Season Begins at #9 Virginia, Home Against the Big 12
August 21, 2019 | Women's Soccer
FIRST TOUCHES
UC Irvine has a power-packed open to the season traveling to the ninth-ranked Virginia before returning for a Sunday home match against the Iowa State Cyclones from the Big 12
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87 - 87 Anteaters have played 50 or more matches in program history including eight players reaching the mark in 2018. UCI added four players to its list of player with 50+ starts all-time in 2018
3rd -Β Coach Juniper and the Anteaters make only their 3rd trip into the Eastern Time Zone. The 'Eaters went to Auburn in 2014 and lost to Auburn and Indiana, and followed that up with a trip to Florida in a loss at FIU and win at FAU
#9 - Virginia marks the sixth UCI opponent ranked within the top 10 at #9. The last came in a 3-0 loss at #1 UCLA in 2014
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STORYLINES
The preseason polls for the Big West came out with UC Irvine projected to finish third much like 2018 when UCI finished third and reachedΒ the conference tournament for a second straight season.
UCI had three players on the Preseason All-Big West squad in Aleah Kelley, Jessica Miclat, and Maddie Newsom, eclipsing the two total preseason honorees from the last four years combined
Jessica Miclat drained both exhibition goals, once after an Alex Jaquez collision and Aleah Kelley feed setting her up vs. CBU, and then on a rocket from 25 yards over UCLA keeper Lauren Brzycky. The senior enters with four career goals, as many as the rest of UCI's returners combined, and 11 points, nearly half of the team's returning points total
UCI will have their first career meetings with both Virginia and Iowa State. All-time, UCI is 4-0 against the ACC and is making its first trip to play an ACC school on the road. UCI is 2-2 against the Big 12 having won the last matchup in 2014 when Oklahoma visited
UC Irvine returns 15 of 25 players that saw action in 2018. Six players that saw considerable minutes as starters are back for 2019
Friday's match will be televised via the brand new ACC Network, one of the first sporting events on the channel
With a win or drawβ¦
...it will be UCI's first result on a season opener since 2016. UCI is 3-9 in season openers under coach Juniper and 1-5 when they're on the road. All-time, UCI's record in season openers is 12-8-3 with a 9-10-2 record when their season starts on the road
...UCI will remain unbeaten against the ACC as it enters Friday 4-0-0 against the conference
...will be eighth result in its 16th meeting with a ranked opponent. UCI is 6-8-1 against ranked foes with its last occurrence coming to open the 2018 season with a 1-0 loss at home to No. 12 USC
...will be the first result against a ranked opponent since UCI dropped No. 6 BYU also on the road, 1-0, on Sept. 14, 2013
...on Sunday, UCI would also improve on their 7-5 mark in home openers under Juniper and 18-13-4 all-time
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
UCI travels to Virginia for the first time to face the Cavaliers for the first time. UVA finished 2018 ranked 11th after another trip to the NCAA Round of 16, and begins 2019 ranked ninth, the sixth top-10 opponent UCI will oppose in program history. The Cavaliers won 16 matches last year and already have two exhibition wins over Illinois and a youth squad. UVA is led by three MAC Hermann Trophy watch-listers in senior Phoebe McClernon, sophomore Alexa Spaanstra, and junior keeper Laurel Ivory. The 2018 squad outscored opponents, 52-16, outshot teams by a 16.9-5.5 average, and picked up just four cards. Meghan McCool is another to watch tying the team high with nine goals, five for game-winners
IOWA STATE CYCLONES
Iowa State and UCI meet for the first time as ISU becomes the third Big 12 program to visit UCI joining Kansas and Oklahoma. The program is three years removed from a 10-win campaign having won just seven over the last two years. The Cyclones were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team conference, but have started strong with exhibition wins over Drake and Northern Iowa by a combined 6-0 score. ISU graduated two of their top three point-getters with Kassi Ginther (4 G, 1 A) the leading goal scorer remaining, and junior keeper Dayja Schwichtenberg played every minute of 2018 stopping 103 shots and claiming four shutouts
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THROW-INS
