Santa Clara, CA—The UC Riverside Men's Soccer Team, fresh off a 2-1 overtime victory over #8 UCLA, remains on the road this week traveling to Santa Clara on Friday, September 18 at 7:30 pm PT and to St. Mary's on Sunday, September 20 for a 3 pm kick off against the Gaels.
Goalkeeper Vincent Morales earned Big West Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts against the Bruins (
box score/
recap), and in a 3-0 shutout of San Francisco (
box score/
recap). The sophomore recorded 10 saves over the two matches, and has a goals against average of 0.43 on the season.
Senior Norberto Ochoa was named the conference Offensive Player of the Week after scoring all three goals in the victory over the Dons (
read the story). It was the second hat trick in UC Riverside's Division I history. The first was recorded by Ochoa's teammate, Michael Salazar in the 2014 home opener against Pacific (
box score/
recap).
Those two wins improved the Highlanders record to 3-3-0 on the season, with Ochoa (3 goals, 0 assists) and Salazar (2 goals, 2 assists) leading the offensive charge. Ashkan Khosravi got the start in the first four matches of the season for UC Riverside, but was held out of the past two games with an injury.
Santa Clara is just 2-4-0 on the year, but those loses have come to nationally-renowned programs like Wake Forest, North Carolina and Cal State Fullerton. The Broncos most recent result was a 1-0 victory over Cal Poly.
Offensively, Santa Clara has just four goals in six matches, led by Carlos Delgadillo's three points (1 goal, 1 assist). The sophomore was named to the 2014 All-WCC Honorable Mention Team after scoring four goals and handing out five assists in his freshman campaign.
Kendall McIntosh is the Broncos keeper, and he brings a 1.34 goals against average and 18 saves into the weekend. Last season, the senior was named to the All-WCC Second Team.
Santa Clara and UC Riverside met for the first time a year ago with the Broncos picking up a 1-0 victory.
St. Mary's is 3-3-0 on the year with wins in three of its last four matches. Seven different Gaels have dented the back of the net this season led by Stephen Dougherty's two scores. Andrew Konstantino and Lucas Champenois each hae three starts between the pipes in 2015 with Konstantino boasting the better numbers with a 0.96 goals against average.
St. Mary's has won three of the five meetings between the clubs, including a 1-0 victory in the last meeting back on September 11, 2011.
GAME NOTES
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 29-1-1 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 | 3-0-0 |
| 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 10 goals in six matches, but just one goal over their last two 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 also established a Division I-era, single-season record for the program.
NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
With a 7-1-0 mark in non-conference matches in 2012, the Highlanders broke the program record for non-conference wins in a season established the previous year when UC Riverside finished the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 5-2-1 mark. Over the past three-plus seasons, UCR is 21-17-4 in non-conference matches.
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 continues to close in on the Highlanders career wins record. Charles Alamo occupies the top spot in UC Riverside history with 21.
| Career Wins |
| Goalkeeper | Years | Wins |
| Charles Alamo | 2003-07 | 21 |
| Ashkan Khosravi | 2012-present | 19 |
| 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 | 178 |
| 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 | 1.35 |
| KC John | 2013-14 | 1.42 |
| Cody Suppé | 2009-11 | 1.54 |
