COUNTER ATTACKS
3 - All 3 forwards put in a goal Saturday including 3 straight games with a goal for Gonzalez and de Lorijn's first goal & GWG
 
66:17 - UCI's Saturday win came while down a man for 66:17 and scoring all three of their goals while at 10 men

THROW-INS
123 - 'Eater field players have played 123 minutes in goal this year - Abraham Brown at UCR, Braden Ferreira vs. UCSB
5 - UC Irvine has had 5 goalkeepers including walk-on Paul Jing and two field players with zero previous GK experience, and three have earned wins

SET PIECES
#1 - Mario Anaya remains from coach Raz's #1-ranked recruiting class of 2019 with 7 of those class members gone on to play pro
1st - UC Irvine was picked 1st in the Preseason Big West Coaches' Poll with All-Big West honorees Winum, Montanile, and Pruter

 
· UC Irvine went 1-0-1 last week starting with a come-from-behind draw Wednesday at Cal Poly, 1-1, and a challenging 3-1 home win Saturday against Sacramento State
Þ  Misael Gonzalez contributed in each match and has now scored in three consecutive games
Þ  Isaac Powell stepped in on defense with recent injuries and suspensions for the 'Eaters, and he's helped toward the four-match unbeaten streak with the backline and provided two assists in Saturday's win
Þ  Danny de Lorijn got his first UCI goal as the game-winner on Saturday. He also set up the equalizer Wednesday
Þ  UCI incurred a red card in the 24th minute of a 0-0 match Saturday, and proceeded to win, 3-1, with 10 men
· UC Irvine's goalkeeping odyssey this season has been worth a rundown. As a unit, five different 'Eaters have played minutes in goal pushing the team to its 7-7-2 record, four shutouts, a 1.25 GAA, and 69 total saves:
Þ  Luke Pruter has returned for the last two matches. Around two injury stints, Pruter is 2-2-1 this year with a shutout and collected 17 saves. He stands in UCI's top 10 with 18 wins, 13 shutouts, and 160 saves in 50 matches
Þ  Alex Shields filled in admirably for six matches winning twice, posting an eight-save match vs. USD, facing two ranked squads, and all in his first collegiate minutes. His season ended on September 21 when he tore his meniscus in the 17th minute vs. Utah Tech, but played the full 90 minutes for the win with a pair of saves.
Þ  Paul Jing was a regular student when the season started before joining the squad September 2. He stepped in following all the injuries and picked up three wins, all shutouts, and 17 saves in a total of 328 minutes culminating in a Big West Defensive Player of the Week award on October 21
Þ  UC Irvine dipped into the field player pool with substitute and defender Abraham Brown at UC Riverside and midfielder Braden Ferreira starting vs. #23 UCSB after Jing's red card ejection and suspension. The duo stopped eight shots in  a pair of 1-0 defeats with neither playing any goalkeeper minutes at the club level

Saturday at the Tritons
· UC Irvine and UC San Diego play in the regular season finale in La Jolla. All-time, UCI leads the series 8-7-2, and are 3-0 in matches since UCSD became Division I and joined the Big West.
· The 2023 matchup was a 3-1 UCI victory in that season's finale. Ricardo Ibarra scored twice to put UCI up 2-0, and Oscar Cervantes put it away in the 57th minute. Luke Pruter made six saves.
· The Tritons are reeling with three straight losses to put them 4-9-4 and on the outside looking in for the postseason at nine points. They have thrived on home field with a 4-4-1 record. The wealth has been spread around with five players scoring multiple goals led by Max Carvalho's four. UCSD is averaging 10 shots a game, least in the Big West, and this matchup features the two teams that commit the least fouls. Nolan Premack in goal is the nation's leader in minutes played, and his 65 saves is 13th in the NCAA, second in Big West

Breaking Down The Big West
· The Big West Championship picture is still a fairly jumbled mess. Two teams have clinched a spot, one has been eliminated, seven teams are battling for the four remaining spots, and five schools still have an opportunity to win at least a share of the Big West title and earn the 1-seed in the postseason
· The Anteaters are in a prime position on 13 points and tied for third place. In the tight Big West standings, UCI still can win the title and finish first, and they can still miss out on the postseason altogether. Any point will get the 'Eaters into the tournament and almost certainly guarantee a home game to start it off.
· UCI's title chances are also within reach. A win coupled with a UCSB draw or loss and a CSUB draw or loss will give UCI at least a share of the title. The only path to the 1-seed is a win, UCSB loss, and CSUB vs. CP draw
· Even an Anteater loss could mean postseason soccer. A number of outcomes can lead to that while one path would end UC Irvine's season Saturday: UCI loss + CSF win or draw + UCD win + UCR win