UCI played two exhibition matches at home. The Anteater starters played a half vs. Cal Baptist leading 1-0 before reserves from both sides entered and CBU took over scoring three goals. UCI braced for No. 4 UCLA in the second match with starters on both sides playing full 90s. UCLA began with a 30th minute goal, but UCI equalized in the 48th minute before the Bruins found the winner in the 87th minute to complete a 2-1 victory
The Anteaters went 8-7-4 finishing third in the Big West in 2018. The women played in eight overtime games, going 3-1-4 in those matchups. UCI had a schedule among the toughest-third of schools in the nation that included four Pac-12 schools and three NCAA Tournament teams
Junior keeperΒ Maddie NewsomΒ earned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year honors after a stellar junior season, just the second honor for a UCI keeper. Her 82 saves and 1.02 goals-against-average came in nearly 2,000 minutes, and she added five points on offense, only the second keeper to reach that mark in an entire career, assisting on three goals and scoring one of her own vs. Long Beach State
Record-setting nine Anteaters were named to the All-Big West teams includingΒ Maddie NewsomΒ andΒ Aleah KelleyΒ on the first team;Β Shelby Lee and Claire Grouwinkel on the second team; Joanne Joseph,Β Lili AndinoΒ andΒ Alex KarlowitschΒ earning spots on the Honorable Mention team andΒ Kala McDanielΒ on the All-Freshman team. Eight different players competed in their 50th career game at UCI over the past season
The class of 2020 will lead one of the most talented teams in Anteater Soccer history.Β Maddie Newsom,Β Aleah Kelley, andΒ Jessica MiclatΒ will look to lead their team to victory one last time. She comes in with a lot of Anteater records on the horizon potentially becoming the program's all-time leading keeper in matches played and started and minutes played. With a double-digit season in wins, NewsomΒ will join the exclusive 'Eater club of 40-win keepers and challenge 'Eater legends Stephanie Boes andΒ Danielle de SeriereΒ for the all-time mark. She could also join the exclusive 300-save plateau with another 80-save campaignΒ Newsom enters her senior season as the focal point for a team hungry to make a push in the conference tournament.
Aleah KelleyΒ enters her senior season as one of the strongest defenders on the team, logging the second most minutes last year only behind Newsom. Kelley was named to the All Big West First Team in 2018 adding her first career goal to the mix last season.
Miclat comes into her senior season accounting for half of the returning goals, and nearly half of the returning assists and points on the club scoring at least once in each season as an 'Eater for four total and posting 11 points, twice as many as the next-closest Anteater in keeperΒ Maddie Newsom.
The extent of the team's four-year experience is rounded out by forwardΒ Carley Brown, a key role player for UCI entering 2019 with 44 career matches played, as well asΒ Kyndal McKinney, in her second season since transferring from Indiana University. Graduate transferΒ Cassidy KallenbornΒ from the University of South Florida provides more veteran leadership and depth along the defensive midfield.
A majority of the minutes in 2019 will fall to underclassmen on the Anteater squad with eight freshmen and sophomores likely to begin the year as starters behind Newsom, Kelley, and Miclat.
Second-year transfersΒ Destinee ManzoΒ andΒ McKenzie CooperΒ join the Anteaters as Division I transfers returning to familiar Southern California ready to make their mark, and head the group of five Anteaters who redshirted their first season with the program in 2018
The talented sophomore class earned loads of experience in just their first season with players likeΒ McKenzie Madison,Β Scarlett Camberos,Β Amber Huff, andΒ Kala McDanielΒ each playing in nearly every match in 2018. Key contributors likeΒ Alex Jaquez,Β Maddy Chavez, andΒ Piper Wurth were all cut down due to injuries last year, but will be called upon to provide key minutes to pivotal positions
The 'Eaters have already seen youth drive success in past years with players like Newsom, Kelley, and Miclat each contributing right away in their first two seasons in addition to many of the 27,000 minutes moved on from the program last season.
The Anteaters have a sizable class of first-year players that will be called upon with nine true freshmen ready to lace them up.Β Gianna Creighton,Β Erin Covey, andΒ Chloe RagonΒ highlight the rookie class which is poised to combine with a stellar senior class.
