Riverside—The UC Riverside Men's Soccer Team opens Big West play this week with home matches against UC Davis on Thursday, October 1 at 7 pm PT and a Saturday, October 3 meeting with Sacramento State at 7:30 pm.
The Highlanders evened their record at 4-4-1 over the weekend with a 3-0 shutout of San Jose State (
box score/
recap). More than 1,100 fans packed the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium to watch the Highlanders remain perfect at home this year. It was the fifth highest attended match in UC Riverside history, and all of those attendance figures were reached in the past five seasons.
Michael Salazar scored a pair of goals in the win over the Spartans, and assisted on the third to give him five goals, two assists and 12 points on the year to lead the Highlanders. Norberto Ochao also netted his fifth score of the season in the victory.
Ashkan Khosravi played in his first match for the Highlanders in three weeks, recording five saves, and lowering his goals against average to 1.88.
UC Davis has won three straight matches to improve to 4-5-0 on the season with their most recent result coming in the form of a 3-1 victory over San Francisco. Lucas Mohageg is the team's leading scorer with five goals and two assists, while Kris Schultz has played the majority of minutes between the pipes for the Aggies boasting a goals against average of 1.90.
Common opponents for the clubs are San Jose State (UCR W, 3-0; UCD L, 2-1), St. Mary's (UCR T, 1-1; UCD W, 2-1) and San Francisco (UCR W, 3-0; UCD W, 3-1).
The Highlanders are 3-14-1 all-time against the Aggies, and UC Davis has won each of the last four meetings between the teams.
Sacramento State is 3-4-1 on the year following a 2-0 win over St. Mary's over the weekend. The Hornets have scored 10 goals in eight matches led by Brad Bumgarner's three scores. Sac State has divided its minutes between the pipes between two goalkeepers this season: James Del curto (0.95 GAA, 10 saves in 4 matches) and Philip Bru (1.95 GAA, 18 saves, 4 matches).
Like opponents for the clubs this season are San Jose State (UCR W, 3-0; Sac St. L, 4-2) and St. Mary's (UCR T, 1-1; Sac St. W, 2-0).
UC Riverside is 4-3-3 all-time against Sacramento State, with wins in three of the last four matches including a 4-0 decision last season in Sacramento.
| Highlanders vs. Aggies & Hornets |
| UC Riverside | UC Davis | Sacramento State |
| Stats & Record | 4-4-1, 0-0-0 | 4-5-0, 0-0-0 | 3-4-1, 0-0-0 |
| 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, 3-0, vs. San Jose State | W, 3-1, vs. San Francisco | W, 2-0, vs. St. Mary's |
Top Scorer
x
x
x
x | | Michael Salaar
Senior
5 goals, 2 assists
12 points | | Lucas Mohageg
Senior
5 goals, 2 assists
12 points | | Bert Corona
Junior
2 goals, 2 assists
6 points |
| | | | | | Brad Bumgarner
Freshman
3 goals, 0 assists
6 points |
Top Goalkeeper
x
x
x
x | | Vincent Morales
Sophomore
3 matches
0.43 gaa, 10 saves | | Kris Schultz
Senior
8 matches
1.90 gaa, 18 saves | | James Del Curto
Sophomore
4 matches
0.95 gaa, 10 saves |
| Record vs. | | 3-14-1 (view results) | 4-3-3 (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 30-1-1 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 | 4-0-0 |
| 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 13 goals in nine matches, but just four 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 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 | 20 |
| 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 | 183 |
| 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 |
