#16 UCLA vs. #4 Maryland
StubHub Center
Friday, Aug. 26 - 7:00 pm PT
Live Stream - pac-12.com (John Ramey)
Live Stats - uclabruins.com/livestats
Twitter - @uclamsoccer
Tickets: $15 (uclabruins.com/tickets)
Parking: Free
#16 UCLA vs. Cal State Fullerton
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Monday, Aug. 29 - 7:00 pm PT
Live Audio - uclabruins.com
Live Stats - uclabruins.com/livestats
Twitter - @uclamsoccer
Tickets: $8 adults/$5 youth (uclabruins.com/tickets)
UCLA Hosts Maryland at StubHub Center Friday, Cal State Fullerton at Drake Stadium Monday
Two of college soccer's power programs - four-time NCAA champion UCLA and three-time NCAA champion Maryland - will kick off the 2016 season in a big way with a matchup at the StubHub Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, on Friday, Aug. 26. Kickoff is at 7pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at uclabruins.com/tickets. All seating is general admission. Parking at the StubHub Center will be free for this contest.
UCLA returns to campus for a Monday, Aug. 29 matchup against two-time defending Big West Tournament champion Cal State Fullerton. The match will take place at Marshall Field at Drake Stadium at 7pm.
UCLA in Season Openers
UCLA is 37-8-5 all-time in season openers. Last season, the Bruins defeated New Mexico, 1-0, in the season opener at Drake Stadium thanks to a goal by Malcolm Jones.
A Look at the Bruins
UCLA returns seven starters from last season's team that went 11-9-1 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins' returning starters are goalkeeper Juan Cervantes; defenders Michael Amick and Chase Gasper; midfielders Jose Hernandez, Jackson Yueill; and forwards Seyi Adekoya and Abu Danladi. They combined to score 37 goals with 24 assists, accounting for 79% of the team's goal scoring a year ago.
The Bruins bring in a recruiting class that was ranked No. 5 in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. Leading the way among the newcomers are U.S. U-19 Men's National Team members Kevin Silva and Reggie Cannon, junior college All-American Jason Romero, 2016 first-team All-State defender Ethan Shacknai, and Minnesota Thunder Academy goalkeeper Duncan Werling.
What Returns for UCLA
UCLA brings back its top four scorers from last year, all of whom scored 20+ points. Jose Hernandez led all players with 26 points (11g, 4a), followed by leading goal scorer Seyi Adekoya, who totaled 25 points off 12 goals. Abu Danladi led UCLA with 10 assists and also had six goals for a total of 22 points, and Jackson Yueill had 20 points off seven goals and six assists. The Bruins' main offensive loss comes from Larry Ndjock (3g, 1a) and Jordan Vale (2g, 2a).
By The Numbers ...
| Stat | Returns | Lost | % Returning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | 39 | 7 | 84.8% |
| Assists | 31 | 8 | 79.5% |
| Points | 109 | 22 | 83.2% |
| Shots | 247 | 70 | 77.9% |
| SOG | 106 | 27 | 79.7% |
| GWG | 7 | 4 | 63.6% |
| Saves | 32 | 14 | 69.6% |
The Bruins enter the season ranked No. 16 in the NSCAA Coaches preseason poll and No. 6 in Top Drawer Soccer's preseason poll.
For the seventh consecutive year, the Pac-12 coaches picked the Bruins to finish first in the conference. UCLA received four first place votes. Defending NCAA champion Stanford received the other two.
Additionally, five Bruin players were selected to the 11-man preseason all-conference team – forwards Seyi Adekoya and Abu Danladi, midfielders Jose Hernandez and Jackson Yueill, and defender Michael Amick. Hernandez was the 2015 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and Adekoya, Danladi and Yueill each earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors last season.
Hernandez, Danladi Named to Watch List
Junior striker Abu Danladi and sophomore midfielder Jose Hernandez were named to the Missouri Athletic Club's (MAC) Hermann Trophy watch list, the sport's mosts prestigious individual award.
