UCLA
Iowa State
UCLA Opens 2019 Season This Weekend
August 21, 2019 | Women's Soccer
No. 4 UCLA (17-3-2 in 2018) vs. Iowa State (4-14-2)
Date/Time: Friday, Aug. 23, 2019 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Wallis Annenberg Stadium)
Television: Pac-12 Networks
TV Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play-by-play), Tammy Blackburn (analyst)
Internet Radio: uclabruins.com
Radio Talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
Tickets: $10 adults / $5 youth (3-12)
Giveaways: 2019 schedule poster
Promotions: Military & Armed Forces Appreciation Night, First Responders Appreciation Night
No. 4 UCLA (17-3-2 in 2018) vs. Long Beach State (12-6-3)
Date/Time: Sunday, Aug. 25, 2019 โ 6 p.m. (PT)
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (George Allen Field)
Internet Video: Beach Vision
Live Stats: longbeachstate.com
Tickets: $12 adults / $9 seniors & youth (3-12)
UCLA BEGINS 27TH SEASON
No. 4 UCLA will begin its 27th season on Friday, Aug. 23 with the 2019 season opener against Iowa State at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The match will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks at 7:00 p.m. with Anne Marie Anderson and Tammy Blackburn calling the action. Nick Koop will have the call on internet radio at uclabruins.com. Two days later, on Sunday, Aug. 25, the Bruins will head down the 405 freeway to face Long Beach State at George Allen Field at 6:00 p.m. That match will be streamed live on BigWest.tv.
UCLA IN SEASON OPENERS
UCLA is 19-6-1 all-time in season openers and has won eight of the last nine. The Bruins won last season's opener against Long Beach State, 1-0, in the Grand Opening of Wallis Annenberg Stadium. Hailie Mace scored the game-winning goal in dramatic fashion with a steal and goal with two seconds remaining in regulation.
SCOUTING THE CYCLONES
Iowa State earned a Big 12 Tournament bid in 2018 and finished with a 4-14-2 record while facing the fourth-toughest regular season schedule in the nation. The Cyclones return 20 letterwinners but lost a seven-member senior class, including three captains. Iowa State's top returning scorer is Kassi Ginther, who scored nine points in 2018. The Cyclones also return center back Marin Daniel, who will serve as team captain. Iowa State had two shutout victories in exhibition play, defeating UNI, 4-0, and Drake, 2-0.
SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE
Long Beach State was chosen as the pre-season favorite to repeat as Big West champions. The Beach went 12-6-3 a year ago, advancing to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Katie Pingel is the team's top returning scorer, having recorded four goals and three assists in 2018. Long Beach State won its preseason scrimmage against FC Golden State, 3-0, and will open the regular season on Aug. 22 at Arizona.
BRUINS WIN PAIR OF EXHIBITIONS
UCLA played two exhibitions to start the preseason, defeating Loyola Marymount, 4-1, on Aug. 16 and UC Irvine, 2-1, on Aug. 18. Bruin newcomers played big roles in the victories, as LSU transfer Lucy Parker scored the first goal in the LMU game, while freshman forward Kali Trevithick scored a goal and assist in each game. Freshman forward Mia Fishel also tallied a goal in the UC Irvine contest. Junior Ashley Sanchez contributed one goal and two assists over the two games.
PRESEASON RANKING
UCLA will begin the season ranked No. 4 in the nation in the United Soccer Coaches and No. 2 in Top Drawer Soccer preseason polls. The Bruins were also picked No. 2 in the Pac-12 preseason poll. UCLA has games scheduled against three of the other four schools who are ranked in the Top 5 - No. 1 Florida State, No. 3 Stanford and No. 5 USC.
THREE ON MAC HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
Three members of the Bruin team have been selected to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List for 2019, including 2017 finalist Jessie Fleming, 2018 semifinalist Ashley Sanchez and LSU transfer and 2018 third-team All-American Lucy Parker. The MAC Hermann Trophy, presented by World Wide Technology, is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year. This year's winners will be announced Friday, Jan. 4, 2019 at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
BRUINS EARN PRESEASON HONORS
A national-best seven Bruins were selected by Top Drawer Soccer on its preseason Top 100 upperclassman list. Senior midfielder Jessie Fleming tops the list, followed by junior forward Ashley Sanchez, who ranks third. Fleming and Sanchez each made the TDS Preseason Best XI first-team, while junior defender Karina Rodriguez, who ranks as the No. 29 player, made the third team. UCLA's entire backline made the Top 100 list - No. 29 Rodriguez, No. 54 Lucy Parker, No. 61 Kaiya McCullough and No. 78 Delanie Sheehan. Also receiving recognition in the Top 100 was No. 36 Viviana Villacorta.
