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Matt Brown

Big West Season Heats Up vs. UC Davis, at Long Beach State

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WEEKLY MATCHUPS


UC Irvine Anteaters (5-3-4, 2-1 Big West) vs. UC Davis Aggies (2-5-4, 0-1-1 Big West)
Anteater Stadium (2,500) - Irvine, Calif.
Thursday - 6:00 PM | Live Stats

UC Irvine Anteaters (5-3-4, 2-1 Big West) at Long Beach State Beach (3-4-2, 0-0-1 Big West)
George Allen Field (2,000) - Long Beach, Calif.
Sunday - 6:00 PM | ESPN+ | Live Stats

Match Notes
Promotional Schedule

COUNTER ATTACKS
19 - UCI's defense ranked top 19 in the NCAA in goals-against-average (13th) and save percentage (19th) entering the week
6 - Ella Colombini's 6 assists have her tied for first in the Big West and are 36th-most in the NCAA

THROW-INS
70 - Suus de Bakker and Mihaela Perez each hit 70 career matches played Thursday, the 49th and 50th Anteaters to do so
1,346 - 2024 Freshmen played 5,003 minutes as a collective. The 2025 Anteater freshmen have put up 1,346 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
106th - Ella Colombini will become the 106th Anteater to 50 career matches standing two away entering the week

· UC Irvine produced a split on the road at CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield:
+ The week opened Thursday at CSUN with a 1-0 loss to the Matadors who came in 2-6-2 and winless at home. The 'Eaters were denied on multiple shots on goal and hit the crossbar once while CSUN netted a corner kick in the 61st minute to come away with all three points
+ Sunday at Cal State Bakersfield got UCI back on the winning side as Trinity Morales made a steal, drew the defense, and fed a wide open Mia Colombini to put it away in the 17th minute in a 1-0 victory over the Roadrunners dishing them their first home loss
· The week's big performance goes to Laurynn Ziller despite a 1-1 week. She faced four shots on goal and stopped three of them including a spectacular leaping save in the final minutes at CSUB. Ziller is up to 26 saves and a 0.55 goals-against-average for four shutouts
· Mia Colombini had UCI's lone goal on the week giving her four this year and nine points, both tops on the team. Her last two goals have accounted for game-winners, the first two of her career. She's up to five career goals and 12 points.
· Trinity Morales put up her first Anteater assist on Colombini's goal, the fourth of her career
· Anteater goalkeeping is 13th in the NCAA with a .500 GAA, Laurynn Ziller individually is 21st
· Notable milestones begin with Suus de Bakker eclipsing 4,000 career minutes. Trinity Morales also made the 50th start of her career between UCI and Oregon. A few others are approaching with Mihaela Perez two starts from 60, and Ella Colombini will reach 50 matches as an Anteater with two more which would make her the 106th Anteater with 50 or more and second this season joining Mirayah Villalpando who did so on September 14

Thursday vs. the Aggies
· UC Davis is under new management this year with Kat Mertz and the team at 2-5-4 to this point. Conference play opened with a tough slate picking up a draw vs. UCSB and one-goal loss to Cal Poly. Non-conference results included a one-goal loss at LSU and 2-0 win at Sac State.
· All-time, UC Davis has taken over the series lead at 12-11-6 following a win in 2023 and 2-2 draw in Davis last year. The 'Eaters erased a two-goal deficit in that one thanks in large part to an Aggie red card in the 60th minute while UC Davis led 2-0
· The Aggies have followed behind Preseason All-Big West Genavieve Fontes and her three goals. Sydney Bushman (2 G) and Sarah Canavan (3 A) have been big contributors. Junior keeper Cat Pieper has made every start and hung in there with 33 saves and a save percentage of 82.5% picking up six or more saves four times this year

Sunday at Long Beach State
· Long Beach State has had some time to watch the Big West battle it out around them having last played September 18 in a 0-0 draw vs. Hawai'i. Their overall season has them 3-4-2 with a grueling schedule of losses to Texas, Washington, Portland, and UCLA along with a draw to USD. They play at Riverside prior to Sunday as they will not have a day off the rest of the way
· All-time, the 'Eaters have taken over the series at 15-9-10 overall. A scoreless draw last year at UC Irvine made it seven straight unbeaten for UCI in the series going 3-0-4 since 2019
· LBSU get offense from Cherrie Cox (4 G, 2 A) and newcomers Radisson Banks (3 G, 2 A) and Natelle El Mokbel (2 G, 2 GWG) of their 13 goals. They are deadly accurate as well with seven shots on goal per match while averaging 12.56 shots, a shooting percentage of 55.7%
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