Drack all lead the squad with three goals each. Nine of GCU's 12 wins have featured a shutout among the backline of Sam Gardner, Esai Easley, Alex Ramirez, and Julien Armaroli in front of freshman keeper George Tasouris who leads the NCAA in save percentage and has saved 94 shots.
With a win...
>> ...UCI would advance to play [9] Stanford on Sunday in the NCAA Second Round, Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
>> ...UC Irvine have reached the NCAA Second Round in each of their six NCAA Tournament appearances
>> ...UC Irvine will have earned a win in four of their six NCAA Tournament appearances
>> ...UCI would improve to 2-0-0 in NCAA First Round matchups winning their other contest vs. UNLV, 3-0, in 2014
>> ...UCI would keep a spotless record against Grand Canyon entering the match 2-0-0 with shutout wins in 1993 and 2016
>> ...it would be the 'Eaters' fourth NCAA Tournament win in six matches in Anteater Stadium
Up Next
>> As UC Irvine enters the NCAA Tournament, every match is an elimination game. UCI must survive and advance past GCU Thursday night in order to move on to the Second Round where No. 9 national seed Stanford awaits. The 'Eaters have reached the Third Round three times before in their five previous tournament trips including its last appearance in 2014 where UCI upset top national seed Stanford in overtime on its way to a matchup at No. 12 Providence
First Touches
>> The Anteaters swept player of the week accolades for a second time this season with Ivan Canales taking home offensive praise and Darren Hamilton on the defensive side for the first weekly award for each player
>> The Anteaters swept player of the week accolades on October 8 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
>> The Anteaters' had a home shutout streak 474 minutes before conceding twice to UC Santa Barbara, a streak that stretched over the course of five matches
>> 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
>> Greg Patenaude registered 10 saves in the win at UC Davis for a new career high, and it marks the 15th time an Anteater keeper has made 10 or more saves and first since Michael Breslin did so in 2012
>> Seven Anteaters have opened their scoring accounts this season, most recently Lawrence Yamaguchi who opened the scoring at UC Davis. Others are Daniel Crisostomo, Jose Soto, Manny Acosta, Christian Gutierrez, Jalani Ambrose, and Michael Orozco. For Orozco, Gutierrez, and Acosta, it also represented their first collegiate points
>> UC Irvine men's soccer finished non-conference play with a 6-4-1 mark. The 'Eaters' schedule in 2018 ranked as the 22nd-toughest in the nation
>> 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
Joining The Club
>> Senior Ivan Canales' has joined Kevin Smith (22 G, 24 A) as the only two Anteaters in program history with 20 goals and 20 assists over a career
>> Canales' 25 career goals tie him with Spencer Thompson for sixth-most in an Anteater career. He produced two braces giving him four in his career now
>> His 20th career assist came on the 'Eaters' second goal at Cal Poly making him the third Anteater with at least 20 assists
>> He's added to his point total now at 70 over his career. He's now the fourth Anteaters with 70 or more points standing just three behind P.J. Polowski and Brad Evans for a career
>> Canales accounted for both game-winners last week giving him nine for his career. He's tied Thompson also for that, third-most in program history. Another GWG will put him among Brad Evans (10) and Matt Murphy (11) for the only 'Eaters with double digits
>> The senior was also named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District squad as a sociology major and education minor as one of 11 members of the District VIII squad. The All-American team will be announced on December 8
Voter Turnout
>> The Anteaters broke into the Top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches on Oct. 23 for the first time since 2015. UCI was No. 21 after receiving votes in four previous polls this season, and have received votes in the poll in eight different weeks
>> UCI has been ranked in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 25 poll for the last six weeks currently at No. 22 and have been as high as No. 13 in 2018
>> The program was included in the United Soccer Coaches poll last week coming in at No. 21, the program's first ranking since 2015. UCI had been receiving votes in four polls this season prior and added a fifth this week. UCI has been ranked in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 25 poll for the last four weeks dropping this week from No. 13 to No. 19
>> UCI defeated No. 25 UC Davis and lost at No. 10 Saint Mary's on the road this season for a 21-25-6 all-time record against ranked opponents.