WORLD CUP BRUINS
Seniors Jessie Fleming and Teagan Micah were two of six Bruins who played in the 2019 Women's World Cup in France this summer. Fleming started all four of Canada's games, logging 360 minutes, the most of any collegiate player at the tournament. She scored her first World Cup goal in a 2-0 win over New Zealand and was named the FIFA Player of the Match. Micah was a reserve goalkeeper for the Australian team, which fell in penalties in the Round of 16. Other Bruins playing in the World Cup were Americans Abby Dahlkemper, Sam Mewis and Mal Pugh, and New Zealand's Rosie White.
BRUINS VS. THE WORLD
While Jessie Fleming and Teagan Micah were representing their respective countries at the World Cup, 20 of their Bruin teammates were representing the U.S. at the World University Games in Italy. The U.S. finished the tournament with a 2-2 record, dropping close 2-1 decisions against Italy and Japan to start but closing strong with a 4-0 win over South Africa and a 3-1 victory over Mexico. The Bruins had three goals from Ashley Sanchez and two each from Mia Fishel and Olivia Athens. Lauren Brzykcy recorded 10 saves vs. Japan and had a shutout against South Africa.
ELLIS TO BE INDUCTED INTO UCLA ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
Former UCLA head coach Jill Ellis will be inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 1, along with six other UCLA standouts. Ellis, the winningest coach in UCLA women's soccer history, posted a 229-45-14 record over 12 years (1999-2010) and led UCLA to eight College Cup appearances, including seven in a row from 2003-09. She won seven Pac-10 titles during her tenure and coached 13 Bruins to 24 NSCAA All-America honors. She left UCLA to join the U.S. Women's National Teams in 2011 and went on to become the head coach in 2014. Ellis led the U.S. to back-to-back FIFA Women's World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019, becoming only the second coach in men's or women's World Cup history to accomplish this feat.
2018 IN REVIEW
UCLA advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinal round for the fourth time in six years but were stopped short of a second-straight College Cup appearance after a penalty kick shootout at North Carolina. The Bruins went 17-3-2 on the year, finishing the season on a 13-match unbeaten streak. UCLA led the nation in scoring with 61 goals, 62 assists and 184 points. UCLA's accomplishments in 2018 all the more impressive considering top players Jessie Fleming and Hailie Mace missed half of the season while on National Team duty. Sophomore forward Ashley Sanchez had a record-breaking season, setting or tying five school records, including single-season assists (15), single-game assists (4), consecutive games with a goal or assist (13 and counting). Sanchez earned first-team All-America honors and was a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy.
BATTLE AT THE BANC
Collegiate soccer will come to Banc of California Stadium, home of LAFC, for the first time on Thursday, Aug. 29 when the UCLA and USC women's soccer teams play Florida State and Florida, respectively, in the "Battle at the Banc." The soccer doubleheader featuring four of the last six NCAA champions will begin at 5:30pm with 2013 champion and No. 4 UCLA taking on 2018 and 2014 champion and No. 1 Florida State. No. 5 USC, which won NCAA championships in 2016 and 2007, will host 1998 champion Florida in game two at 8pm. Both games will be televised live on Pac-12 Networks. UCLA has two Women's World Cup players on its roster โ seniors Jessie Fleming from Canada and Teagan Micah from Australia. The Canadian team also featured Gabrielle Carle from Florida State and Deanne Rose from Florida.
UCLA 100
UCLA will celebrate its first 100 years with a year-long university-wide Centennial Celebration. UCLA Athletics has several Centennial Celebration plans and giveaways in store for designated home events, including a set of 13 Centennial Pins highlighting each sport, as well as a souvenir mosaic poster that features personal photos submitted by UCLA fans. UCLA women's soccer's Centennial game will take place on Sept. 27.
