Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Men's Soccer Team enters the week in fourth place in the Big West South Division, just one point behind third-place UC Irvine and four points back of second-place CSUN. The Highlanders have the opportunity to climb the standings this week as they host the Anteaters on Wednesday, October 21, and travel to first-place Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, October 24. Both matches kick off at 7 pm PT.
UCR paid a vistit to Irvine last week for a match against the Anteaters, but dropped a close, 1-0, decision (
box score/
recap). They also hosted CSUN, falling by the same 1-0 score (
box score/
recap). Each of the Highlanders last three losses have been by just one goal.
Norberto Ochoa and MIchael Salaxar lead the team in points. The seniors are tied for third in the Big West with 15, and rank second and third with seven and six goals scored respectively.
The last six matches of the 2014 season were key to the Highlanders' success as they went 3-1-2 against South Division opponents to win the division championship.
UC Irvine is 3-8-3 on the year including 1-3-1 against conference competition. The 'Eaters won their season-opening match against Illinois, but have just two victories in their last 12 matches.
UC Irvine has allowed 27 goals in 15 matches this season. Last year they allowed 24 goals throughout the entire 25-match campaign. Michael Breslin has started all 15 matches for Irvine in goal, and has a goals against average of 1.70.
The team has three primary goal scorers in Ivan Canales (4 goals, 4 assists, 12 points), Jamie Phillips (4 g, 5 a, 13 pts) and Eduardo Calzada (4 g, 2 a, 10 pts).
The Highlanders are 9-18-3 all-time against the Anteaters, but have won five of the last nine meetings between the clubs including both matches from a year ago when UCI was nationally-ranked.
Big West South Division leading Cal State Fullerton picked up two conference wins last week with shutouts against CSUN (1-0) and UC Irvine (3-0). Those results improved the Titans overall record to 9-5-1 and 4-1-1 in the Big West. They lead the South Division with 13 points, six points clear of second place CSUN.
Fullerton's scoring attack is led by Diego Sanchez, who is fifth in the Big West with 13 points (5 g, 3a). Brandon West sets the table for the Titans and is also fifth in the conference with four assists, while Ross McPhie has three goals on the year. David Elias has been a standout defensively, leading the Big West with a paltry 0.78 goals against average. Elias has allowed just 12 goals this season to go along with a .778 save percentage, both ranking second in the conference.
The Highlanders are 10-13-6 all-time against the Titans, but have two wins and two draws of the last five meetings between the clubs, and are 3-3-4 against them since 2010.
| Highlanders vs. Anteaters and Titans |
| UC Riverside | UC Irvine | Cal State Fullerton |
| Stats & Record | 5-9-1, 1-5-0 | 3-8-3, 1-3-1 | 9-5-1, 4-1-1 |
| Schedule/Results | Schedule/Results | Schedule/Results |
| Roster | Roster | Roster |
| Conference | Big West | Big West | Big West |
| Current Streak | L 4 | L 1 | W 2 |
| Last Box Score | L, 1-0 vs CSUN | L, 3-0 at Cal State Fullerton | W, 3-0, vs UC Irvine |
Top Scorer
x
x
x
x | | Norberto Ochoa
Senior
7 goals, 1 assist
15 points | Ivan Canales
Freshman
4 goals, 4 assists
12 points | Diego Sanchez
Sophomore
5 goals, 3 assists
13 points |
| | Michael Salazar
Senior
6 goals, 3 assist
15 points | | |
Top Goalkeeper
x
x
x
x | | Ashkan Khosravi
Senior
9 matches
1.80 gaa, 31 saves | Michael Breslin
Senior
15 matches
1.70 gaa, 63 saves | David Elias
Junior
15 matches
0.78 gaa, 56 saves |
| Record vs. | | 9-18-3 (view results) | 10-13-6 (view results) |
| Current Streak vs. | | L 1 | L 1 |
GAME NOTES
FEELING GRAND
The Highlanders topped the 1,000 home attendance mark for the fifth time in program history on Friday, September 25 as 1,018 UCR faithful watched the Highlanders beat San Jose State, 3-0. It was also the largest crowd ever to watch a UC Riverside non-conference match on campus.
| Attendance | Date | Opponent |
| 2,016 | September 28, 2011 | #7 UC Santa Barbara |
| 1,186 | November 5, 2011 | UC Davis |
| 1,147 | November 6, 2013 | #15 UC Irvine |
| 1,106 | September 28, 2012 | #3 UC Santa Barbara |
| 1,018 | Septmber 25, 2015 | San Jose State |
LET THE OCTOPI FLY
Michael Salazar became the first player in UC Riverside's Division I history to record a hat trick in the team's 2014 season-opening, 5-1 victory over visiting Pacific (box score/recap/video recap). He also added an assist, setting the program's Division I-era record for points in a match as well. The Big West and College Sports Madness honored Salazar with Offensive Player of the Week (story) and Player of the Week accolades respectively (story), while College Soccer News named him to their 12-man National Team of the Week (story).