>> Other previously unranked opponents are now in the polls such as UCF at No. 7 and James Madison receiving votes. Saint Mary's has since risen to No. 5
>> UCI is 3-2-0 against other programs to reach the NCAA Tournament. UCI won in OT on the road at UCF in addition to a road win
at Big West champion UC Riverside. UCI came back to defeat James Madison at home after being dealt a red card in the 32nd minute and trailing with 36 minutes remaining. The 'Eaters also have road losses at Saint Mary's and Pacific
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 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
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)
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.
NCAA First Round
Grand Canyon Lopes at UC Irvine Anteaters
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 - 7:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Video | Tickets | Game Program
Grand Canyon Lopes at UC Irvine Anteaters
Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018 - 7:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Video | Tickets | Game Program
Storylines
>> The 'Eaters return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014, sixth overall appearance in program history
>> UC Irvine secured an at-large berth for the second time, the 'Eaters' last trip in 2014 was also as an at-large playing the First Round
>> UC Irvine won its fifth Big West regular season title and first since 2013, and the program has won the last three regular seasons titles that featured a one-division format in the Big West (2010, 2011, 2018)
>> Ivan Canales was named Big West Offensive Player of the Year finishing the regular season as the conference's points leader with 25 and is tied atop the goal leaders at 10. His six game-winning goals remain the conference's best and second-best in all the NCAA. He is the second straight Anteater to take home this award (Giovanni Godoy) and the first Anteater to appear on All-Big West all four years
>> Daniel Crisostomo became the fourth Big West Midfielder of the Year in program history and first since 2013 after amassing three goals and assists along with his defensive handiwork. He joined Canales on the All-Big West First Team, his second career all-conference award
>> Three Anteaters represented on the All-Big West Second Team including Jose Ortiz (8 G, 4 A) and Darren Hamilton (3 A, 6 clean sheets) each making their first appearance while Jose Soto (1 G, 1 A) made his second appearance in two years with the squad. Alvaro Quezada, the Big West's co-assist leader with six graced the Honorable Mention squad as a sophomore, and freshman Michael Orozco (1 G, 1 A, 6 clean sheets) made All-Freshman Team as the fifth 'Eater in the six years the team has been named
>> Head Coach Yossi Raz claimed Big West Coach of the Year honors in just his second season at the helm. It's the first coach of the year at UCI since 2008, the seventh honor for UCI, fifth in the Big West, and third coach overall joining George Kuntz and Derek Lawther
About Grand Canyon
>> The Lopes bounded through the WAC Tournament with wins over Utah Valley, Air Force, and San Jose State without allowing a goal to take home its first title and head to the NCAA Tournament for the first time as a Division I program
>> GCU finished fourth in the WAC which included a no contest due to weather. UCI and GCU each faced LMU and Utah Valley this season with the Lopes winning all three matches against those opponents. Grand Canyon stood tall against good competition in 2018 facing five ranked opponents and beating all of them including Air Force twice, on the road at Seattle U, and starting the season with wins defeats of No. 12 Wisconsin and No. 20 Creighton. UCI and GCU have met twice before, both times in Anteater Stadium. UCI took the first matchup back in 1993, and most recently in 2016, the 'Eaters won 1-0 in a game where GCU outshot UCI, 14-5, and featured 45 fouls
>> Grand Canyon has 19 goals in 20 matches scoring two goals just four times all season. Jackson Jellah, Marco Afonso, and Josh Drack all lead the squad with three goals each. Nine of GCU's 12 wins have featured a shutout among the backline of Sam Gardner, Esai Easley, Alex Ramirez, and Julien Armaroli in front of freshman keeper George Tasouris who leads the NCAA in save percentage and has saved 94 shots.
With a win...
>> ...UCI would advance to play [9] Stanford on Sunday in the NCAA Second Round, Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m.