MidfielderΒ Gianna CreightonΒ is a native of San Diego, where she was a four year varsity starter at West Hills High School. Creighton graduated in the top 7% of her graduating class and led her high school team to a CIF Division II State Championship in 2019. The accomplished high school athlete will look to make an immediate impact on this Anteater squad.
Chloe RagonΒ is a midfielder from Rancho Cucamonga and a recent graduate of Los Osos High School. Ragon played club soccer on Legends FC Soccer Club. Ragon's high school teammate,Β Erin Covey, is also an incoming freshman Forward who was MVP of her team and played alongside Ragon on Legends FC and Arsenal FC.
UCI's freshman class is also littered with CIF champions likeΒ Alyssa Moore, track stars likeΒ Emi Smith,Β Sarah Ralston, andΒ Maddie Coppolo, and athletic families inΒ Chantelle Sanchez and Taesja PaopaoΒ all looking to compete for minutes and starting spots on the 2019 Anteater squad
The Anteaters will play one of the most grueling schedules as they will face three opponents who were ranked in 2018 including UCLA, Vanderbilt and Arizona. UCI will face UCLA in their second preseason game on August 18 at Anteater Stadium, which is expected to draw a huge preseason crowd building on the momentum from the 2018 season that saw Anteater Stadium's fourth-largest crowd of 1,704 fans vs. No. 12 USC in the season opener, the largest crowd ever to watch a regular season UCI soccer match.
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The big-time conferences show up to Anteater Stadium in 2019 to test the 'Eaters in the form of Iowa State from the Big 12, Cal from the Pac-12, UCF from the AAC, and NCAA Tournament squad Vanderbilt that finished in the top 25.
UCI's road trips won't be any easier having to travel to NCAA Tournament teams Arizona and BYU, a neutral site matchup with another in top-15 ranked Texas Tech, and rematch with Arizona State meeting them for the first time since defeating them in the NCAA Tournament First Round, and starting everything off across the country to the East Coast for only the third time in program history to face the Virginia Cavaliers coming off an NCAA Tournament run where they ended 2018 ranked at No. 11
Women's Soccer Head CoachΒ Scott JuniperΒ enters his 13th season at the helm. The winningest coach in program history surpassed Marine CanoΒ last season having coached in 243 career matches. This season, his 13th, will surpass Cano again as the most by a single coach in program history. With a mark of 129-85-29, Juniper has led his squad to a winning record nine times, a spot in the Big West Tournament nine times, and a pair of NCAA Tournament at-large berths looking to return after UCI's last trip in 2011.
Juniper led the Anteaters through one of their most challenging seasons in 2018 with a toughest step to come in 2019. The two-time Big West Coach of the Year has brought the program its three Big West regular season titles has coached 72 Anteaters to all-conference honors and three All-Americans
UC Irvine's professional squad grew over the offseason with players now in Italy, Spain, Mexico, and the United States.
Kiana Palacios began with Spanish side Real Sociedad in 2018, and boosted them to the top half of the table, scored six goals in 25 matches played, and help the squad to an upset victory to take the 2019 Copa de la Reina.
Janelly Farias returned to form signing with her hometown squad, Chivas Guadalajara. Chivas is 3-1 early in the season, and most recently got a game-winning goal from Farias, the first of her career.
Cami Privett returns to the states back with the Houston Dash seeing her first action over the weekend off the bench. She had a successful campaign in Spain last season with EDF Logroño scoring a goal in 12 matches as the squad jumped up to an 11th place finish in its first-ever season in the top flight.
Mady Solow continues her journey after spending 2018-19 with Swiss side FC Basel. She will sign back with her Italian club in Verona for 2019-20
UC Irvine has a power-packed open to the season traveling to the ninth-ranked Virginia before returning for a Sunday home match against the Iowa State Cyclones from the Big 12
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Game Notes
UC Irvine Anteaters at #9 Virginia Cavaliers
Friday, August 23, 2019 - 4:00 PM
Klockner Stadium - Charlottesville, Va.
