UC Riverside
Bakersfield
Women's Soccer Now Ranked Fifth In The Region, Hosts Bakersfield Friday Evening
9/10/2014 11:11:00 AM | Women's Soccer
| Highlanders Week Four |
| vs. Bakersfield |
| September 12, at 7:00 pm |
| Live Stats Link |
| Click To Purchase Tickets |
Riverside—Following Monday's 3-0 victory over Northern Iowa, the UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team moved up to number five in the West Region—the highest ranking the program has ever received in the NSCAA poll. They put that ranking on the line this Friday, September 12 as the Highlanders welcome Bakersfield to the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium for a 7 pm PT kick off.
At 3-1-1, the Highlanders have their best record through five matches since the 2006 season when they began the year 4-1-0. With 13 goals through five matches, UC Riverside has already scored more than 50 percent of the goals that the 2008 through 2013 squads managed through the entire season.
Tyler Cunningham (3 goals, 2 assists) leads a balanced scoring attack as 10 different players have scored the Highlanders' 13 goals on the season.
Bakersfield is still searching for its first win of the season. Its lone tie came against Northern Iowa two days before UC Riverside first squared off against the Panthers. Most recently, the 'Runners dropped a 2-0 decision to Big West foe Long Beach State on Sunday. Bakersfield has scored just three goals on the season and allowed 15.
The Highlanders are 3-1-0 all-time against Bakersfield (view results), including a 2-0 victory over the Roadrunners last season (box score/recap).
| Highlanders vs. Roadrunners | |||||||||
| UC Riverside | Bakersfield | ||||||||
| 2014 Stats & Record | 3-1-1 | 0-5-1 | |||||||
| Schedule | Schedule | ||||||||
| Roster | Roster | ||||||||
| Current Streak | W 1 | L 1 | |||||||
| Last Box Score | W, 3-0 vs. Northern Iowa | L, 2-0 at Long Beach State | |||||||
| Next Opponent | at Utah Valley September 19 at 4 pm PT | at UC Santa Barbara September 14 | |||||||
| Top Scorer x x x x |  | Tyler Cunningham Junior 3 goals, 3 assists 9 points |  | Hedda Regefalk Sophomore 1 goal, 0 assists 2 points | |||||
 | Ashley Borel Sophomore 1 goal, 0 assists 2 points | ||||||||
 | Taylor French Senior 1 goal, 0 assists 2 point | ||||||||
| Top Goalkeeper x x x x |  | Elizabeth Silas Junior 5 matches 1.83 gaa, 17 saves |  | Tori Ornela Junior 5 matches 2.20 gaa, 29 saves | |||||
| Record vs. | 3-1-0 (view results) | ||||||||
| Current Streak vs. | W 2 | ||||||||
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).
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.
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 (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 (story).
FEELING A LITTLE RANK
For the first time in the history of the program, the UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team is ranked in the NSCAA West Region. The Highlanders were ranked seventh each of the first two weeks of the season before moving up to fifth following the third week of play.
HIGHLANDERS HARDWARE
Tyler Cunningham was named the Tournament Most Outstanding Player at the UNLV Rebel Classic after leading the Highlanders to a 2-0 record and the Tournament Championship (story). She scored a goal and dished out two assists on the weekend. In addition to being named Most Outstanding Player, the Fairfield, CA native was named Most Outstanding Offensive Player and to the All-Tournament Team. Alina Cheatham and Amber Marani also earned All-Tournament honors.
The Big West named Cunningham the conference Offensive Player of the Week (story), and CollegeSportsMadness.com named her the Madness Big West Women's Soccer Player of the Week (story).
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
Blanca Barrio has four assists on the season through the first five matches of the year. No member of the Highlanders has had more than three assists in a season since 2008 when Tessa Lennala recorded five. The school record is six, set by Vanessa Chanez and Amber Plumlee in 2004.
RARIFIED AIR II
At 3-1-1, the Highlanders have their best record through five matches since the 2006 season when they began the year 4-1-0.
50 MORE OR LESS
With 13 goals through five matches, UC Riverside has already scored more than 50 percent of the goals that the 2008 through 2013 squads managed through the entire season.
FOUR SCORES AND SIX YEARS AGO
The Highlanders scored four goals in a match on August 24, 2014 beating Northern Arizona by a score of 4-2. The last time UC Riverside scored four or more goals in a match was in a 4-0 win over San Jose State on September 7, 2008 (box score/recap). The last time UCR scored more than four goals in a match was in a 5-0 season-opening win over Southern Utah on August 22, 2008 (box score/recap).
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Ten different Highlanders have dented the back of the net so far in 2014. Last season, 12 players found their way into the scoring column throughout the year.
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.
