Friday, August 31
Irvine, CA
4:30 pm
UC Riverside
vs
Detroit-Mercy
Photo by: Anthony C. Porta
UC Riverside Men's Soccer Travels To Irvine For UCI Invitational
8/29/2012 10:40:00 AM | Men's Soccer
| UCI Invitational Web Site | Live Stats | Purchase Tickets |
Irvine, CA—The UC Riverside Men’s Soccer Team takes on Detroit-Mercy in Irvine, CA this Friday, August 31 as part of the 2012 UCI Invitational. Kick off is slated for 4:30 pm PT. The Highlanders final match of the invitational is on Sunday, September 2 at 2 pm against Long Island. (Watch The Preseason Preview Video)
UCR began its season with two shutouts last weekend on the road against Marist (box score/recap) and Iona (box score/recap).
This marks just the second time in the 12-year Division I history of the program that the Highlanders have won consecutive matches to start a season. UC Riverside also opened the 2007 campaign with a 2-0 mark upending Central Arkansas 3-2 on September 1 (box score/recap) and 21st-ranked San Diego State 2-0 on September 4 (box score/recap). Both of those wins came on the road as well.
The Big West took notice of UCR’s success naming Highlanders freshman goalkeeper Ashkan Khosravi the conference defensive player of the week (story).
This is the first meeting ever between the Highlanders and either the Titans or Blackbirds. Detroit-Mercy heads west carrying a 1-1 record dropping its season opener, 2-0, at IUPUI, and defeating IPFW, 3-0, at home.
Long Island enters the weekend with an 0-2 mark after losing a 1-0, double-overtime decision at George Washington, and falling 3-0 at George Mason
| Highlanders vs. Titans & Blackbirds Match Capsules | |||
| UC Riverside | Detroit | Long Island | |
|
2012 Record & Stats |
2-0-0 | 1-1-0 | 0-2-0 |
| Schedule | Schedule | Schedule | |
| Roster | Roster | Roster | |
| Conference | Big West | Horizon | Northeast |
| Current Streak | W 2 | W 1 | L 2 |
|
Most Recent Box Score |
W, 1-0 at Iona |
W, 3-0 at IPFW |
L, 3-0 at George Mason |
| Next Opponent |
9/9 at UNLV |
9/7 at Buffalo |
9/8 vs Rider |
|
Top Scorer |
4 Tied 1 gls, 0 asts 2pts |
 Lepera Senior 2 gls, 0 asts 4 pts |
 Johnson Senior 10 shots |
|
Top Keeper |
 Khosravi Freshman 2 matches 7 svs, 0.00 gaa |
 Steinwascher Sophomore 2 matches 7 svs, 1.00 gaa |
 Stockie Senior 1 match 3 svs, 0.84 gaa |
|
All-Time Record vs. |
0-0-0 First Meeting |
0-0-0 First Meeting |
|
| Current Streak | N/A | N/A | |
GAME NOTES
UNDEFEATED
UC Riverside won its first two matches in 2012 tying the 2007 squad as the only other men's soccer team during the Highlanders Division I era to start a season 2-0.
That 2007 streak was stopped the following match on September 7 when UCR dropped a 2-1 overtime decision at Mercer (box score).
FIRING BLANKS
The last time the Highlanders recorded consecutive shutouts was October 10 and 13, 2007 when they blanked Cal State Fullerton 1-0 and played to a scoreless tie at Cal State Northridge.
UC Riverside has never recorded three straight shutouts.
UCR's Division I era record for consecutive shutout minutes is 256:02 spanning four matches from October 7 to October 18, 2006.
The fewest goals UC Riverside has ever allowed in its first two matches of the season prior to 2012 is two on three occasions (2003, 04, 07).
The Highlanders only recorded three shutouts in all of 2011.
The team record for shutouts in a season is six set in 2006.
POSTSEASON PLAY
The Highlanders advanced to their first-ever Big West Tournament last year, setting Division I era records for wins in the process. They were shut out of the NCAA Tournament, however, despite an RPI of 39.
RPI
The Highlanders rose to as high as 30th in the nation a year ago based on the NCAA's RPI rankings which is the highest the program has ever been ranked.