ACC Network |Β Live Stats
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Iowa State Cyclones atΒ UC Irvine Anteaters
Sunday, August 25, 2019 - 1:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live StatsΒ |Β Game ProgramΒ | Tickets
Β UC Irvine Anteaters at #9 Virginia Cavaliers
Friday, August 23, 2019 - 4:00 PM
Klockner Stadium - Charlottesville, Va.
ACC Network |Β Live Stats
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Iowa State Cyclones atΒ UC Irvine Anteaters
Sunday, August 25, 2019 - 1:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live StatsΒ |Β Game ProgramΒ | Tickets
87 - 87 Anteaters have played 50 or more matches in program history including eight players reaching the mark in 2018. UCI added four players to its list of player with 50+ starts all-time in 2018
3rd -Β Coach Juniper and the Anteaters make only their 3rd trip into the Eastern Time Zone. The 'Eaters went to Auburn in 2014 and lost to Auburn and Indiana, and followed that up with a trip to Florida in a loss at FIU and win at FAU
#9 - Virginia marks the sixth UCI opponent ranked within the top 10 at #9. The last came in a 3-0 loss at #1 UCLA in 2014
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STORYLINES
The preseason polls for the Big West came out with UC Irvine projected to finish third much like 2018 when UCI finished third and reachedΒ the conference tournament for a second straight season.
UCI had three players on the Preseason All-Big West squad in Aleah Kelley, Jessica Miclat, and Maddie Newsom, eclipsing the two total preseason honorees from the last four years combined
Jessica Miclat drained both exhibition goals, once after an Alex Jaquez collision and Aleah Kelley feed setting her up vs. CBU, and then on a rocket from 25 yards over UCLA keeper Lauren Brzycky. The senior enters with four career goals, as many as the rest of UCI's returners combined, and 11 points, nearly half of the team's returning points total
UCI will have their first career meetings with both Virginia and Iowa State. All-time, UCI is 4-0 against the ACC and is making its first trip to play an ACC school on the road. UCI is 2-2 against the Big 12 having won the last matchup in 2014 when Oklahoma visited
UC Irvine returns 15 of 25 players that saw action in 2018. Six players that saw considerable minutes as starters are back for 2019
Friday's match will be televised via the brand new ACC Network, one of the first sporting events on the channel
With a win or drawβ¦
...it will be UCI's first result on a season opener since 2016. UCI is 3-9 in season openers under coach Juniper and 1-5 when they're on the road. All-time, UCI's record in season openers is 12-8-3 with a 9-10-2 record when their season starts on the road
...UCI will remain unbeaten against the ACC as it enters Friday 4-0-0 against the conference
...will be eighth result in its 16th meeting with a ranked opponent. UCI is 6-8-1 against ranked foes with its last occurrence coming to open the 2018 season with a 1-0 loss at home to No. 12 USC
...will be the first result against a ranked opponent since UCI dropped No. 6 BYU also on the road, 1-0, on Sept. 14, 2013
...on Sunday, UCI would also improve on their 7-5 mark in home openers under Juniper and 18-13-4 all-time
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
UCI travels to Virginia for the first time to face the Cavaliers for the first time. UVA finished 2018 ranked 11th after another trip to the NCAA Round of 16, and begins 2019 ranked ninth, the sixth top-10 opponent UCI will oppose in program history. The Cavaliers won 16 matches last year and already have two exhibition wins over Illinois and a youth squad. UVA is led by three MAC Hermann Trophy watch-listers in senior Phoebe McClernon, sophomore Alexa Spaanstra, and junior keeper Laurel Ivory. The 2018 squad outscored opponents, 52-16, outshot teams by a 16.9-5.5 average, and picked up just four cards. Meghan McCool is another to watch tying the team high with nine goals, five for game-winners
IOWA STATE CYCLONES
Iowa State and UCI meet for the first time as ISU becomes the third Big 12 program to visit UCI joining Kansas and Oklahoma. The program is three years removed from a 10-win campaign having won just seven over the last two years. The Cyclones were picked to finish ninth in the 10-team conference, but have started strong with exhibition wins over Drake and Northern Iowa by a combined 6-0 score. ISU graduated two of their top three point-getters with Kassi Ginther (4 G, 1 A) the leading goal scorer remaining, and junior keeper Dayja Schwichtenberg played every minute of 2018 stopping 103 shots and claiming four shutouts
