Northridge, CA—The UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team remains on the road this week in search of its first Big West win of the season, traveling to CSUN, Thursday, October 13 for a 7 pm PT kick off against the Matadors, and to UC Davis, Sunday, October 16 for a 1 pm start against the Aggies.
The Highlanders are 3-8-3 on the season, and have lost six straight matches, including their first three conference decisions. Four of those six losses are by just one goal. Tayler Dragoo leads the team with four goals and nine points. Alanna Guzman leads the Big West with 63 saves in goal, although Annie Bailey got the start for UC Riverside in the team's most recent match at Hawai'i (
box score/
recap).
CSUN is 7-3-5 on the season, and in second place in the Big West with a 2-1-1 mark. The Matadors utilize a balanced scoring attack with five players scoring either two or three goals on the season led by Camille Watson and Lindsay Kutcher's three scores apiece.
Jovani McCaskill has started all 15 matches in goal for CSUN this season, and has a goals against average of 0.43 (second best in the Big West) to go along with 56 saves and 10 shutouts.
The Highlanders are 7-8-0 all-time against the Matadors. The teams split their last six matches, with UC Riverside picking up a 1-0 home victory on October 29 of last year (
box score/
recap).
UC Davis is 5-6-3 on the season entering the week and 1-1-1 in conference. The Aggies host UC Irvine on Thursday before welcoming UC Riverside to Aggie Soccer Field.
Davis also boasts one of the most balanced offenses in the league as five players have scored two or more goals on the season led by Celina Minissian's three. Alexis Smith has played every minute in goal for the Aggies, and has a goals against average of 1.23, and 51 saves.
The Highlanders are 6-3-3 all-time against the Aggies, but just 1-3-2 over the last six meetings. UC Riverside won last year's meeting, 3-1 (
box score/
recap).
GAME NOTES
THOSE WHO DO NOT STUDY HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT
Three years 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.
Two years ago, Big West coaches again picked the Highlanders to finish last only to watch as UCR finished in fifth place, one game out of playoff spot.
Last season, conference coaches pegged UC Riverside to come in eighth place, and they finished fourth, advancing to their second conference tournament in three years.
This year, the Highlanders are picked to finish sixth. When will they ever learn?
SCORING DROUGHT
The Highlanders have 14 goals in 14 matches this season. UC Riverside has only averaged 1.00 goals or fewer per match on four occasions—2013, 22 goals in 22 matches; 2010, three goals in 18 matches; 2009, 14 goals in 19 matches; and 2001, 17 goals in 17 matches.
DAZZLING DEBUT
Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Annie Bailey made her Highlanders debut in a 3-0 shutout victory at Akron on September 11 (
box score/
recap). The last member of the Highlanders to toss a shutout in their first start between the pipes was Sara Slaughter who blanked Pacific on October 9, 2012 (
box score/
recap).
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
In just two-plus years with the Highlanders, Blanca Barrio ranks second on the Highlanders' career assists chart with 14. That is one assist behind Tyler Cunningham's record of 15.
DRAW!
The Highlanders have three ties through 14 matches this season. The last time UC Riverside had more than three ties in a year was 2009, when they had four draws at season's end. The program record is six, set by the 2005 squad.
BONUS SOCCER
The Highlanders have had five matches this season go into overtime, and they are 0-2-3 in those matches. They were 0-4-0 in overtime matches a year ago, and last won an overtime contest on October 17, 2014 in a 3-2 victory over UC Santa Barbara (
box score/
recap). The program record for most overtime matches in a season is eight set in 2013
SEVEN YEAR ITCH
Tyler Cunningham's seven goals last year were the most for a member of the Highlanders since Tessa Lennala netted 11 back in the 2009 campaign.
DOUBLE DIGITS
The Highlanders reached the 10-win plateau last year for the first time since the 2006 season.
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| Year |
W |
L |
T |
| 2004 |
13 |
2 |
3 |
| 2003 |
11 |
7 |
3 |
| 2005 |
11 |
4 |
6 |
| 2015 |
11 |
9 |
0 |
| 2002 |
10 |
8 |
1 |
| 2006 |
10 |
7 |
1 |
GONE STREAKING
The Highlanders won three straight matches from August 30 through September 6, 2015. That marked the first time UCR won three straight since the 2009 season. They also won three straight from October 9 through 16, 2015. The last time UC Riverside won four matches in a row was early in the 2006 season.
ONE IS THE LONELIEST NUMBER
Elizabeth Silas posted a goals against average of 0.94 last season, becoming just the third keeper in program history to record a sub-1.00 GAA. The other two are Tawny Poggio, who did it three times (0.69 in 2004, 0.81 in 2005, and 0.88 in 2003) and Jessica White (0.80 in 2009).
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS TWO
The Highlanders are 35-5-2 over the past five-plus seasons when scoring two or more goals in a match. Their last loss when scoring two or more goals was a 3-2, double overtime decision vs. CSU Bakersfield from September 25 of this year (
box score/
recap).
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Season
 |
Record Scoring
Two Or More Goals |
| 2016 |
2-1-0 |
| 2015 |
9-1-0 |
| 2014 |
6-2-1 |
| 2013 |
7-1-0 |
| 2012 |
6-0-1 |
| 2011 |
6-0-0 |
RARIFIED AIR
The 2015 Highlanders' five conference wins tied the program record for most Big West wins in a season.
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| Season |
W |
L |
T |
Pts |
Place |
| 2003 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
16 |
Third |
| 2015 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
15 |
Fourth |
| 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 Blanca Barrio to the preseason All-Conference Team.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Sixteen different Highlanders dented the back of the net in 2014, which is the most in the history of the program. Twelve different players had 28 total scores for the team last season, while nine Highlanders have goals in 2016.