HEADED TO THE POLLS
Following two road wins on the east coast to start the year, UCR finds itself receiving six votes in the Soccer Times Poll and three in the NSCAA Poll—the most votes the Highlanders have received in either poll in their Division I history.
Last season marked the first time UC Riverside received votes in either poll picking up a single vote in the Soccer Times Poll on October 31, and one vote in the NSCAA Poll on November 15.
MEAT IN THE SEATS
Attendance at UC Riverside home matches in 2011 was already up before a crowd of 2,016 saw the team upset #7 UC Santa Barbara on October 28, 2011 by a 3-1 score.
That total more than tripled the previous benchmark of 638 set on November 3, 2010 in a 1-0 win over UC Davis. It also pushed UCR's season attendance past the previous program record of 3,036 set in 2010.
At the next home match, the Highlanders had 852 in attendance—the second highest total in school history—as they squared off against #7 UC Irvine. UCR finished the year averaging a program best 773 fans per contest..
FEELING A LITTLE RANK
The Highlanders 3-1 win over #7 UC Santa Barbara on September 28, 2011 was the program's third win against a ranked opponent in the 10-plus year Division I history of the program. A few weeks later, they picked up their fourth-ever win against top-25 competition as they beat #15 UCSB, 3-2 on the road. And on October 29, they added a third win over a ranked opponent upsetting #9 UC Irvine on the road, 3-2.
UC Riverside's first win against a ranked opponent was a 2-0 decision at #21 San Diego State on September 4, 2007. They followed that up with a 2-1 victory over #7 UC Davis on October 18, 2008.
A NEW SET OF GOALS
Last season, senior Cesar Diaz-Pizarro scored 32.1 percent (9 of 28) of the team's goals, leaving the Highlanders in need of some replacement scoring for 2012.
POSTSEASON HARDWARE
Cesar Diaz-Pizarro was named Big West Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2011, and Junior Gonzalez earned Coach of the Year honors.
Diaz-Pizarro finished his UC Riverside career ranked first or second in a number of key offensive categories.
Career Points
| 57 | Luc Harrington | 23 goals, 11 assists | 2001-04 |
| 48 | Cesar Diaz Pizarro | 20 goals, 8 assists | 2008-11 |
Career Goals
| 23 | Luc Harrington | 2001-04 |
| 20 | Cesar Diaz Pizarro | 2008-11 |
Career Game-Winning Goals
| 8 | Cesar Diaz Pizarro | 2008-11 |
| 7 | Luc Harrington | 2001-04 |
Single Season Points
| 22 | Luc Harrington | 9 goals, 4 assists | 2004 |
| 21 | Cesar Diaz Pizarro | 9 goals, 3 assists | 2011 |
Single Season Goals
| 9 | Cesar Diaz PIzarro | 2011 |
| 9 | Luc Harrington | 2004 |
| 9 | Scott Barnett | 2004 |
Single Season Game-Winning Goals
| 4 | Cesar Diaz Pizarro | 2011 |
| 3 | Three Occasions |
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
The Highlanders recorded 25 assists during the 2010 season which is the most in the Division I history of the program. They tied that mark in 2011.
| Single-Season Team Assists | ||
| 25 | 2010 | |
| 25 | 2011 | |
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
UC Riverside's 28 goals in 2012 tied the program's Division I era record originally set by the 2004 squad.
| Single-Season Team Goals | ||
| 28 | 2004 | |
| 28 | 2011 | |
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
With a pair of wins in Florida on September 23 and 25 of 2011, the Highlanders improved their non-conference record on the year to 5-2-1 which gave them the most non-conference wins in the history of the program and just the second winning record during their non-conference season during the team's Division I history (2007, 3-2-2).
HOME COOKING
The Highlanders ran their Division I-era, program-record home unbeaten streak to six matches on September 28, 2011 with a 3-1 win over #7 UC Santa Barbara. That streak came to an end on October 12 with a loss to the #7 ranked UC Irvine Anteaters.
DON'T LOOK ETHEL!
UC Riverside ran its overall unbeaten streak to six matches with a 3-1 upset victory over #7 UC Santa Barbara on September 28, 2011. The streak came to an end on October 1 in a 1-0 loss at UC Davis. It is the longest unbeaten streak in the Division I history of the program.
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