Thursday, September 1
Riverside, CA
7:00 PM
UC Riverside
vs
Sacramento State
Photo by: UCR Athletics Media Relations
Men's Soccer Opens Home Season With Thursday Tilt vs. Sacramento State
8/30/2011 3:21:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Riverside—Following a season-opening loss at CSU Bakersfield, the UC Riverside Men's Soccer Team returns home this Thursday, September 1 to host Sacramento State at 7 pm PT. Fans who are unable to attend the match may follow along on their computers and select mobile devices via LiveStats.
Sacramento State is coming off of an 11-5-7 season that saw them advance to the NCAA Tournament and top Santa Clara, 2-1, before falling to eighth-ranked UCLA. The Hornets are currently members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, but will become an associate member of the Big West Conference beginning with the 2012 season.
Sac State opened the season with a 1-0 road win over Loyola Marymount—the same team the Highlanders play next on their schedule on Friday, September 9.
UCR and the Hornets have met on six previous occasions with Sacramento State owning a 2-1-3 advantage. Most recently, the Highlanders dropped a 1-0 decision to Sac State on the road on September 4, 2009.
GAME NOTES
TAKING OFFENSE
The Highlanders scored 22 goals during the 2008 season but managed just 12 in 2009. The team returned its top four point scorers from 2009, however, and scored 23 goals in 2010.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
UC Riverside freshman forward Ruben Valencia was named Big West Conference Men's Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Week on October 25 for his efforts in the Highlanders 3-2 win over Cal State Fullerton on October 20. With the match tied at one in the second half, the Fontana, CA native scored his second goal of the season in the 56th minute of play. A mere 34 seconds later, he made it 3-1 UC Riverside with his third goal in two matches.
Cesar Diaz joined Valencia as a Player of the Week honoree on November 1 for his efforts in the Highlanders 2-1 win over Cal State Northridge and 2-1 loss to seventh-ranked UC Irvine. The Chino, CA native scored two goals on the week including the game-winner against Cal State Northridge. The win was the Highlanders first ever over the Matadors in 19 matches. Diaz's first goal of the week came against UC Irvine, and staked the Highlanders to an early 1-0 lead. UCR picked up a red card shortly thereafter, however, and was forced to play a man down for the final two thirds of the match which resulted in a 2-1 Anteaters victory.
STREAK REMOVER
UC Riverside's 3-2 win over Cal State Fullerton on October 20, 2010 ended a 21-match conference winless streak for the Highlanders. It was also UC Riverside's first road win in conference since a 2-1 victory over the Titans on October 10, 2007— a span of 16 matches.
STREAK REMOVER II
UC Riverside's 2-1 win over Cal State Northridge in 2010 was the Highlanders first-ever win over the Matadors in 19 tries.
STREAK REMOVER III
The Highlanders road wins last season (3-2 at Cal State Fullerton and 2-1 at Cal State Northridge) were the team's first back-to-back road victories since the end of the 2005 season.
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
UC Riverside’s Arnie Sanchez recorded 5 assists on the year—the third most in the Division I history of the program.
LENDING A HELPING FOOT II
The Highlanders recorded 25 assists during the 2010 season which is the most in the Division I history of the program.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
The Highlanders' three goals against UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 17, 2010 were the most they have scored in a Big West Conference match since a 5-0 win over Cal Poly on November 4, 2005. The seven combined goals in the 4-3 Gauchos win were the most in a Big West Conference match in 2010 and the most since UC Irvine topped Cal State Fullerton by a 4-3 decision on November 2, 2005. The last time a Big West match featured more than seven goals was on October 17, 2004 when UC Riverside upended Cal Poly, 5-4.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION II
UC Riverside's 23 goals in 2010 are the second most in the Division I history of the program.
A PAIR OF THREES
UC Riverside scored three goals in consecutive matches on October 17 and 20, 2011 against UCSB and Cal State Fullerton respectively. The last time they did that was on September 12 and 14 of 2008 against Oral Roberts and Gonzaga respectively. It is the first time UCR has scored three goals in consecutive Big West Conference matches in the 10-year history of the program.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Joel Garcia and Aaron Long each scored 2 goals in the Highlanders 5-0 win over Alabama A&M on September 4, 2010 tying the team record for individual goals in a match. It was the first time in the Division I history of the program that two players scored multiple goals in the same match.
GOLDEN GOAL
The Highlanders 2-1 overtime win over Cal State Northridge in 2010 was the team's first OT win since November 12, 2005 at Cal State Fullerton—a span of 20 matches (0-7-13).
CLOSE CALLS
The Highlanders lost nine matches during the 2009 season by one goal, and eight of their 11 losses in 2010 were by just one goal.
Sacramento State is coming off of an 11-5-7 season that saw them advance to the NCAA Tournament and top Santa Clara, 2-1, before falling to eighth-ranked UCLA. The Hornets are currently members of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, but will become an associate member of the Big West Conference beginning with the 2012 season.
Sac State opened the season with a 1-0 road win over Loyola Marymount—the same team the Highlanders play next on their schedule on Friday, September 9.
