FIRST TOUCHES
The Anteaters had UCF on the ropes with marvelous defense taking them to overtime before the bounce fell the Knights way finding the back of the net to score a 1-0 overtime victory on Sunday.
Looming is the final non-conference contest heading into hostile Provo, Utah the home of the No. 5 BYU Cougars on Saturday
 
88th - Carley Brown made the Starting XI in each match over the weekend in Tucson making her the 88th Anteater in program history with 50 career matches played.

4 - Jessica Miclat scored for UCI in the 46th minute vs. Texas Tech giving her 5 career goals and 1 goal in each of her 4 years with the 'Eaters

#6 - The last meeting between UCI and BYU came in 2013, a visit to BYU when they were #6 in the nation and resulted in a 1-0 Anteater victory thanks to a 90th-minute Natalia Ledezma goal. Saturday marks the fifth top-5 opponent UCI's has faced in program history
 

STORYLINES
Aleah Kelley was named a candidate for the Senior CLASS Award on Monday, the third in program history and only from the Big West in 2019. Finalists will be named in the coming weeks to see who best exemplifies character, community, classroom, and competition

Maddie Newsom's effort in goal was almost enough to turn away UCF stopping eight shots, one off matching a career high, including two spectacular saves prior to the overtime game-winner.

The Anteaters were without two of their starters in the last match with Scarlett Camberos and Gianna Creighton going through concussion protocol. The door opened for Sara Young to make her first career start in the midfield. Another Anteater got their first ever collegiate minutes as Caitlin Sanchez came off the bench to play 27 minutes

UC Irvine scored its biggest upset of all-time in its last meeting with BYU upending the sixth-ranked Cougars, 1-0, with a 90th-minute goal from Natalia Ledezma at BYU back in 2013

UCI has taken on a pair of ranked opponents both No. 9 in the nation in Virginia and Vanderbilt, the first time they've encountered two ranked opponents since 2014. 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. Elsewhere, the 'Eaters have lost four one-goal matches, three against schools receiving votes

The Anteater schedule has been littered with challenges with five of the first nine opponents receiving votes in the national polls. Texas Tech has joined the top 25 since the match with UCI, and two conference opponents are also currently receiving votes. UCI also had a ranked opponent on its exhibition slate falling, 2-1, to UCLA who was ranked No. 4 in the preseason. The overall record of the opponents on UCI's schedule stands at 91-54-13

With a win or draw…
...it would snap a string of five straight losses and break up a run of eight straight matches winless away from home (0-5-3)
...UCI would build on its win last time vs. BYU back in 2013 and improve upon coach Juniper's 14-6-1 record vs. the Mountain West

BYU COUGARS
BYU has been a steamroller in 2019 starting 8-0-0 outscoring opponents like Alabama, Mississippi State, Utah, No. 12 Texas A&M, and No. 14 Kansas 22-1. The Cougars began 2019 receiving national votes, but quickly jumped to No. 14 after a week and now stand at No. 5. The co-favorites to win the WCC took the conference last year with eight wins and went 13-5-1 overall falling out of the NCAA Tournament in the first round. South Field in Provo provides formidable grounds for the match averaging 4,307 a match this season. The Anteater win in 2013 came in front of 4,672 fans. BYU will also be head home from California much like the Anteaters as they play at Long Beach State Thursday night

They're packed with a pair of MAC Hermann Trophy watch-listers in Elise Flake and Mikayla Colohan. Flake has shot out to seven goals with Colohan trailing with four. Cameron Tucker registered a hat trick in their latest match winning player of the week honors. The defense of Josie Guinn, Danika Serassio, Rachel Lyman, and Alyssa Jefferson have been more than stout with Sabrina Davis collecting 17 saves behind them. BYU as a squad has not allowed a goal in the run of play, just one allowed via a penalty kick