Santa Barbara—The UC Riverside Men's Soccer Team continues Big West play this week on the road with matches against UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, October 8 at 7 pm and Saturday, October 10 against Cal Poly at 7 pm.
The Highlanders ran their record to 5-5-1 (1-1-0) after splitting the opening two Big West matches at home with an 2-0 loss against UC Davis (
box score/recap), and a 3-1 victory against Sacramento State (
box score/recap). The Highlanders home record remains impressive at 4-1 on the season.
The Highlanders suffered a tough 2-0 loss against the Aggies of UC Davis to open Big West conference play on Thursday, October 1st. The Highlanders fired 6 shots on goal, but were unable to breakthrough against the Aggie defense for a score.
Saturday, the Scacramento State Hornets were in town; Norberto Ochoa scored a pair of goals in the win, upping his tally to seven goals with one assist for 15 total points on the year to lead the Highlanders. Michael Salazar recorded his third assist this season on Ochoa's second goal (team's third) to run his season total to 13 points.
Goalkeeper, Ashkan Khosravi recorded 7 saves for the week and lowered his goals against average to 1.77.
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
(7-3-1, 2-0-0 Big West) earned a pair of road victories to open conference play last week against UC Irvine, 3-1, and Cal State Northridge, 2-1. Nick Depuy is the team's leading scorer with 10 goals and one assist, while Justin Vom steeg has played the majority of minutes between the pipes for the Gauchos boasting a goals against average of 0.99.
Common opponents for the clubs are UCLA (UCR W, 2-1; UCSB W, 4-2), and San Diego (UCR L, 3-0; UCSB W, 4-0).
The Highlanders are 3-18-2 all-time against the Gauchos, however two of those victories came in 2011, when the Gauchos were nationally ranked at #15 (3-2) and #7 (3-1).
Cal Poly is 6-2-2,1-0-1 on the year following a 1-1 tie with UC Irvine over the weekend. The Mustangs have scored 12 goals in ten matches led by Chase Minter's three scores. Cal Poly has relied on Hamilton Wade (0.86 GAA, 27 saves and 4 shutouts) between the pipes during every minute of game action this season.
Common opponents for the clubs this season are UCLA (UCR W, 2-1; Cal Poly L, 4-1) and Santa Clara (UCR L, 2-1; Cal Poly L, 1-0).
UC Riverside is 7-14-2 all-time against Cal Poly, with one victory in the last nine matches including a 1-0 defeat last season at home.
| Highlanders vs. Gauchos & Mustangs |
| UC Riverside | UC Santa Barbara | Cal Poly |
| Stats & Record | 5-5-1, 1-1-0 | 7-3-1, 2-0-0 | 6-2-2, 1-0-1 |
| Schedule/Results | Schedule/Results | Schedule/Results |
| Roster | Roster | Roster |
| Conference | Big West | Big West | Big West |
| Current Streak | W 1 | W 3 | W 2 |
| Last Box Score | W, 3-1, vs. Sacramento State | W, 2-1 (OT), vs. CSUN | T, 1-1, vs. UC Irvine |
Top Scorer
x
x
x
x | | #10 Norberto Ochoa
Senior
7 goals, 1 assist
15 points | #6 Nick Depuy
Junior
10 goals, 1 assists
21 points | #10 Chase Minter
Senior
3 goals, 2 assists
8 points |
| | | | #20 Matt LaGrassa
Senior
3 goals, 0 assists
6 points |
Top Goalkeeper
x
x
x
x | | #30 Ashkan Khosravi
Senior
7 matches
1.77 gaa, 25 saves | #22 Justin Vom steeg
Freshman
9 matches
0.99 gaa, 29 saves | #1 Hamilton Wade
Senior
10 matches
0.86 gaa, 27 saves |
| Record vs. | | 3-18-2 (view results) | 7-14-2 (view results) |
| Current Streak vs. | | T 1 (2OT) | 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 16 goals in eleven matches, but just six goals over their last five 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.
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 | 190 |
| 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 | 1.32 |
| KC John | 2013-14 | 1.42 |
| Cody Suppé | 2009-11 | 1.54 |
