UC Irvine Goes to UCLA, Hosts Pacific

Thursday, September 26

Los Angeles, Calif.

7:00 PM

UC Irvine

UCLA

UC Irvine Goes to UCLA, Hosts Pacific

September 24, 2019 | Men's Soccer

By: Alex Croteau

FIRST TOUCHES
UCI could not find their first home win pulling a draw and loss out of two overtime matches last week. UCI looks to bounce back with a Thursday primetime matchup at UCLA and ending the week with familiar faces coming to Anteater Stadium Sunday night with Pacific.

Game Notes

UC Irvine Anteaters at UCLA Bruins
Thursday, September 26, 2019 - 7:00 PM
Wallis Annenberg Stadium (2,145) - Los Angeles, Calif.
Pac-12 Network | Live Stats

Pacific Tigers at UC Irvine Anteaters
Sunday, September 29, 2019 - 7:00 PM
Anteater Stadium - Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Game Program | Tickets

#5 - Despite the very early returns, UC Irvine's schedule has been the #5 toughest in the nation with three top-10 ranked programs on it. UCI's very early RPI sits at 51. The Anteaters finished 2018 with the 22nd-toughest schedule nationally and an RPI of 23

2-0 - Anteater freshman Kwabena Boateng returned from his 10-day trip to Slovenia with the U.S. U-20 national team where he played in both of their friendlies, starting once, helping them go 2-0 against the Zagreb Football Federation and the United Arab Emirates U-23 squad

5 - UC Irvine has scored eight goals in eight matches with five coming as first career goals from players. Newcomers have accounted for three of the goals and 11 of the team's 24 points

STORYLINES
The 'Eaters completed their coaching staff in the early stages of the season adding assistant and Anteater soccer alum Aaron Colacion, and volunteer/goalkeeper coach Yonha Adrabi. The coaching openings came about when volunteer assistant Brian Lanoye took an assistant job at Pacific, UCI's Sunday opponent, to join coach Raz's former assistant, Adam Reeves, now the head coach there. Anteater assistant Matt O'Sullivan then filled the opening at Cal Poly Pomona created by Reeves' departure

The Anteaters have scored eight times with five of them coming as the first of a player's career. Beto Alvarenga got it going in the draw at Cal. Freshman Roberto Molina got his first goal and point against Creighton. Both scorers Monday night got their first on the Division I level as Eder Oliva opened the scoring and captain Victor Falck headed home the game-winner. Ricardo Ibarra assumed the team's points lead with a marvelous strike to level things Sunday vs. Gonzaga

The 'Eaters star freshman Kwabena Boateng missed three matches as he was training with the U.S. under-20 National Team in Slovenia in early September. Boateng played in both matches as the U.S. defeated the Zagreb Football Federation and UAE U-23s in friendlies

UC Irvine began the season ranked at No. 25 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. They finished 2018 just outside the top 25. UC Irvine was also slotted No. 21 according to Top Drawer Soccer's preseason poll. UCI fell out of the voting completely, but have played the fifth-strongest schedule thus far facing six opponents with national votes in eight contests with three opponents entering the matches ranked in the top 10

The Anteaters bring in a talented class of 14 newcomers rated as the top recruiting class in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. Five of the newcomers are transfers from programs such as New Mexico, San Francisco, Coastal Carolina, and Portland, while another four Anteaters enter the mix after redshirting in their first year with the program in 2018. Second-year freshman Jordan Martinez made his first collegiate appearance on Sunday saving five shots in the draw with Gonzaga

With a win or draw...
...Thursday, it would be UCI's fourth all-time result vs. UCLA and second at UCLA, the other coming back in 2001
...Sunday, would avenge a loss to Pacific last season, and keep its perfect slate vs. the Tigers in Anteater Stadium that stands at 2-0-0

UCLA BRUINS
The Bruins have slid up and down this season to a 3-4-0 record. Wins over Northwestern, CSUN, and No. 1 Maryland had them teasing the rankings, but losses to No. 4 Georgetown and a rude welcome to Pac-12 play with shutout losses at Oregon State and Washington having them needing a bounceback week. UCLA has held the all-time edge over UCI, 16-3, but the squads have split the last two meetings with each winning at home. Milan Iloski has seven of the 10 Bruin goals early on with lots of helpers from the likes of Cody Sundquist, Matthew Powell, and brother Eric Iloski. The defense has struggled allowing multiple goals in six of seven matches including five goals twice with former Anteater, Ben Reveno, a starter in every match along the backline for first-year head coach, Ryan Jorden.

PACIFIC TIGERS
Jorden's former school has struggled out of the gate to 3-3-1 after three straight seasons of 12+ wins and trips to the NCAA Second Round. The Tigers are headed by a new man, Adam Reeves, who was an assistant under Raz at Cal Poly Pomona before taking those reins. He's acquired Anteater volunteer assistant Brian Lanoye setting up mentor-mentee matchup on the benches. On the field, Pacific took last year's meeting at their place making a four-goal lead stand up. UCI was Pacific's second opponent when they brought the program back in 2014 with UCI winning in Anteater Stadium, 3-0. Anthony Orendain leads the attack with two goals, both game-winners, of the six that Pacific has produced so far. Ethan Bandre has stopped 24 shots in goal as one of the many upperclassmen, 15 of the 26 rostered players.