FIRST TOUCHES
The 'Eaters began the week with a tough loss at CSUN giving up a 98th-minute PK on a hand ball to drop them, 1-0. Things turned around by week's end getting a big 2-1 victory over rival Long Beach State getting their first 2019 win when trailing at the half.
 

70 - The Anteaters have 88 players all-time to reach the 50 matches played plateau, the most recent in Carley Brown who played her 60th match last Sunday. Three Anteater recently reached 70 matches played in Maddie Newsom, Jessica Miclat, and Aleah Kelley as the 41st, 42nd, and 43rd Anteaters to play in at least 70 matches

13 - UC Irvine comes into the weekend with 10 points and a 3-2-1 record, 1 point behind both UC Santa Barbara and Hawai'i for the final tournament spot. In the 11 years the Big West has supported nine schools, only three times has 13 points not been enough to make the tournament. UCI was the beneficiary in 2009 topping two other schools in a three-team tiebreaker. The other came in 2015 when CSUN was the odd team out
 
STORYLINES
The Anteaters kept themselves in the race for a Big West title in fifth place with 10 points and two matches remaining. UCI has one path to win a Big West title - winning both matches this weekend, two wins from Long Beach State over CSUN and Hawai'i, and a CSUN victory over Cal State Fullerton on Sunday. The 'Eaters also stand one point out of the Big West Tournament picture trailing Hawai'i and UC Santa Barbara. The 'Eaters could reach the pivotal 13-point mark with one win this week. In the 11 years the Big West has played with nine schools, only three times has a team failed to make the Big West Tournament with 13 points.

The Anteaters were powered by new faces in the attack in Sunday's win. Amber Huff fired home her first career goal and point on a 69th-minute free kick for the game-winning goal. Kala McDaniel made her first appearance in the midfield, and paid dividends with her second career goal helping the 'Eaters return from a halftime deficit for the first time this year. The win stopped a four-match winless streak against Long Beach State dating back to 2015 and first win for nearly every Anteater on the roster against their rival.

Maddie Newsom continued to rise up the all-time UCI keeper rankings as she now has the most starts (72) and minutes (6,799) passing alums like Danielle de Seriere and Stephanie Boes. She stopped four shots Sunday night placing her ahead of Alicia Miller for third all-time in career saves at 257. Her next match will pass de Seriere for second all-time with 73 in a career where she's also accumulated the third most wins at 34 and shutouts at 20

UCI has taken on three top-10 opponents adding No. 5 BYU to the pair of No. 9s in Virginia and Vanderbilt, the third season all-time facing three ranked foes. UCI opened with a 7-0 loss in their first trip to Virginia, the first time a coach Juniper squad had allowed more than four goals in a match. The Anteater non-conference schedule was littered with challenges with six of their 10 opponents currently receiving national votes.. Texas Tech and Cal had joined the top 25 since the match with UCI. UCI also had a ranked opponent on its exhibition slate falling, 2-1, to UCLA who was ranked No. 4 in the preseason giving UCI the 14th-toughest schedule nationally.

With a…
...win Friday, UCI would secure a fourth straight season with four Big West wins and reach the coveted 13-point mark on the season
...pair of wins, UCI would guarantee itself a spot in the Big West Tournament

CAL POLY MUSTANGS
The Mustangs' season has not been glamourous at 4-10-3 and just five Big West points, but they do have a major upset of Pepperdine and ties with the two teams they need to catch in UCSB and Hawai'i to keep their heads just above water. CP and UCI match as two teams averaging less than a goal per match while allowing more than 1.5 goals a match. Sophia Brown in net is Cal Poly's star with 77 saves and a .762 save percentage keeping the Mustangs in the fight. Camille Lafaix has provided four goals and two assists helped by fellow freshman Nikki Trucco's three goals and second-year Brooke Rubenstein helping on four assists

UC SANTA BARBARA GAUCHOS
The Gauchos have it all in front of them at 7-4-5 with 11 Big West points taking on bottomdweller UC Riverside Friday and then potentially a matchup for the final tournament spot Sunday with the 'Eaters. They've had strong games against the likes of Cal, Santa Clara, and put up four last game against Hawai'i thanks to a Shaelan Murison hat trick as she's put home 16 of the team's 26 goals. Three goals each from Isabella Viana and Jessica Wright make them dangerous while keeper Hanna DeWeese has been solid with an 0.94 GAA and 47 saves playing all 1,540 minutes.