UCLA
Washington
Men's Soccer Opens Pac-12 Play Thursday Night
September 28, 2016 | Men's Soccer
#13 UCLA vs. #16 Washington
Los Angeles, Calif. (Drake Stadium)
Thursday, Sept. 29 - 7:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Network (Neil Sika, Cobi Jones)
Radio - uclabruins.com (John Ramey)
Live Stats - uclabruins.com/livestats
Twitter - @UCLAMSoccer
Tickets - $8 adults/$5 youth
#13 UCLA vs. Oregon State
Los Angeles, Calif. (Drake Stadium)
Sunday, Oct. 2 - 3:00 pm PT
TV - Pac-12 Network (Christian Miles, Cobi Jones)
Radio - uclabruins.com (John Ramey)
Live Stats - uclabruins.com/livestats
Twitter - @UCLAMSoccer
Tickets - $8 adults/$5 youth
Bruins Begin Conference Play Thursday
No. 13 UCLA (4-2-1) will begin Pac-12 play on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 7pm with a home match at Drake Stadium against No. 16 Washington (6-2-0). The Bruins will conclude the week on Sunday with a 3pm match against Oregon State (4-3-1).
International Night
UCLA will celebrate its international student-athletes on Thursday with an International Night. Anyone wearing an international jersey will receive free admission. UCLA has four players from foreign countries on the roster - Ghanians Abu Danladi and Abdullah Adam, German Felix Vobejda and Mexico native Jose Hernandez.
UCLA vs. Top 20
UCLA's match against No. 16 Washington will be the team's fourth against a Top 20 opponent this season. With wins over No. 1 Akron (6-1) and No. 13 UCSB (2-1 in OT) and the tie against No. 4 Maryland (1-1), the Bruins are 2-0-1 this year against Top 20 teams and 16-7-6 since 2013.
Last Time Out
A goal at the nine-minute mark stood for Cal Poly, who upset sixth-ranked UCLA, 1-0, in front of over 7,000 fans in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Although UCLA outshot Cal Poly 4-1 in the first half and 10-5 overall, the Mustangs made their one shot in the first half count, as Justin Dhillon shot with his left from the top of the box at 9:00 to score the game-winning goal.
Offensive Explosion
Despite the shutout last week, the Bruins have been on a goal-scoring tear, totaling 12 goals in their last four games. UCLA's offensive explosion has coincided with Abu Danladi's return from injury. In his first game back against Akron, Danladi scored two goals 11 seconds apart then added a goal in 34 minutes of play against CSUN and an assist on the game-winner at UCSB. Blayne Martinez and Brian Iloski have scored two goals in the last four games, and Jackson Yueill has a goal and four assists in the last four. Also scoring goals in the Bruins' last four games have been Seyi Adekoya, Jose Hernandez. Willie Raygoza and Matthew Powell.
Danladi's Dandy Debut
Junior forward Abu Danladi did not play in the team's first three games of the season due to a hamstring injury, but he made an epic season debut on Sept. 5 against Akron. Just eight minutes into his first game, he scored his first goal of the year, and then 11 seconds after that, he scored his second. Only two other players in NCAA history have scored two consecutive goals in a shorter time span.
Yueill Ties School Record for Assists
Sophomore midfielder Jackson Yueill tied the school record for assists in a game with four in the Bruins' 6-1 win over Akron on Sept. 5. Yueill, who was named to Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Week after that feat, had all four of his assists in the second half, including assists on the three goals that UCLA scored in a NCAA-record 32-second span. Yueill ranks fifth in the nation and first in the Pac-12 in assists per game with an average of 0.71 and is seventh nationally and first in the Pac-12 in total assists with five. In just over one season, Yueill has already totaled 11 career assists.
