UCLA
California
Bruins Open Pac-12 Play Hosting Pair of Matches
September 27, 2017 | Men's Soccer
UCLA vs. California
Los Angeles, Calif. (Marshall Field at Drake Stadium)
Thursday, Sept. 28, 2017 – 8 p.m. (PT)
TV: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: Troy Clardy
Internet Radio: UCLABruins.com
Talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats: UCLALiveStats.com
Follow @UCLAMSoccer
UCLA vs. No. 11 Stanford
Los Angeles, Calif. (Marshall Field at Drake Stadium)
Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 – 5 p.m. (PT)
TV: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: Mark Rogondino and Tammy Blackburn
Internet Radio: UCLABruins.com
Talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats: UCLALiveStats.com
Follow @UCLAMSoccer
UCLA Opens Pac-12 Play hosting California and Stanford
UCLA continues a three-game homestand this week as they open Pac-12 play against California on Thursday at 8 p.m., followed by Stanford on Sunday at 5 p.m. Both matches will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks. The Bruins are hosting a pair of doubleheaders this weekend with the women's soccer team as the Bruin women play Oregon at 5 p.m. on Thursday and Oregon State at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Iloski's Dominance
Senior forward Brian Iloski has five goals in six matches to begin the season and is ranked top-25 in the NCAA in game-winning goals (4th), goals per game (13th) and points per game (22nd). He was named honorable mention to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week after the first week of the season when he recorded his first career brace with the Bruins at San Francisco in the season opener.
Offensive Surge
UCLA has scored 10 goals over its first six games, good for the 49th ranked scoring offense in the country as they average 1.67 goals per match. UCLA scored five goals in its season opener against San Francisco, the most goals scored by the Bruins in a season debut since netting five against Penn State in 2003.
Starting Lineup Stalwarts
The Bruins have had six players start in each of the first six matches this season. Leading goal scorer Brian Iloski, captain and preseason All-Pac-12 selection Erik Holt, goalkeeper Kevin Silva, forward Santiago Herrera, junior Joab Santoyo, and junior transfer Anderson Asiedu. UCLA has had 16 different players start at least one match so far this season.
New Players Making an Impact
The Bruins have had a number of new faces to the team make an impact already in their first seasons in Westwood. International recruits Eirik Baekkelund and Santiago Herrera each scored in their collegiate debuts against San Francisco, while Wake Forest transfer Alex Knox tallied an assist in the 5-3 victory. Freshman midfielder Eric Iloski recorded his first career assist in a 2-1 win against CSUN. Freshman defender Brandon Terwege, freshman forward Milan Iloski, and junior transfer Anderson Asiedu made their first career starts with UCLA this season, while freshman midfielder Andrew Paoli and sophomore transfer Roman Martin have made their first career caps for the Bruins.
Scouting the Golden Bears
California comes into the match receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches poll with a 5-2-0 record and is riding a four-game winning streak after earning a 3-2 victory against Santa Clara on Friday. The Golden Bears have allowed nine goals this season and rank 21st in the NCAA in saves per game and 41st in save percentage. Preseason All-Pac-12 selection Jose Carerra-Garcia leads the Cal offense with nine points, including two goals, while Shinya Kadono and Paul Salcedo-Borrego are tied with a team-best three goals each. Drake Callender has started six of the seven matches in net this season and holds a 1.14 goals-against average. He also ranks 29th in the country in saves per game.
Scouting the Cardinal
The two-time defending national champions are the 11th-ranked team in the country heading into the opening weekend of Pac-12 play after falling to Saint Louis on the road, 2-0. The Cardinal offense is one of the tops in the country as it ranks 19th in points per game and eighth in assists per game. Foster Langsdorf leads the way with six goals, good for 10th in the NCAA, while Drew Skundrich has two game-winning goals, ranked 30th in the country. Nico Corti has played every minute in net for Stanford and has registered four shutouts to go along with a 0.75 goals-against average.
Last Time Against California and Stanford
The Bruins went 1-1 against the Golden Bears last season, including winning a 4-3 match on the road where Blayne Martinez scored the go-ahead goal with less than five seconds in regulation. Stanford won both games against UCLA in 2016 that included a 3-2 victory at Drake Stadium.
Last Time Out
UCLA played just its second home match of the season and earned a 2-1 victory over CSUN on Sunday. Santiago Herrera scored the equalizing goal in the 22nd minute for his second of the season, followed by Brian Iloski earning a foul in the box in the second half and finishing the ensuing penalty kick for the game winner. It marks Iloski's fifth goal of the season and his third penalty kick.
Holt Named to Preseason All-Pac-12 Team
Defender Erik Holt earned a spot on the Preseason All-Pac-12 team, as voted on by the league's six head coaches. Holt was an All-Pac-12 honorable mention selection last season as he split time between defensive midfielder and center back and was one of only two players to appear and start in all 20 matches. Holt contributed to all five shutouts last season.
Preseason Coaches Poll
The Bruins were picked second in the Preseason Pac-12 Coaches Poll, snapping UCLA's streak of seven-straight years as the Pac-12's preseason favorite to win the conference. Two-time defending national champions Stanford was picked as the league favorite with 24 points and four of the six first-place votes.
