UC Riverside
Grand Canyon
Women's Soccer Opens 2014 Season With Pair Of Matches At UNLV Rebel Classic
8/19/2014 9:57:00 AM | Women's Soccer
| UNLV Rebel Classic | |
| vs. Grand Canyon | vs. Northern Arizona |
| August 22 at 4:30 pm | August 24 at 10:30 am |
| Live Stats Link | Live Stats Link |
| Live Video Link | Live VIdeo Link |
| Click To Purchase Tickets | Click To Purchase Tickets |
Las Vegas, NV—The UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team kicks off its 2014 season this weekend with a trip to Las Vegas for the UNLV Rebel Classic. While in the Entertainment Capital of the World, the Highlanders will take on Grand Canyon Friday at 4:30 pm PT, and Northern Arizona on Sunday at 10:30 am.
UCR is coming off of a season that saw the Highlanders come within a goal of advancing to their second NCAA Tournament in the program's 13-year history following a third place regular season finish in the Big West.
They return nine starters and 20 letter winners off of the 2013 squad, including junior forward Tyler Cunningham, who led UC Riverside in scoring a year ago with five goals. League coaches named her to the preseason All-Conference Team last week (full story). She also helped UCR secure its tournament berth last year by scoring both goals in the team's 2-1 victory over Long Beach State in the regular season finale (recap/box score). The conference office and College Sports Madness both honored her with player of the week accolades for her efforts.
This is the first meeting between UC Riverside and Grand Canyon. The 'Lopes made the transition to Division I a year ago going 5-12-1 overall with a 4-7-1 record in the in the WAC.
The Highlanders and Northern Arizona have met on three previous occasions resulting in a win, a loss and a tie. Last season the team's battled to a 1-1 draw at UC Riverside. Sammy Arellano scored the Highlanders lone goal in the first half, while Savannah Berry netted the equalizer in the 63rd minute for the Lumberjacks (box score/recap). NAU went 11-5 3 overall last year with a 7-2 mark in the Big Sky Conference
| Highlanders at UNLV Rebel Classic | |||||||||||
| UC Riverside | Grand Canyon | Northern Arizona | |||||||||
| 2013 Stats & Record | 8-12-2, 4-4-0 | 5-12-1 | 11-5-3 | ||||||||
| Schedule | Schedule | Schedule | |||||||||
| Roster | Roster | Roster | |||||||||
| Current Streak | T 1 | W 1 | L 1 | ||||||||
| Last Box Score | T, 1-1 at Cal State Fullerton Big West Conference Championship Cal State Fullerton advances on PKs | W, 1-0 at Bakersfield x x | L, 3-0 vs. Weber State Big Sky Semifinals x | ||||||||
| Top Returning Scorer x x x x |  | Tyler Cunningham Junior 5 goals, 0 assists 10 points |  | Cassie Beckwith Junior 4 goals, 0 assists 8 points |  | Cierra Gamble Junior 5 goals, 5 assists 15 points | |||||
| Top Returning Goalkeeper x x x x |  | Elizabeth Silas Junior 20 matches 1.27 gaa, 82 saves |  | Daryl Bradley Sophomore 1 match 0.00 gaa, 3 saves | N/A | ||||||
| Record vs. | First Meeting | 1-1-1 (View Results) | |||||||||
| Current Streak vs. | T 1 | ||||||||||
GAME NOTES
THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT
One year ago, Big West coaches picked the Highlanders to finish last in the conference. UC Riverside finished third and advanced to the Big West Championship Game before falling to Cal State Fullerton via penalty kicks. This year, Big West coaches again picked the Highlanders to finish last.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The Highlanders advanced to the Championship Match of the Big West Conference Tournament in 2013 tying Cal State Fullerton, 1-1, before falling in penalty kicks (box score/recap). This marked the second time in UC Riverside's 13-year history that the team made it to the league title game. In 2005, they dropped a 4-1 decision to those same Titans (box score/recap).
RARIFIED AIR
The 2013 Highlanders four wins in conference were the second most in the history of the program. The 2003 squad went 5-3-1 en route to a third place Big West finish, while the 2002 and 2005 teams also each won four matches.
| Season | W | L | T | Pts | Place |
| 2003 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 16 | Third |
| 2005 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 15 | Second |
| 2002 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 13 | Sixth |
| 2013 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | Third |
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Big West coaches named UC Riverside junior forward Tyler Cunningham to the preseason All-Conference Team (full story) while College Sports Madness.com selected Tyler to its Preseason All-Big West Second Team, and sophomore midfielder Sammy Arellano and junior defender Briana Thomasson to the First Team (full story).
COACH OF THE YEAR
UC Riverside Head Coach Nat Gonzalez was named the Big West Coach of the Year at the conclusion of the 2013 regular season after leading the Highlanders to a third place conference finish. Prior to the season, Big West coaches picked UC Riverside to finish last.
TWO FOR TWO
The Highlanders started the 2013 Big West season with wins in each of their first two matches. This marked the first time since the 2005 campaign that UC Riverside began a season 2-0, and the first time since that same year that the Highlanders were alone atop the conference standings. UCR finished the 2005 season with an undefeated 4-0-3 mark.
DOUBLE DIPPING
In UC Riverside's 2-1 overtime win over San Jose State on August 25 of last year, Tatum Lockett became the first Highlanders player to score two goals in a match since Tessa Lennala scored a pair at Cal State Fullerton on October 26, 2008 (box score/recap). Lockett also became the 10th UC Riverside freshmen to score two goals in the same match, and the first since Kacie McElrath and Brittany Coulter both notched a pair vs. Nevada on August 29, 2004.
Alexa Bustamante dented the back of the net twice in the same match, as her two headers accounted for all of UC Riverside's scoring in a 2-0 win over CSU Bakersfield on September 15 (box score/recap).
Tyler Cunningham supplanted Lockett and Bustamante as the most recent member of the Highlanders to record two goals in a single match when, on November 3, she found the net twice in a 2-1 victory over Long Beach State (recap/box score). That victory clinched a Big West Conference Tournament berth for the Highlanders.
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
Last season, Amber Marani became the first member of the Highlanders since Pat Brady in 2007 to record two assists in the same match. Brady assisted on a pair of goals on September 21 in a 5-1 victory over Fresno State (box score/recap). Marani was credited with her assists on September 15 in a 2-0 win over CSU Bakersfield (box score/recap).
SCORE!
The UC Riverside offense scored 24 goals in 2012, which is the most goals the team has scored since the 2008 season when they scored 32 on the year. Last season, they scored 22 in 22 matches.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Last season, 12 different Highlanders were credited with goals, which is the most since the 2007 campaign when another dozen members of the blue and gold dented the back of the net.