National Leaders
In addition to Jackson Yueill ranking in the Top 5 in the nation in assists per game, two other Bruins are in the Top 25 in various statistical categories. Midfielder Brian Iloski ranks 25th in the nation and first in the Pac-12 with two game-winning goals. Goalkeeper Juan Cervantes ranks 19th nationally and second in the Pac-12 in save percentage (0.833) and 24th in the nation and second in the conference with a goals against average of 0.681. He is also second in the Pac-12 in saves per game with an average of 3.57 and in total saves with 25. As a team, UCLA ranks 16th in save percentage (0.839), 21st in team goals against average (0.68) and 24th in scoring offense (2.00).
Scouting the Huskies
Washington enters the week on a three-game winning streak after home victories over Davidson (3-2 in double overtime), College of Charleston (2-0) and Seattle (2-1). The Huskies are led in scoring by Handwalla Bwana, who has totaled 10 points (3g, 4a). Midfielder Henry Wingo, who earned NSCAA All-Region honors last season, will sit out Thursday's match after receiving a red card against Seattle last weekend.
The Series with Washington
UCLA is 28-12-4 all-time against Washington and has not lost to the Huskies in seven consecutive meetings. Over that stretch, the Bruins are 6-0-1, including a pair of wins in 2015. Washington's last victory came on Oct. 8, 2012, 2-1.
Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State enters the week having won just once in its last four games. The Beavers had a tough stretch, facing No. 4 Akron and No. 19 Butler two weeks ago before rebounding to post a 2-0 win over UNLV. Jordan Jones and Timmy Mueller lead the Beavers with three goals apiece. Goalkeeper Nolan Wirth has posted a 0.96 goals against average with three shutouts.
The Series with Oregon State
UCLA is 29-5-3 all-time against Oregon State and split the seasons series a year ago, with the Beavers winning in Corvallis, 1-0 in overtime, and the Bruins winning in Los Angeles, 4-1.
Starting Six
Six Bruins have started all seven games for the Bruins this season - goalkeeper Juan Cervantes; defenders Michael Amick, Reggie Cannon and Matthew Powell; and midfielders Erik Holt and Jose Hernandez. All six have totaled at least 600 minutes of play. Cervantes, Amick and Powell have played all 661 minutes, and Holt has played in 658. Hernandez has 641, and Cannon has totaled 600.
In the Rankings
The Bruins slipped from sixth to 13th in the NSCAA rankings and dropped from third to ninth in the Soccer America poll and eighth to 12th in the Top Drawer Soccer poll.
Record-Setters
In just one half of action against top-ranked Akron on Sept. 5, UCLA set or tied several records. The Bruins set an NCAA record by scoring three goals in 32 seconds (Abu Danladi, 52:28 and 52:39; Blayne Martinez, 53:00). The previous record was 43 seconds, set by Syracuse in 1989. Danladi's two goals 11 seconds apart gave him the distinction of having the third-fastest consecutive goals in NCAA history. Only Robby Christner of Oregon State (:08 in 2008) and Jon Hall of American (:09 in 1987) scored two goals faster. UCLA now has three players in the Top 11 in this category. Julio Umana scored two goals in 15 seconds in 1994 vs. CSUN, and Eddie Lewis scored two in 20 seconds in 1994 vs. Davidson. Additionally, Jackson Yueill tied the UCLA record held by Michael Stephens (2008) and Zak Ibsen (1991) for most assists in a game with four.
Henderson to be Inducted into UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame this Weekend
This weekend, former U.S. National Team standout Chris Henderson will become the eighth representative from men's soccer to be inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. Henderson was selected to Soccer America's All-Freshman team in 1989, and as a sophomore in 1990, he earned first-team NSCAA All-America honors while leading the Bruins to their second NCAA title. He was one of just three collegiate players to earn a spot on the 1990 U.S. World Cup team and was the youngest player in the tournament. Henderson, who totaled 79 caps for the U.S. National Team, was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team and an alternate for the 1994 and 1998 World Cup squads. After playing professionally in Europe, Henderson played in Major League Soccer from 1996-2001 and retired as the league's all-time leader in games played with 317.