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THROW-INS
UCI played two exhibition matches at home. The Anteater starters played a half vs. Cal Baptist leading 1-0 before reserves from both sides entered and CBU took over scoring three goals. UCI braced for No. 4 UCLA in the second match with starters on both sides playing full 90s. UCLA began with a 30th minute goal, but UCI equalized in the 48th minute before the Bruins found the winner in the 87th minute to complete a 2-1 victory
The Anteaters went 8-7-4 finishing third in the Big West in 2018. The women played in eight overtime games, going 3-1-4 in those matchups. UCI had a schedule among the toughest-third of schools in the nation that included four Pac-12 schools and three NCAA Tournament teams
Junior keeperΒ Maddie NewsomΒ earned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year honors after a stellar junior season, just the second honor for a UCI keeper. Her 82 saves and 1.02 goals-against-average came in nearly 2,000 minutes, and she added five points on offense, only the second keeper to reach that mark in an entire career, assisting on three goals and scoring one of her own vs. Long Beach State
Record-setting nine Anteaters were named to the All-Big West teams includingΒ Maddie NewsomΒ andΒ Aleah KelleyΒ on the first team;Β Shelby Lee and Claire Grouwinkel on the second team; Joanne Joseph,Β Lili AndinoΒ andΒ Alex KarlowitschΒ earning spots on the Honorable Mention team andΒ Kala McDanielΒ on the All-Freshman team. Eight different players competed in their 50th career game at UCI over the past season
The class of 2020 will lead one of the most talented teams in Anteater Soccer history.Β Maddie Newsom,Β Aleah Kelley, andΒ Jessica MiclatΒ will look to lead their team to victory one last time. She comes in with a lot of Anteater records on the horizon potentially becoming the program's all-time leading keeper in matches played and started and minutes played. With a double-digit season in wins, NewsomΒ will join the exclusive 'Eater club of 40-win keepers and challenge 'Eater legends Stephanie Boes andΒ Danielle de SeriereΒ for the all-time mark. She could also join the exclusive 300-save plateau with another 80-save campaignΒ Newsom enters her senior season as the focal point for a team hungry to make a push in the conference tournament.
Aleah KelleyΒ enters her senior season as one of the strongest defenders on the team, logging the second most minutes last year only behind Newsom. Kelley was named to the All Big West First Team in 2018 adding her first career goal to the mix last season.
Miclat comes into her senior season accounting for half of the returning goals, and nearly half of the returning assists and points on the club scoring at least once in each season as an 'Eater for four total and posting 11 points, twice as many as the next-closest Anteater in keeperΒ Maddie Newsom.
The extent of the team's four-year experience is rounded out by forwardΒ Carley Brown, a key role player for UCI entering 2019 with 44 career matches played, as well asΒ Kyndal McKinney, in her second season since transferring from Indiana University. Graduate transferΒ Cassidy KallenbornΒ from the University of South Florida provides more veteran leadership and depth along the defensive midfield.
A majority of the minutes in 2019 will fall to underclassmen on the Anteater squad with eight freshmen and sophomores likely to begin the year as starters behind Newsom, Kelley, and Miclat.
Second-year transfersΒ Destinee ManzoΒ andΒ McKenzie CooperΒ join the Anteaters as Division I transfers returning to familiar Southern California ready to make their mark, and head the group of five Anteaters who redshirted their first season with the program in 2018
The talented sophomore class earned loads of experience in just their first season with players likeΒ McKenzie Madison,Β Scarlett Camberos,Β Amber Huff, andΒ Kala McDanielΒ each playing in nearly every match in 2018. Key contributors likeΒ Alex Jaquez,Β Maddy Chavez, andΒ Piper Wurth were all cut down due to injuries last year, but will be called upon to provide key minutes to pivotal positions
The 'Eaters have already seen youth drive success in past years with players like Newsom, Kelley, and Miclat each contributing right away in their first two seasons in addition to many of the 27,000 minutes moved on from the program last season.