Norberto Ochoa matched Salazar in the Highlanders' 2015 home opener as he scored all three goals in UCR's 3-0 victory over San Francisco on September 10 (box score/recap). He too was named the Big West Offensive Player of the Week (story) and to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week (story).
DAZZLING DEBUT
In his first two starts between the pipes as a collegian, sophomore keeper Vincent Morales pitched a shutout vs. San Francisco in a 3-0 victory on September 10 (box score/recap), and allowed just one goal to the number eight team in the nation, UCLA, in a 2-1 overtime win on September 13 (box score/recap). He was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts (story).
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS TWO
Since the 2011 season, the Highlanders are 31-1-1 when they score two or more goals in a match. Their lone loss was a double-overtime, 3-2 defeat at the hands of Cal State Fullerton on October 20, 2012.
Season
| Record Scoring
Two Or More Goals |
| 2015 | 5-0-0 |
| 2014 | 4-0-1 |
| 2013 | 6-0-0 |
| 2012 | 8-1-0 |
| 2011 | 8-0-0 |
BREAKING RANKS
The Highlanders beat #8 UCLA, 2-1 in overtime, on September 13, 2015 (box score/recap). It was the first time that UC Riverside defeated the Bruins (1-4-0 as a Division I program), and the team's second Division I victory over a ranked, non-conference opponent (2-0 on September 4, 2007 at #21 San Diego State (box score/recap).
DEEE—FENSE
The Highlanders allowed 23 goals in 19 matches in 2014 for a goals against average of 1.15, just missing out on breaking the program record for lowest goals against average set back in 2007. They did, however, tie the record for fewest goals allowed in a season, originally set by that same 2007 squad.
This season, the Highlanders have allowed 22 goals in 15 matches, but just 13 over their last 11 matches.
GIMME FIVE
Ashkan Khosravi earned Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week accolades (story) for the fifth time in his career on September 22, 2014 as he was honored following his shutout performance vs. San Diego (box score/recap/video recap).
ALL-CONFERENCE
The Highlanders put six players on the Big West All-Conference teams in 2014 season which is the most ever for the program (story). Michael Salazar and Otis Earle earned First-Team nods, while Ashkan Khosravi made the Second Team, and Romario Lomeli, Stephen Copley and Philipp Dominique were named Honorable Mention. In addition, Ricardo Ruiz made the All-Freshman Team.
College Sports Madness named Earle the Big West Defender of the Year and to the first-team, while also naming Salazar to the first team (story).
#WINNING
The Highlanders finished conference play a year ago with a 4-3-3 record, which tied the 2011 squad for the program's best Big West mark in UC Riverside history. They are 1-5-0 this season with four matches remaining.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO BACK
The Highlanders recorded their first winning season as a Division I program in 2011, and made it back-to-back-to-back winning campaigns in 2012 and 2013 posting records of 10-8-0 and 9-8-3. Those 10 victories in 2012 also established a Division I-era, single-season record for the program.
POSTSEASON PLAY
The Highlanders advanced to their first-ever Big West Tournament in 2011, setting what was then the Division I era record for wins in the process. They advanced to their second conference tournament two years ago by finishing third in the South Division of the Big West, and in 2014 season they earned the number one seed in the South Division.
TAKE ME TO THE TOP
Goalkeeper Ashkan Khosravi currently shares the Highlanders record for career wins (21) with Charles Alamo.
| Career Wins |
| Goalkeeper | Years | Wins |
| Charles Alamo | 2003-07 | 21 |
| Ashkan Khosravi | 2012-present | 21 |
| Cody Suppé | 2009-11 | 10 |
Khosravi also recently cracked the top five in career saves for the Highlanders, and is now in second place.
| Career Saves |
| Goalkeeper | Years | Saves |
| Charles Alamo | 2003-07 | 305 |
| Ashkan Khosravi | 2012-present | 198 |
| Cody Suppé | 2009-11 | 155 |
Khosravi is already the Highlanders leader in career goals against average.
| Career Goals Against Average |
| Goalkeeper | Years | GAA |
| Ashkan Khosravi | 2012-present | 1.33 |
| KC John | 2013-14 | 1.42 |
| Cody Suppé | 2009-11 | 1.54 |
