UCLA vs. Cal Poly
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Friday, Sept. 18 - 7:00 pm PT
Radio/Live Stats - www.UCLABruins.com
Twitter - @UCLAMSoccer | #CPvsUCLA
UCLA vs. UC Santa Barbara
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Monday, Sept. 21 - 7:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Networks (Christian Miles, Cobi Jones)
Radio/Live Stats - www.UCLABruins.com
Twitter - @UCLAMSoccer | #UCSBvsUCLA
UCLA Looks to Bounce Back This Weekend
Following three-straight losses, the UCLA Bruins will look to rebound this weekend against a pair of non-conference opponents at home. UCLA opens the weekend against Cal Poly on Friday, September 18 at 7:00pm PT and closes the weekend against UC Santa Barbara on Monday, September 21 at 7:00pm PT. Both games can be heard live on UCLABruins.com and Monday's game can be seen live on the Pac-12 Networks.
In The Rankings
UCLA entered last weekend No. 8 in the NSCAA poll, No. 16 in the Soccer America poll and No. 5 in the Top Drawer Soccer Poll, but following a loss to UC Riverside, the Bruins are now unranked in all major polls. Both Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara are also unranked in all major polls.
Scouting the Mustangs
The Cal Poly Mustangs enter the weekend with an overall record of 3-1-1, but have posted an 0-1-1 record in road matches thus far in 2015. The Mustangs opened the season with four positive results before falling, 1-0, at Santa Clara on Sunday, September 13. Cal Poly is led by Matt LaGrassa who has a team-high two goals and Chase Minter who has a goal and an assist. Between the pipes, Wade Hamilton has been excellent, allowing just three goals through five games for a 0.57 GAA.
UCLA is 10-2-4 all-time against Cal Poly, with their last victory over the Mustangs coming in 2012. Last season, the Bruins played to a 0-0 tie with Cal Poly at Drake Stadium. Under Head Coach Jorge Salcedo, UCLA has gone, 2-2-2, in six meetings with the Mustangs.
Bruin - Mustang Connections
-- UCLA freshman goalkeeper Dakota Havlick and Cal Poly senior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton both attended Murrieta Valley HS (Murrieta, Calif.).
-- UCLA sophomore midfielder Will Cline and freshman forward Robert Knights, along with Cal Poly sophomore defender Tony Scimeca are all from Irvine, Calif.
-- UCLA freshman forward DJ Villegas and Cal Poly freshman defender Louis Heinzer are both from Sacramento, Calif.
Scouting the Gauchos
The UC Santa Barbara Gauchos enter the weekend with an overall record of 2-2-1, with a 1-2-0 road record thus far in 2015. The Gauchos began the season with a 1-0 win over No. 4 Stanford before winning just one of their next four matches. Prior to Sunday's match against UCLA, UC Santa Barbara will host the College of Charleston on Friday, September 18. The Guachos are led by junior Nick DePuy who's recorded three goals and junior Ismalia Jome who's posted a trio of assists. In net, freshman Justin Vom Steeg has started three games, notching a 0.67 GAA, while sophomore Branden Burke has started two, ownining a 1.80 GAA.
UCLA is 34-4-3 all-time against UC Santa Barbara, including a 1-0 victory over the Gauchos on the road last season. The Bruins are unbeaten since 2011 against UCSB, going 3-0-1 over that stretch. Under Head Coach Jorge Salcedo, UCLA is 6-2-2 versus the Guachos.
Bruin - Gaucho Connections
-- UCLA junior forward Abdullah Adam and UCSB freshman forward Geoffrey Acheampong are both from Accra, Ghana. Acheampong also played at the same club with fellow Ghanaian, UCLA sophomore forward Abu Danladi at Santa Barbara Soccer Club.
-- UCLA sophomore midfielder Will Cline and freshman forward Robert Knights, along with UCSB junior forward Nick DePuy are all from Irvine, Calif.