The Anteaters have a sizable class of first-year players that will be called upon with nine true freshmen ready to lace them up.Β Gianna Creighton,Β Erin Covey, andΒ Chloe RagonΒ highlight the rookie class which is poised to combine with a stellar senior class.
MidfielderΒ Gianna CreightonΒ is a native of San Diego, where she was a four year varsity starter at West Hills High School. Creighton graduated in the top 7% of her graduating class and led her high school team to a CIF Division II State Championship in 2019. The accomplished high school athlete will look to make an immediate impact on this Anteater squad.
Chloe RagonΒ is a midfielder from Rancho Cucamonga and a recent graduate of Los Osos High School. Ragon played club soccer on Legends FC Soccer Club. Ragon's high school teammate,Β Erin Covey, is also an incoming freshman Forward who was MVP of her team and played alongside Ragon on Legends FC and Arsenal FC.
UCI's freshman class is also littered with CIF champions likeΒ Alyssa Moore, track stars likeΒ Emi Smith,Β Sarah Ralston, andΒ Maddie Coppolo, and athletic families inΒ Chantelle Sanchez and Taesja PaopaoΒ all looking to compete for minutes and starting spots on the 2019 Anteater squad
The Anteaters will play one of the most grueling schedules as they will face three opponents who were ranked in 2018 including UCLA, Vanderbilt and Arizona. UCI will face UCLA in their second preseason game on August 18 at Anteater Stadium, which is expected to draw a huge preseason crowd building on the momentum from the 2018 season that saw Anteater Stadium's fourth-largest crowd of 1,704 fans vs. No. 12 USC in the season opener, the largest crowd ever to watch a regular season UCI soccer match.
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The big-time conferences show up to Anteater Stadium in 2019 to test the 'Eaters in the form of Iowa State from the Big 12, Cal from the Pac-12, UCF from the AAC, and NCAA Tournament squad Vanderbilt that finished in the top 25.
UCI's road trips won't be any easier having to travel to NCAA Tournament teams Arizona and BYU, a neutral site matchup with another in top-15 ranked Texas Tech, and rematch with Arizona State meeting them for the first time since defeating them in the NCAA Tournament First Round, and starting everything off across the country to the East Coast for only the third time in program history to face the Virginia Cavaliers coming off an NCAA Tournament run where they ended 2018 ranked at No. 11
Women's Soccer Head CoachΒ Scott JuniperΒ enters his 13th season at the helm. The winningest coach in program history surpassed Marine CanoΒ last season having coached in 243 career matches. This season, his 13th, will surpass Cano again as the most by a single coach in program history. With a mark of 129-85-29, Juniper has led his squad to a winning record nine times, a spot in the Big West Tournament nine times, and a pair of NCAA Tournament at-large berths looking to return after UCI's last trip in 2011.
Juniper led the Anteaters through one of their most challenging seasons in 2018 with a toughest step to come in 2019. The two-time Big West Coach of the Year has brought the program its three Big West regular season titles has coached 72 Anteaters to all-conference honors and three All-Americans
UC Irvine's professional squad grew over the offseason with players now in Italy, Spain, Mexico, and the United States.
Kiana Palacios began with Spanish side Real Sociedad in 2018, and boosted them to the top half of the table, scored six goals in 25 matches played, and help the squad to an upset victory to take the 2019 Copa de la Reina.
Janelly Farias returned to form signing with her hometown squad, Chivas Guadalajara. Chivas is 3-1 early in the season, and most recently got a game-winning goal from Farias, the first of her career.
Cami Privett returns to the states back with the Houston Dash seeing her first action over the weekend off the bench. She had a successful campaign in Spain last season with EDF Logroño scoring a goal in 12 matches as the squad jumped up to an 11th place finish in its first-ever season in the top flight.
Mady Solow continues her journey after spending 2018-19 with Swiss side FC Basel. She will sign back with her Italian club in Verona for 2019-20
Players Mentioned
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