Sunday, September 9
Las Vegas, NV
4:30 pm
UC Riverside
at
UNLV
Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta
UC Riverside Men's Soccer Puts Undefeated Record On The Line At UNLV
9/5/2012 10:25:00 AM | Men's Soccer
| Sept. 9 | 4:30 pm | at UNLV | Live Stats | Purchase Tickets |
Las Vegas, NV—The UC Riverside Men’s Soccer Team travels to UNLV this Sunday, September 9 at 4:30 pm PT, putting its undefeated record on the line in the last of five straight road matches to start the season (Watch The Preseason Preview Video). This marks the first time in the 12-year Division I history of the program that the Highlanders have begun the year 4-0.
UC RIverside has allowed just one goal on the year, as Detroit-Mercy broke through the UCR defenses in a 2-1 decision at last weekend's UCI Invitational (box score/recap). The Highlanders bounced back the following match against Long Island with the team's third shutout of the season in a 4-0 win (box score/recap).
Offensively, UC Riverside owns one of the most balanced attacks in the nation with eight different players responsible for their nine scores.
The Highlanders are 4-3 overall against the Rebels, but have won four of the last five matches including a 2-1 victory on September 16 of last year (box score/recap).
UNLV is 0-3-1 entering this weekend's matches after spending the first two weeks of the season on the road in the Golden State. Two of those defeats were to Big West Conference foes (1-0 at UC Davis and 2-1 in overtime at Cal State Fullerton). The Rebels host another Big West rival, Cal State Northridge, this Friday, September 7.
| Highlanders vs. Rebels Match Capsules | ||
| UC Riverside | UNLV | |
| 2012 Record & Stats | 4-0-0 | 0-3-1 |
| Schedule | Schedule | |
| Roster | Roster | |
| Conference | Big West | Mountain West |
| Current Streak | W 4 | L 1 |
|
Most Recent Box Score |
W, 4-0 vs. Long Island |
L, 2-1 at Cal State Fullerton |
| Next Opponent |
Sept. 14 vs. North Florida |
Sept. 16 vs. Canisius |
| Top Scorer |
 Long Junior 2 gls, 0 asts 4 pts  Garcia Junior 1 gls, 2 asts 4 pts |
 Rivas Junior 2 gls, 0 asts 4 pts |
|
Top Keeper |
 Khosravi Freshman 4 matches 13 svs, 0.25 gaa |
 Vitale Junior 4 matches 9 svs, 1.37 gaa |
|
All-Time Record vs. |
4-3-0 (Results) |
|
| Current Streak | W 1 | |
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). The 2012 version of the Highlanders is now 4-0 on the year.
HEADED TO THE POLLS
Following two road wins on the east coast to start the year, UCR found itself receiving six votes in the Soccer Times Poll and three in the NSCAA Poll—the most votes the Highlanders had received in either poll in their Division I history.
UC Riverside's stock continued to rise following a second undefeated weekend as both the Soccer Times (9 votes) and the NSCAA (25 votes) have the Highlanders ranked 32nd in the nation.
Last year 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.
FIRING BLANKS
The last time the Highlanders recorded consecutive shutouts, prior to the first two matches of the 2012 season, 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.
The Highlanders broke the progam's Division I era record for consecutive shutout minutes by holding the opposition scoreless for 290 minutes and eight second spanning four matches and dating back to the end of the 2011 season
The Highlanders already have three shutouts in 2012 after recording three shutouts in all of 2011. The team record for shutouts in a season is six set in 2006.
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.
UCR has used a balanced attack thus far on the offensive side of the pitch as eight different players are responible for the Highlanders nine goals on the season.
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.
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.
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, and already have eight assists in four matches in 2012.
| Single-Season Team Assists | ||
| 25 | 2010 | |
| 25 | 2011 | |
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
UC Riverside's 28 goals in 2011 tied the program's Division I era record originally set by the 2004 squad. The Highlanders have 10 goals in just four matches so far in 2012.
| Single-Season Team Goals | ||
| 28 | 2004 | |
| 28 | 2011 | |
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
With four non-conference wins to start the 2012 season, the Highlanders are just one victory away from tying the program record for non-conference wins in a season set a year ago. In 2011, UC Riverside finished the season with a 5-2-1 record against non-Big West opponents which gave the Highlanders just their 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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