-- UCLA senior midfielder Grady Howe and UCSB freshman midfielder Evan Schwartz both went to Corona Del Mar HS (Newport Beach, Calif.).
Tough Stretch Continues for UCLA
After losing in consecutive matches on the road, the Bruins returned home to garner yet another loss last weekend at the hands of UC Riverside. A late own-goal cost UCLA dearly in overtime, falling, 2-1. The Bruins got the opening goal of the game from freshman Jose Hernandez to give UCLA a one-goal advantage at the half. However, a second-half score from UCR's Ricardo Ruiz forced extra time in Westwood. Then, six minutes into the first overtime period, a high deflection glanced off of freshman goalkeeper Dakota Havlick's hands and into the net to close the door on UCLA's third-straight loss.
Youth Reigns Supreme
For UCLA this season, the youth has carried the scoring load through four games. Of the Bruins' four goals, three have been netted by freshmen, with the other being tallied by a sophomore. Rookies Jose Hernandez, Malcolm Jones and Jackson Yueill have each notched their first career goals, while sophomore striker Abu Danladi has one goal on the season as well.
Nothing Like Home Cooking
UCLA has had a lot of success against non-conference opponents at home under Head Coach Jorge Salcedo. Since Salcedo took over in 2004, the Bruins have gone 33-7-5 at home against non-conference foes. Six of Salcedo's 11 previous seasons have resulted in zero home losses to non-conference opponents, four have resulted in one loss and just one resulted in two losses. So far in 2015, UCLA is 1-1-0 against non-conference opponents at home, taking down New Mexico in the opening match before falling to UC Riverside in overtime last weekend. The Bruins are set to play four consecutive non-conference home matches over the next two weekends.
Uncharacteristic Losing Streak
UCLA is currently on a three-game losing skid which is extremely uncommon for the program. The Bruins have not had a three-game losing streak since 2007, the only other time Head Coach Jorge Salcedo has been at the helm for such a streak. Including 2007, UCLA has had just six losing streaks of three or more games all-time and have never had two such streaks in the same season.
Shots Not Translating to Goals
UCLA has had trouble scoring so far in 2015, netting just one goal in each of its first four matches. However, it is not for a lack of shots. Through four games, the Bruins have out-shot their opponent three times and tied in shot total in the other. Overall, UCLA is averaging 15.25 shots per game, ranking second in the conference and 27th in the nation.
Adekoya, Amick & Danladi Earn All-Pac-12
UCLA sophomores Seyi Adekoya and Abu Danladi, along with junior Michael Amick, were each named to the inaugural Preseason All-Pac-12 team this season. UCLA's three representatives ties Stanford for a conference-high, followed by Washington and Oregon State with two and California with one. Danladi and Adekoya return to Westwood after finishing second and third respectively in points on the team last season, while Amick comes back to anchor a strong Bruin backline. Amick earned first team All-Pac-12 a season ago, while Adekoya was named second team All-Pac-12.
Amick Named to MAC Hermann Watch List
UCLA junior Michael Amick was recently named to the 2015 MAC Hermann Trophy watch list. Amick is one of 30 men and 28 women from Division I soccer programs to be named to their respective watch lists. Last season, the MAC Hermann Trophy was awarded to UCLA midfielder Leo Stolz, marking the first Bruin to win the award since the MAC Player of the Year and the Hermann Trophy merged in 2002. Amick, a third team NSCAA All-American last season, is one of 13 players on the watch list who received NSCAA All-American nods in 2014.
Tough Schedule Ahead
The Bruins sport one of the nation's most difficult schedules in 2015. Having already faced two top-15 teams, UCLA will square off with four more teams ranked within the NSCAA Top-25 this season. The Bruins have two matches with No. 4 Stanford, two matches with No. 8 Oregon State and two matches with No. 9 Washington. UCLA also must travel to play No. 11 Akron.