>> ...UC Irvine have reached the NCAA Second Round in each of their six NCAA Tournament appearances
>> ...UC Irvine will have earned a win in four of their six NCAA Tournament appearances
>> ...UCI would improve to 2-0-0 in NCAA First Round matchups winning their other contest vs. UNLV, 3-0, in 2014
>> ...UCI would keep a spotless record against Grand Canyon entering the match 2-0-0 with shutout wins in 1993 and 2016
>> ...it would be the 'Eaters' fourth NCAA Tournament win in six matches in Anteater Stadium
Up Next
>> As UC Irvine enters the NCAA Tournament, every match is an elimination game. UCI must survive and advance past GCU Thursday night in order to move on to the Second Round where No. 9 national seed Stanford awaits. The 'Eaters have reached the Third Round three times before in their five previous tournament trips including its last appearance in 2014 where UCI upset top national seed Stanford in overtime on its way to a matchup at No. 12 Providence
First Touches
>> The Anteaters swept player of the week accolades for a second time this season with Ivan Canales taking home offensive praise and Darren Hamilton on the defensive side for the first weekly award for each player
>> The Anteaters swept player of the week accolades on October 8 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
>> The Anteaters' had a home shutout streak 474 minutes before conceding twice to UC Santa Barbara, a streak that stretched over the course of five matches
>> 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
>> Greg Patenaude registered 10 saves in the win at UC Davis for a new career high, and it marks the 15th time an Anteater keeper has made 10 or more saves and first since Michael Breslin did so in 2012
>> Seven Anteaters have opened their scoring accounts this season, most recently Lawrence Yamaguchi who opened the scoring at UC Davis. Others are Daniel Crisostomo, Jose Soto, Manny Acosta, Christian Gutierrez, Jalani Ambrose, and Michael Orozco. For Orozco, Gutierrez, and Acosta, it also represented their first collegiate points
>> UC Irvine men's soccer finished non-conference play with a 6-4-1 mark. The 'Eaters' schedule in 2018 ranked as the 22nd-toughest in the nation
>> 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
Joining The Club
>> Senior Ivan Canales' has joined Kevin Smith (22 G, 24 A) as the only two Anteaters in program history with 20 goals and 20 assists over a career
>> Canales' 25 career goals tie him with Spencer Thompson for sixth-most in an Anteater career. He produced two braces giving him four in his career now
>> His 20th career assist came on the 'Eaters' second goal at Cal Poly making him the third Anteater with at least 20 assists
>> He's added to his point total now at 70 over his career. He's now the fourth Anteaters with 70 or more points standing just three behind P.J. Polowski and Brad Evans for a career
>> Canales accounted for both game-winners last week giving him nine for his career. He's tied Thompson also for that, third-most in program history. Another GWG will put him among Brad Evans (10) and Matt Murphy (11) for the only 'Eaters with double digits
>> The senior was also named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District squad as a sociology major and education minor as one of 11 members of the District VIII squad. The All-American team will be announced on December 8
Voter Turnout
>> The Anteaters broke into the Top 25 of the United Soccer Coaches on Oct. 23 for the first time since 2015. UCI was No. 21 after receiving votes in four previous polls this season, and have received votes in the poll in eight different weeks
>> UCI has been ranked in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 25 poll for the last six weeks currently at No. 22 and have been as high as No. 13 in 2018
>> The program was included in the United Soccer Coaches poll last week coming in at No. 21, the program's first ranking since 2015. UCI had been receiving votes in four polls this season prior and added a fifth this week. UCI has been ranked in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 25 poll for the last four weeks dropping this week from No. 13 to No. 19
>> UCI defeated No. 25 UC Davis and lost at No. 10 Saint Mary's on the road this season for a 21-25-6 all-time record against ranked opponents.
>> Other previously unranked opponents are now in the polls such as UCF at No. 7 and James Madison receiving votes. Saint Mary's has since risen to No. 5
>> UCI is 3-2-0 against other programs to reach the NCAA Tournament. UCI won in OT on the road at UCF in addition to a road win
at Big West champion UC Riverside. UCI came back to defeat James Madison at home after being dealt a red card in the 32nd minute and trailing with 36 minutes remaining. The 'Eaters also have road losses at Saint Mary's and Pacific
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 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
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)
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.
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