NCAA TOURNAMENT

UC Irvine Anteaters (11-3-6, 4-0-5 Big West) at Denver Pioneers (11-7-2, 4-11 Summit League)
University of Denver Soccer Stadium (1,915) - Denver, Colo.
Thursday - 2:00 PM PT | ESPN+ | Live Stats | NCAA Bracket

Match Notes
NCAA Bracket

COUNTER ATTACKS
2.95 - UCI's defense has faced 15 less shots on goal than any other Big West school at 2.95 SOG allowed per match
20:20 - UCI trailed for a total of 20:20 during their unbeaten streak of 11 matches (6-0-5), and held the lead for 438:56

THROW-INS
3rd - Head Coach Yossi Raz earned Big West Coach of the Year for a 3rd time, 9th in program history for an Anteater coach
11 - UCI's 11-match unbeaten streak ties a program record also done in 2008 (8-0-3) and 2010 (8-0-3), and longest under Raz

SET PIECES
8th - UC Irvine men's soccer makes its 8th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, 6th via Big West automatic qualifier
6th - The 'Eaters shared the 2025 Big West regular season title, the program's 6th and 3rd under head coach Yossi Raz

· UC Irvine weathered the elements and emerged victorious in the 2025 Big West Final:
+ The rain fell for the full 90 minutes in the clash at UC Santa Barbara. UC Irvine rained home goals in the 27th and 46th minutes before conceding in the 66th minute. The 'Eaters saw six second-half shots saved, and withstood the Gauchos chances to hold on for the title, 2-1
+ Senior defender and captain Nolan DiCenzo was named Big West Championship MVP joining past honorees Oscar Cervantes, Enrique Cardenas, Miguel Ibarra, Carlos Aguilar, and Andrew Fontein. He also earned a spot on the inaugural All-Tournament Team alongside teammates Travis Babineau, Isaac Powell, and Brady Treinen
· Last week's big performer was Santa Barbara's own Travis Babineau who curled in a magnificent free kick for UCI's first goal and provided the assist on UCI's second in front of friends and family.
· Hunny Yoo also picked up the game-winning goal Friday, his first career Division I goal and goal as an Anteater scoring 40 second after halftime. That gives him six points to go with four assists
· The Anteaters are on their second unbeaten streak of six or more matches this year currently sitting at 11 unbeaten (6-0-5) that ties a program record set twice and marks the longest under head coach Yossi Raz. They also drew four straight to begin Big West play, a program record. UCI stayed unbeaten at home (9-0-3), on weekends (4-0-3), games decided by one goal (7-0), when scoring first in the match (11-0-4), and when holding a halftime lead (7-0-4).
· From UCI's last NCAA trip in 2023, three players return including starters Nolan DiCenzo and Brady Treinen, reserve Agaton Pourshahidi, and six others that were on the roster

NCAA Tournament History
· The Anteaters are back to the NCAAs for an eighth time in program history, third time under head coach Yossi Raz, and second time in the last three years
· All-time, UCI has a 4-7-1 mark in NCAA matches reaching the Second Round six times with their first First Round loss coming in their most recent trip in 2023. Advancing past Thursday's First Round matchup would send UCI to No. 8 National Seed Portland to play on Sunday
· UCI's postseason success has seen them reach the Sweet Sixteen on three occasions in their first-ever trip in 2008 and in back-to-back years in 2013 and 2014 which included a win over No. 1 Stanford in overtime of the 2014 NCAA Second Round

Thursday at the Pioneers
· Denver earned their spot with a Summit League Tournament title to go with a regular season championship going 11-7-2 overall. They are no stranger to the tournament having reached the College Cup just last season and are now back for an eighth straight trip, 12th in the last 13 seasons, and 15th overall appearance with this their seventh time hosting an NCAA opener
· All-time, UCI has the advantage at 4-1-1. Recently, UCI has one-goal wins on neutral sites, first in 2014 at San Diego and in 2017 in Albuquerque, both defeating ranked Denver teams
· The Pioneers are led by leading scorer and Summit Player of the Year, Kyle McGowan, with nine goals while also sporting the defender player of the year, Trevor Wright, and now three-time Goalkeeper of the Year, Isaac Nehme, for a team averaging 1.7 goals per match and allowing 1.3