Terwege Earns TDS Freshman Best XI Team
Freshman defender Brandon Terwege was named to the 2017 Preseason Top Drawer Soccer Freshmen Best XI team. Terwege is ranked No. 45 of Top Drawer Soccer's IMG Academy Top 150 and was ranked was the 13th best defender in the by the organization. Terwege attended the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team camp in London, England and was a member of the U.S. U-19 National Team where he recorded two assists in a 2-1 win against El Salvador as a center back. He was also a U-18 USDDA National champion and started in Finals against Vancouver for Dallas FC.
2016 in Review
The Bruins finished last season with a 10-8-2 overall record and a 4-5-1 Pac-12 record, which was good for fourth in the standings. UCLA advanced to the second round in the NCAA Tournament before falling to No. 4 overall seed Louisville in overtime, 2-1. Eight Bruins earned Pac-12 awards, including All-Pac-12 honorees Brian Iloski (2nd team) and Erik Holt (honorable mention). In addition, five UCLA players earned all-academic honors from the conference including Blayne Martinez (2nd team), Iloski (honorable mention) and Matthew Powell (honorable mention). In January, three UCLA players were drafted in the MLS SuperDraft with Abu Danladi going first overall to Minnesota FC, followed by Jackson Yueill picked sixth overall to San Jose and Michael Amick selected in the second round to Portland. Prior to the draft, three Bruins signed MLS Homegrown contracts with Co-Pac-12 Player of the Year Jose Hernandez, Reggie Cannon and Seyi Adekoya moving to the professional ranks.
Fresh Faces
UCLA has assembled another star-studded recruiting class for the 2017 season, as the freshman class is ranked No. 17 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. The class is highlighted by three players in Top Drawer Soccer's IMG Academy Top 150 in defender Brandon Terwege (No. 45), midfielder Andrew Paoli (No. 54) and forward Milan Iloski (No. 146). In addition, GK Cameron Douglas from Sacramento Republic FC graduated early to join the 2017 class, while Eric Iloski (Real Salt Lake Academy) joins his brothers Brian and Milan in Westwood. The Bruins have also added a pair of international players in forward Santiago Herrera from Venezuela and Eirik Baekkelund from Norway. Three transfers will join the Bruins in 2017, Alex Knox and Roman Martin from Wake Forest and Anderson Asiedu from Monmouth. Knox was named one of 11 transfers to make the biggest impact on his new club this season by Top Drawer Soccer, while Asiedu was an all-conference performer for Monmouth last season.
National Teams
UCLA has a plethora of national team players on its 2017 squad with various U.S. Youth National Teams experience in their career - Christian Chavez (YNT), Cameron Douglas (U-18), Erik Holt (U-17, U-14), Brian Iloski (U-20, U-18), Milan Iloski (U-19, U-18), Malcolm Jones (U-20, U-18, U-17, U-15, U-14), Robert Knights (U-18), Andrew Paoli (U-18, U-16), Kevin Silva (U-19, U-17) and Brandon Terwege (U-20, U-19). In addition, Tobi Henneke played with the German U-16 National Team.
Happy Anniversary
UCLA is celebrating a pair of anniversaries this season as it is the 15th anniversary of its 2002 national championship and the 20th anniversary of its 1997 national title run.
- On Dec. 15, 2002 in Dallas, Texas, Aaron Lopez would one-time a free kick from Ryan Futagaki in to the back of the net with just 1:02 remaining on the clock for the match's lone goal. Lopez was named the MVP of the College Cup, while teammates Zach Wells, who earned a shutout in the title game, Adolfo Gregorio, Matt Taylor and Scot Thompson received All-Tournament acclaim. First-year head coach Tom Fitzgerald became just the second coach in NCAA soccer history to win a Division I national title in his first season with the program.
- Facing Virginia in their home state, the Bruins picked up their third NCAA national championship on Dec. 14, 1997. Despite several key injuries throughout the season and the postseason run, head coach Sigi Schmid devised a more defensive, counterattacking style that frustrated the Cavaliers the entire game. In the 80th minute UCLA capitalized on an error as Martin Bruno found Offensive MVP Seth George who beat the keeper one-on-one for the go-ahead score. George would then score two minutes later to secure the title for the Bruins.
50 Years of UCLA Men's Soccer
UCLA men's soccer enters its 50th season as an NCAA sport with an all-time record of 758-202-106 (.764). Under head coach Dennis Storer, UCLA went 12-1-1 in its first season associated with the NCAA in 1967, tallying an 5-0 win over Cal Poly Pomona in its first game, along with a 8-1 win over USC during an 11-match winning streak. UCLA earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance just one year later and collected its first postseason victory in 1970. Since then, the Bruins have made a total of 44 appearances in the NCAA tournament, including 34 consecutive trips dating back to 1983. UCLA has advanced to nine NCAA championship games and has been crowned national champion four times (1985, 1990, 1997 and 2002).
Looking Ahead
The Bruins will hit the road for a two-game swing through the Pacific Northwest as they continue Pac-12 play at Oregon State on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT followed by playing Washington on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT. Both matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
