University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Duke
UCLA Hosts Duke in Drake Doubleheader Friday
August 31, 2016 | Men's Soccer
#9 UCLA vs. Duke
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Friday, Sept. 2 - 5:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Network (Christian Miles, Cobi Jones)
Live Stats - uclabruins.com/livestats
Twitter - @uclamsoccer
Tickets: $8 adults/$5 youth (uclabruins.com/tickets)
#9 UCLA vs. #1 Akron
Marshall Field at Drake Stadium
Monday, Sept. 5 - 5:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Network (Neil Sika, Cobi Jones)
Live Audio - uclabruins.com (Nick Koop)
Live Stats - uclabruins.com/livestats
Twitter - @uclamsoccer
Tickets: $8 adults/$5 youth (uclabruins.com/tickets)
UCLA Hosts Duke in Drake Doubleheader
Los Angeles soccer fans will get a chance to see two Top 12 UCLA soccer teams on one ticket Friday when the Bruin men and women host a doubleheader at Drake Stadium. The 9th-ranked UCLA men (1-0-1) kick things off with a 5pm contest against Duke (1-0-1), and the 11th-ranked Bruin women close it out with an 8pm matchup against defending NCAA champion and 13th-ranked Penn State. Both matches will be televised live on Pac-12 Network.
Bruins Host No. 1 Akron Monday
After Friday's match, UCLA is back in action on Monday for a Labor Day battle against top-ranked Akron (2-0). The match will take place at Drake Stadium at 5pm and will be televised live on Pac-12 Network.
Last Time Out
UCLA survived Monday in overtime over visiting Cal State Fullerton, 1-0, thanks to a penalty kick goal by Brian Iloski in the 95th minute. The Titans had easily outshot the Bruins in each period of regulation and 14-7 overall, but a failure to convert chances and their foul in the penalty box proved to be costly for them. UCLA goalkeeper Juan Cervantes had a strong performance in goal, earning the shutout with five saves.
Bruins Possess Passing Strength
The strength of UCLA's possession game was no more evident than at kickoff of the season opener. The Bruins started the season off perfectly, stringing together 22 consecutive passes before Jason Romero shot and scored 65 seconds in.
Iloski Makes Successful Return
Midfielder Brian Iloski made a successful return to the pitch after redshirting the 2015 season due to injury. Iloski started in the Bruins' season opener against Maryland and quickly made an impact, sending a cross to Jason Romero for the first goal of the game at the 1:05 mark. Iloski scored the game-winner against Cal State Fullerton with his penalty kick in the 95th minute.
Fresh Faces
Three players got their first starts as Bruins in the season opener - junior forward Jason Romero, freshman defender Reggie Cannon, and redshirt freshman Matthew Powell. Additionally, freshman forward Blayne Martinez saw his first game action of his collegiate career. Romero made his presence known right away, scoring just 65 seconds into his first game as a Bruin. Redshirt sophomore defender Joab Santoyo earned his first start on Monday against Cal State Fullerton.
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).
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 Blue Devils
Duke opened the season with a 1-1 tie against San Diego. Cameron Moseley sent the game into overtime with the tying goal with just 14 seconds on the clock in regulation. On Sunday, the Blue Devils scored four second-half goals to defeat UNC Asheville, 5-1, and win the John Rennie Nike Invitational. Suniel Veerakone scored two goals over the weekend to earn tournament MVP honors. The Blue Devils are coming off a 10-7-2 season.
The Series With Duke
UCLA is 4-2 all-time against Duke. Friday's contest will be the first between the two teams in 10 years. UCLA won the last matchup in Durham in the 2006 NCAA Quarterfinals, 3-2 in overtime, to send the Bruins to the NCAA College Cup. Duke's last win came in 1995, 4-3 in overtime, also in Durham. This is Duke's first visit to UCLA since 1997. The Bruins won that game, 4-2.
Scouting the Zips
Akron returns seven starters from its 2015 NCAA semifinalist squad that went 18-3-3, including National Player of the Year candidate Adam Najem, who recorded 10 goals and 11 assists a year ago. The Zips opened the season with a pair of 1-0 victories over Top 10 squads - No. 7 Georgetown and No. 9 Seattle - to vault into the No. 1 ranking this week. Sophomore goalkeeper Ben Lundt was named the NSCAA National Player of the Week after posting two shutouts and making a career-best eight saves against Seattle.
The Series With Akron
UCLA is 4-0 all-time against Akron, with wins in 1978 (4-1), 1989 (2-0 A), 1991 (2-0 H) and 2015 (4-2 A). In last year's contest at Akron on Nov. 1, Seyi Adekoya and Jose Hernandez each scored two goals, including one each in the final 15 minutes of action. Abu Danladi registered three assists.
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.
