UC Riverside
USC (#17)
#17 USC, Home Opener vs. Northern Iowa Up Next For Undefeated Women's Soccer
9/4/2014 3:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer
| Highlanders at USC, vs. Northern Iowa | |
| at USC | vs. Northern Iowa |
| September 5, at 4:00 pm | September 7 at 12:00 pm |
| Live Stats Link | Live Stats Link |
| Watch Live on Pac-12 Network | |
| Click To Purchase Tickets | Click To Purchase Tickets |
Los Angeles, CA—The UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team puts its undefeated record on the line this weekend as they travel to #17 USC on Friday before returning home for the team's season opener, Sunday, against Northern Iowa.
The Highlanders remained among the ranks of the unbeaten last weekend despite allowing a penalty kick on a controversial foul called in the second half at San Diego State. What appeared to be a clean slide tackle in the UC Riverside box by Amber Marani was instead ruled a foul after the center judge conferred with his linesman. The subsequent score gave the Aztecs a 2-1 lead, but the Highlanders' Celina Valencia countered with a goal in the 71st minute to secure the tie (box score/recap).
For the second straight week, the Highlanders find themselves ranked seventh in the West Region. This marks the first time in the 14-year history of the program, that the team has been ranked in the region by the NSCAA.
The Trojans moved up the Soccer America Top-25 poll this week as victories over #10 Notre Dame and Iowa State propelled them to number 17 in the nation. USC has given up just three goals in four matches this season, and six different Trojans have scored their seven goals on the year.
After splitting a pair of 1-0 matches in the season's first week, Northern Iowa dropped a pair against Green Bay (3-1) and #19 Wisconsin (3-0) allowing six goals on the weekend.
This is the first meeting between UC Riverside and both USC and Northern Iowa.
| Highlanders vs. Trojans and Panthers | |||||||||||
| UC Riverside | USC | Northern Iowa | |||||||||
| 2014 Stats & Record | 2-0-1 | 3-0-1 | 1-3-0 | ||||||||
| Schedule | Schedule | Schedule | |||||||||
| Roster | Roster | Roster | |||||||||
| Current Streak | T 1 | W 2 | L 1 | ||||||||
| Last Box Score | T, 2-2 at San Diego State | W, 2-1 at Notre Damex | L, 3-0 at Wisconsin | ||||||||
| Next Opponent | vs. Bakersfield September 12 at 7 pm PT | vs. Pacific September 12 | vs. UIC September 12 | ||||||||
| Top Scorer x x x x |  | Tyler Cunningham Junior 2 goals, 2 assists 6 points |  | Reilly Parker Junior 2 goals, 0 assists 4 points |  | Annie Dale Junior 1 goal, 0 assists 2 points | |||||
 | Brady Clark Junior 1 goal, 0 assists 2 points | ||||||||||
| Top Goalkeeper x x x x |  | Elizabeth Silas Junior 3 matches 1.24 gaa, 14 saves |  | Caroline Stanley Senior 4 matches 0.71 gaa, 12 saves |  | Whitney Blunt Sophomore 4 matches 1.68 gaa, 22 saves | |||||
| Record vs. | First Meeting | First Meeting | |||||||||
| Current Streak vs. | |||||||||||
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 have been ranked seventh each of the first two weeks of the season.
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 three assists on the season through the first three 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.
UNDEFEATED
The Highlanders are undefeated three matches into the season for just the third time in their 14-year history—in 2008, when the Highlanders opened the year 3-0, and in 2004, when they won nine straight to open the year.
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
Seven 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.
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.
