WEEKLY MATCHUPS

UC Irvine Anteaters (4-2-4, 1-0 Big West) at CSUN Matadors (2-6-2, 0-0-1 Big West)
Matador Soccer Field (1,550) - Northridge, Calif.
Thursday - 7:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats

UC Irvine Anteaters (4-2-4, 1-0 Big West) at Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (4-4-1, 1-0 Big West)
Main Soccer Field (2,500) - Bakersfield, Calif.
Sunday - 1:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats

Match Notes
Promotional Schedule

COUNTER ATTACKS
24 - UCI's defense ranks top 24 in the NCAA in goals-against-average (19th) and save percentage (24th)
 
13th - Ella Colombini has 4 assists in the last 2 matches and sits 13th in the NCAA with her 6 assists this year

THROW-INS
70 - Suus de Bakker and Mihaela Perez will become the 49th and 50th 'Eaters with 70 matches as an Anteater next game
 
1,199 - 2024 Freshmen played 5,003 minutes as a collective. The 2025 Anteater freshmen have put up 1,199 minutes to this point

SET PIECES
3-2-4 - UCI finished with a 3-2-4 non-conference record including a draw with Washington and wins over Washington State and GCU
 
105th - Mirayah Villalpando played her 50th career match on Senior Day, the 105th player with 50 Anteater matches

· UC Irvine's one match was important earning all three points in their Big West opener:
+ Sunday brought a 3-1 win against winless UC Riverside. UCI scored in the first half, added a second-half penalty, and pulled away in the final minutes after the Highlanders notched just their second goal of the season to tighten things up in the 79th minute
· The week's big performance came from Ella Colombini who had a second straight two-assist match. She made crosses on the first and third goals setting them up. She now has eight career assists, and her six this season leads the Big West and is 13th-most in the nation
· Chifumi Sasaki made her first career goal count getting the scoring going on a 31st-minute rebound. Better yet, her mom was in attendance from Japan for the first time.
· Mia Colombini earned the game-winning goal, the first of her career, and her third goal of the season, coming on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute
· Trinity Morales completed the scoring with an insurance tally in the final minutes tapping home an endline cross, her fourth career goal and second with the Anteaters
· Notable milestones over the weekend including multiple players hitting 1,000 career minutes, now seven that have done so this weekend. Suus de Bakker is on the cusp of 4,000 career minutes standing 48 away entering the week
· Laurynn Ziller added another win to her account now with four. She made one save and did let a goal by missing out on her fourth shutout and the team's sixth. Her 0.57 GAA is second in the Big West, and she along with Savanna Arruda have the 'Eaters second in the Big West in GAA and save percentage while standing top 24 in the nation in each statistic

Thursday at the Matadors
· CSUN is feeling good coming off a huge 0-0 draw at Cal State Fullerton on Sunday. They also have a 2-2 draw with now-ranked Saint Mary's under their belt in addition to losses vs. common opponents Grand Canyon and San Diego as part of their 2-6-2 record
· All-time the 'Eaters have taken over the series up 13-11-5 stemming from a 5-0-1 mark in the last six meetings. The 2025 meeting was a 2-1 UCI win with both teams scoring in the first 12 minutes and Desiree Mendoza hitting a golazo free kick for the winner in the first half
· The Matadors have been led by senior forward Cailey Jackson on offense scoring four times, and sophomore Jordyn Canister has two, both going for game-winners. Keeper Riley Liebsack has been huge for them playing every minute with 37 saves and three shutouts. The Matadors enter the week tied atop the conference in cautions as a team with 14

Sunday at the Roadrunners
· Cal State Bakersfield are under new leadership and have figured things out after an 0-4 start to even their record with a 4-0-1 stretch beating Pacific, Boise State, Fresno State, and their Big West opener at UC San Diego, 1-0
· All-time, CSUB got their first two wins over UCI in 2024 by 1-0 counts including in the Big West First Round. Prior, UCI had been 3-0-1 including a 5-1 win in their last trip to Bakersfield in 2024
· The Roadrunners have found their offensive spark behind seniors Natalie O'Sullivan and Cynthia Ramirez with three goals each. Keeper Kamy Anaya looks to keep UCI scoreless as she did last year, and has started 2025 strong allowing eight goals in nine matches and stopping 81% of shots for 34 saves and a pair of shutouts