San Jose, CA—The UC Riverside Women's Soccer Team begins its 2016 season on the road this weekend as the Highlanders travel to San Jose State Friday, August 19 for a 4 pm PT kick off against the Spartans. They then head to San Francisco for a Sunday, August 21 meeting with the Dons at 1:30 pm.
UC Riverside won its lone preseason match of the season, 4-1, over Grand Canyon (
recap). Kyra Taylor scored a pair of goals and added an assist in the victory.
San Jose State went 10-8-4 a year ago, including 8-3-0 in the Mountain West.
The Highlanders are 7-2-0 all-time against the Spartans, with wins in three straight matches, and seven of the last eight meetings between the clubs. The last time these two teams squared off against one another was on August 25, 2013 (
box score/
recap), with UC Riverside picking up a 2-1 overtime victory. A pair of freshmen connected on the match-winner as Sammy Arellano found Tatum Lockett with just 56 seconds gone in the first extra stanza for the victory.
San Francisco opens its 2016 season at home Friday against Florida Gulf Coast, before welcoming the Highlanders to Nogoesco Stadium, Sunday. The Dons were 13-4-3 a year ago, including 7-2-0 in the WCC.
UCR has never beaten San Francisco in five opportunities, securing a 0-0 tie back in the 2009 season (
box score/
recap) to go with four losses. The teams have not faced one another since the 2012 campaign.
The Highlanders are coming off of their second Big West Conference Tournament appearance in three years after winning the second most games in the program's 15-year history. UCR also tied the program record for conference wins in a season with five.
The 2016 version of the squad will have a different look about it as 11 letterwinners are gone from last year's squad including goalkeeper Elizabeth Silas, who made 58 starts with a 1.15 goals against average for the Highlanders from 2013-15, and forward Tyler Cunningham, who graduated as UC Riverside's career-leader in assists, and ranks third in goals scored.
Blanca Barrio is the top returner on offense for the Highlanders with five goals and seven assists a year ago. She was named to the Big West preseason all-conference team earlier this week by league coaches.
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.
LENDING A HELPING FOOT
In just two years with the Highlanders, Blanca Barrio ranks second on the Highlanders' career assists chart with 13. That is two asissts behind Tyler Cunningham's record of 15.
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.
| 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 28-4-2 over the past four 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 at UC Santa Barbara this year.
RARIFIED AIR
The 2015 Highlanders five conference wins last year tied the program record for most Big West wins in a season.
| 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.