Danladi returns for his junior season after racking up six goals and a team-high 10 assists (22 points) in 19 games last season. The Takoradi, Ghana native earned first team All-Pac-12, second team Top Drawer Soccer Best XI and NSCAA All-Far West honors. Danladi was one of four UCLA players to record 20 or more points, and he posted a stretch of six consecutive games with a goal or an assist.
Hernandez returns for his sophomore campaign after being named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2015. The Mexico City, Mexico native racked up 11 goals and four assists, posting a team-high 26 points in 21 games for the Bruins. In addition to his freshman of the year honor, Hernandez also earned first team All-Pac-12, first team Top Drawer Soccer Freshman Best XI, first team College Soccer News All-Freshman and NSCAA All-Far West team honors. Hernandez finished one goal away from tying the UCLA freshman record for goals in a season and six points away from tying the UCLA freshman record for points in a season.
Bruins Honored on TDS Preseason Best XI
Three Bruins were selected to Top Drawer Soccer's 2016 Preseason Best XI team - first-team honorees Jackson Yueill and Abu Danladi and second-team midfielder Jose Hernandez. Goalkeeper Kevin Silva and defender Reggie Cannon were named to the Freshman First Team.
Scouting the Terrapins
Preseason No. 4 Maryland advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals a year ago, falling just short of the College Cup after being downed by Clemson in penalty kicks. Head coach Sasho Cirovski returns eight starters from last season's squad, including All-Big Ten honorees Alex Crognale, Chris Odoi-Atsem, Sebastian Elney and Eryk Williamson. Maryland also brings in the No. 3 recruiting class in the nation.
The Series With Maryland
UCLA is 3-5-1 all-time against Maryland and lost a heartbreaker in overtime last season in College Park, 2-1. The Bruins scored late in the second half to force overtime, thanks to an 80th minute strike by Abu Danladi, but the Terrapins got the game-winner in the 96th minute on a header by Sebastian Elney. UCLA's last win in the series came in 2009, a 2-0 win at Maryland. The Bruins and Terrapins opened the 2008 season at the StubHub Center (then named The Home Depot Center), with Maryland prevailing, 2-1 in overtime, after a 97th minute goal by Rodney Wallace.
Scouting the Titans
Cal State Fullerton went 13-8-1 last season, posting its best record since 2000. The Titans won the Big West Tournament for the second consecutive year to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Fullerton returns its top scorer from 2015, Diego Sanchez, who totaled eight goals and three assists.
The Series With Cal State Fullerton
UCLA is 29-7-3 all-time against Cal State Fullerton and won the last matchup back in 2010, 3-2, at Titan Stadium.
Three Bruins in Top Drawer Soccer's Top 100
UCLA has placed five players in Top Drawer Soccer's Preseason list of Top 100 players, including three in the Top 15. Forward Abu Danladi tops the field in the No. 1 position. Midfielder Jackson Yueill is No. 5, and midfielder Jose Hernandez ranks No. 14. Additionally, forward Seyi Adekoya ranks 37th, and defender Michael Amick ranks 79th.
Challenging Schedule
The Bruins will play eight games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including two matchups against defending NCAA champion Stanford and a home contest against 2015 NCAA semifinalist Akron. Other NCAA Tournament teams UCLA will face are Cal State Fullerton, Coastal Carolina, Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, and Maryland.
Looking Ahead
The Bruins' five-game homestand to start the season continues with a Sept. 2 matchup against Duke and a Sept. 5 meeting with Akron. The UCLA-Duke game is the first game in a doubleheader with the UCLA women, who host defending NCAA champion Penn State at 8pm.
Bruins on Pac-12 Networks
The Pac-12 Networks are set to televise 11 of UCLA's 19 matches, including seven of the Bruins' 10 conference contests. UCLA's first appearance on the Network is a Sept. 2 televised matchup against Duke.