UCR and the Hornets have met on six previous occasions with Sacramento State owning a 2-1-3 advantage. Most recently, the Highlanders dropped a 1-0 decision to Sac State on the road on September 4, 2009.
| Highlanders vs. Hornets Match Capsule | ||
| UC Riverside |
Sacramento State |
|
|
2010 Record & Stats |
6-11-1, 3-7-0 |
11-5-7, 2-2-6 |
|
2011 Record & Stats |
0-1-0 |
1-0-0 |
| 2011 Schedule | 2011 Schedule | |
| 2011 Roster |
2011 Roster |
|
| Conference | Big West |
MPSF |
| Current Streak |
L 2 |
W 1 |
|
Most Recent Box Score |
L, 5-1 at CSU Bakersfield |
W, 1-0 at Loyola Marymount |
| Next Opponent |
September 9 at Loyola Marymount |
September 4 vs. San Francisco |
| Top Scorer |
 CesarDiaz Pizzaro Senior 1 gl, 0 asts 2 pts |
 Bettencourt Senior 1 gl, 0 asts 2 pts |
|
Top Keeper |
 Suppé Senior 1 match 2.00 gaa, 2 svs |
 Castillo Sophomore 1 match 0.00 gaa, 4 svs |
|
All-Time Record vs. Sacramento State |
1-2-3 (View All-Time Results) |
|
| Current Streak Against |
L 1 |
|
GAME NOTES
TAKING OFFENSE
The Highlanders scored 22 goals during the 2008 season but managed just 12 in 2009. The team returned its top four point scorers from 2009, however, and scored 23 goals in 2010.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
UC Riverside freshman forward Ruben Valencia was named Big West Conference Men's Soccer Co-Offensive Player of the Week on October 25 for his efforts in the Highlanders 3-2 win over Cal State Fullerton on October 20. With the match tied at one in the second half, the Fontana, CA native scored his second goal of the season in the 56th minute of play. A mere 34 seconds later, he made it 3-1 UC Riverside with his third goal in two matches.
Cesar Diaz joined Valencia as a Player of the Week honoree on November 1 for his efforts in the Highlanders 2-1 win over Cal State Northridge and 2-1 loss to seventh-ranked UC Irvine. The Chino, CA native scored two goals on the week including the game-winner against Cal State Northridge. The win was the Highlanders first ever over the Matadors in 19 matches. Diaz's first goal of the week came against UC Irvine, and staked the Highlanders to an early 1-0 lead. UCR picked up a red card shortly thereafter, however, and was forced to play a man down for the final two thirds of the match which resulted in a 2-1 Anteaters victory.
STREAK REMOVER
UC Riverside's 3-2 win over Cal State Fullerton on October 20, 2010 ended a 21-match conference winless streak for the Highlanders. It was also UC Riverside's first road win in conference since a 2-1 victory over the Titans on October 10, 2007— a span of 16 matches.
STREAK REMOVER II
UC Riverside's 2-1 win over Cal State Northridge in 2010 was the Highlanders first-ever win over the Matadors in 19 tries.
STREAK REMOVER III
The Highlanders road wins last season (3-2 at Cal State Fullerton and 2-1 at Cal State Northridge) were the team's first back-to-back road victories since the end of the 2005 season.
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
UC Riverside’s Arnie Sanchez recorded 5 assists on the year—the third most in the Division I history of the program.
| Single-Season Individual Assists | ||
| 8 | Juan Gutierrez | 2002 |
| 7 | Randy Poggio | 2005 |
| 5 | Arnie Sanchez | 2010 |
| 5 | Andrew Villalobos | 2006 |
LENDING A HELPING FOOT II
The Highlanders recorded 25 assists during the 2010 season which is the most in the Division I history of the program.
| Single-Season Team Assists | ||
| 25 | 2010 | |
| 22 | 2004 | |
| 20 | 2005 | |
| 20 | 2003 | |
| 20 | 2002 | |
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
The Highlanders' three goals against UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 17, 2010 were the most they have scored in a Big West Conference match since a 5-0 win over Cal Poly on November 4, 2005. The seven combined goals in the 4-3 Gauchos win were the most in a Big West Conference match in 2010 and the most since UC Irvine topped Cal State Fullerton by a 4-3 decision on November 2, 2005. The last time a Big West match featured more than seven goals was on October 17, 2004 when UC Riverside upended Cal Poly, 5-4.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION II
UC Riverside's 23 goals in 2010 are the second most in the Division I history of the program.
| Single-Season Team Goals | ||
| 28 | 2004 | |
| 23 | 2010 | |
| 22 | 2008 | |
| 22 | 2007 | |
A PAIR OF THREES
UC Riverside scored three goals in consecutive matches on October 17 and 20, 2011 against UCSB and Cal State Fullerton respectively. The last time they did that was on September 12 and 14 of 2008 against Oral Roberts and Gonzaga respectively. It is the first time UCR has scored three goals in consecutive Big West Conference matches in the 10-year history of the program.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Joel Garcia and Aaron Long each scored 2 goals in the Highlanders 5-0 win over Alabama A&M on September 4, 2010 tying the team record for individual goals in a match. It was the first time in the Division I history of the program that two players scored multiple goals in the same match.
GOLDEN GOAL
The Highlanders 2-1 overtime win over Cal State Northridge in 2010 was the team's first OT win since November 12, 2005 at Cal State Fullerton—a span of 20 matches (0-7-13).
CLOSE CALLS
The Highlanders lost nine matches during the 2009 season by one goal, and eight of their 11 losses in 2010 were by just one goal.
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