UCLA Begins NCAA Tournament Thursday
November 19, 2015 | Men's Soccer
UCLA vs Cal Poly
NCAA Tournament First Round
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Thursday, Nov. 19 - 7:00 pm PT
Live Stream/Audio/Stats - www.UCLABruins.com
Twitter - @UCLAMSoccer | #CPvsUCLA
Tickets: $10 for adults/$8 for youth/students (w/ valid ID)
UCLA Begins NCAA Tournament Against Cal Poly
The UCLA Bruins will be making their 43rd overall and 33rd consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament this season. The Bruins earned an at-large bid after finishing second in the Pac-12 Conference and will open tournament play at home against Cal Poly on Thursday, November 19. The game will kick-off at 7:00pm PT and will be streamed live on UCLABruins.com. Fans can also listen live at UCLABruins.com. Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for youth/students (with valid ID) and are available for purchase by visiting UCLABruins.com/tickets or by calling 310-UCLA-WIN.
In The Rankings
UCLA finished the season ranked No. 25 in the final NSCAA Coaches' poll, and No. 20 in the final NCAA RPI rankings. Cal Poly finished the regular season unranked in the NSCAA Coaches' poll, and No. 30 in the NCAA RPI rankings.
Scouting the Mustangs
The Cal Poly Mustangs enter the tournament with an overall record of 11-4-5 and 5-1-4 in the Big West Conference. The Mustangs have lost just two of their last 14 matches, going 8-2-4 over that span. On the road this year, Cal Poly is just 3-4-3, including a 4-1 loss at UCLA earlier this season. The Mustangs will be making just their third NCAA Division I Tournament appearance, and first since 2008. In three previous tournament matches, Cal Poly is 1-2. The Cal Poly offense is led by Chase Minter who has a team-high 20 points on seven goals and six assists. Matt LaGrassa is close behind, totaling 13 points on five goals and three assists. In net, Wade Hamilton has started all 20 matches, posting 68 saves and a 1.03 GAA.
UCLA holds an 11-2-4 all-time record over Cal Poly, including a, 4-1, victory earlier this season at Drake Stadium. The two sides have split two previous postseason meetings, with the Bruins claiming a, 2-1, win in the first round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament, and the Mustangs claiming a, 1-0, victory in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Under Coach Salcedo, UCLA has gone 3-2-2 in seven meetings with Cal Poly.
The Bruins Success in the 'Big Dance'
The Bruins have fared well in the NCAA Tournament, holding a 72-39 all-time record in their 111 postseason matches. UCLA has claimed four national championships over that span, including their most recent title capture in 2002. The Bruins have advanced to the College Cup 14 times and the College Cup Final nine times, including a trip to the final last season. This year's postseason berth marks the 33rd consecutive trip to the tournament for the Bruins, and their 43rd overall appearance, the most of any team in the field.
Hernandez Earns Pac-12 Freshman of the Year
Freshman midfielder Jose Hernandez was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. Hernandez becomes UCLA's sixth all-time recipient of the award and first since Kelyn Rowe in 2010. Hernandez leads the team and the Pac-12 with 26 points on 11 goals and four assists this season. Among all Division I Collegiate freshmen, Hernandez ranks tied for fourth in goals and fifth in points. One of four Bruin players to appear in all 19 games (18 starts), Hernandez has logged 1,550 minutes, second only to defender Nathan Smith.
Hernandez Closing In On Freshman Records
Jose Hernandez is closing in on two UCLA freshman records. The most goals a freshman has ever scored in a single season for UCLA is 12, set by David Estrada in 2006. Hernandez has 11 goals so far, with postseason play still remaining. The UCLA freshmen record for points is 32, set by Joe-Max Moore in 1990. Hernandez currently sits six points back at 26.
Nine Bruins Named to All-Pac-12 Team
Nine UCLA Bruins men's soccer players were named to the All-Pac-12 team, including four to the first team. The full list of selections can be found below.
First Team All-Pac-12
Seyi Adekoya (Sophomore, Forward)
Abu Danladi (Sophomore, Forward)
Jose Hernandez (Freshman, Midfielder)
Jackson Yueill (Freshman, Midfielder)
Honorable Mention All-Pac-12
Michael Amick (Junior, Defender)
Chase Gasper (Sophomore, Defender)
Nathan Smith (Sophomore, Defender)
Javan Torre (Senior, Defender)
Jordan Vale (Senior, Midfielder)
The Fearsome Foursome
UCLA attackers Seyi Adekoya, Abu Danladi, Jose Hernandez and Jackson Yueill have combined to create one of the most dynamic group of offensive players in the country. Combined, the four have 36 of the team's 45 goals and have racked up a total of 92 points. Jose Hernandez (26), Seyi Adekoya (25) and Abu Danladi (22) rank first, second and third in points in the Pac-12 conference respectively, with Jackson Yueill (19) coming in at number seven. One or more players from the group has scored a goal in 16 of the team's 19 games.
UCLA Offense Among Nation's Elite
The UCLA offense has been among the best in the entire nation in 2015. The Bruins enter the tournament with 45 goals through 19 regular season matches, already besting their season total of 39 goals in 24 games last season. UCLA is currently one of only five schools (Butler, Dayton, Lehigh & Winthrop) to have two double-digit goal scorers and one of only three schools (Akron & Seattle) with three 20+ point scorers. UCLA led the Pac-12 in total goals and goals per game (2.37). Among all Division I collegiate soccer teams, the Bruins rank T-2nd in goals per game, 4th in total goals and T-4th in points per game (6.63).
Goals Coming In Bunches
UCLA has had several big-goal outputs this season, including a, 6-0, win over Cal on October 19. The Bruins have scored four goals or more in six matches this season, the most 4+ goal outputs since 2003, when the Bruins totaled the same number. Additionally, UCLA has produced seven 3+ goal outputs this season.
Youth Reigns Supreme
For UCLA this season, the youth has carried the scoring load throughout the regular season. Of the Bruins' 45 goals, 38 have been scored by freshmen or sophomores. Additionally, the freshmen and sophomores have racked up 101 of the team's 128 points, accounting for 79 percent of the team's scoring output. The complete scoring breakdown by class can be found below.
| Class | Goals | Assists | Points |
| Freshman | 20 | 11 | 51 |
| Sophomore | 18 | 14 | 50 |
| Junior | 2 | 8 | 12 |
| Senior | 5 | 5 | 15 |
2014 Tournament in Review
The Bruins entered last year's NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 overall seed and advanced all the way to the College Cup Final. UCLA defeated San Diego, Cal, North Carolina and Providence to reach the final, before falling in PKs to the Virginia Cavaliers.
2014 Tournament Results
2nd Round - (W) UCLA 2, San Diego 1 (OT)
3rd Round - (W) UCLA 3, California 2
Quarterfinals - (W) UCLA 3, North Carolina 3 (PKs)
Semifinals - (W) UCLA 3, Providence 2 (2OT)
Final - (L) Virginia 0, UCLA 0 (PKs)
