Friday, October 20
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
UCLA
vs
San Diego State
Jose Contell (photo: Ross Turteltaub)
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
Bruins to Host San Diego State on Friday Night
October 18, 2023 | Men's Soccer
UCLA (5-3-3, 2-0-2) vs. San Diego State (6-2-4, 0-2-2)
Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 20 - 7 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Wallis Annenberg Stadium)
Stream: Pac-12.com / Pac-12 Now app
Talent: Jonah Malkin
Live Stats
UCLA Set to Host San Diego State on Friday Night
The UCLA men's soccer team (5-3-3, 2-0-2 Pac-12) continues a season-long four-game homestand this week, facing Pac-12 affiliate member San Diego State (6-2-4, 0-2-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be streamed live through Pac-12.com, with Jonah Malkin on the call, and fans can also follow along with live stats on uclalivestats.com and Twitter updates from @UCLAMSoccer.
Quick Hits
UCLA dropped its lone game last week, falling 1-0 to LMU in a non-conference battle at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Saturday. LMU scored the game's lone goal in the third minute, and UCLA couldn't overcome that early marker despite 12 Bruin shots and a relentless attack in the final 20 minutes of the contest. The second half was dominated by the Bruins, who outshot the Lions by a 9-2 count in the second stanza and 12-8 overall. Tucker Lepley had a good look on a long-distance shot in the 56th minute, but his curling drive went high. A minute later, Tommy Silva sent a ball into the box that came close to finding Jack Sarkos but was instead pushed out by LMU keeper Massimo Pomponi. Karani nearly tied the game in the 72nd minute after a quick throw-in reached Ryan Becher in the box. Becher flicked it to Karani, but his shot hit the side netting. Jose Contell had a shot saved in the 76th minute, and Karani's header off a corner kick was saved in the 79th minute. UCLA had one last-ditch attempt to tie in the final 30 seconds of the game but was unable to connect on the service in the box.
Bruins Earn Back-to-Back Pac-12 Player of the Week Honors in October
UCLA grad transfers Ryan Becher (Oct. 2) and Jack Sarkos (Oct. 9) earned the first two Pac-12 Player of the Week honors this month. It was the first time since 2019 that UCLA had earned back-to-back weekly honors from the league.
Graduate forward Jack Sarkos has been on a tear to open the season, scoring a team-high eight goals over the first 11 games of the year. His 0.73 goals per game rate rates second in the Pac-12 (percentage points behind OSU's Logan Farrington) and 19th in the country. Notably, he scored seven goals in his first seven games in Westwood, a total which would have led UCLA for the entire season in each of the past three campaigns. He posted five goals in a four-game span to open the season, becoming the first Bruin to do so Milan Iloski in 2019 (Iloski went on to lead the NCAA that season with 1.06 goals per game).
Notable Statistical Rankings
The Bruins head into this week's contests with strong marks, in the Pac-12 and nationally, in the following stats:
UCLA went 2-0-0 last year against SDSU, outscoring the Aztecs 4-1 on aggregate:
UCLA owns a 48-7-15 record all-time against SDSU, including a 23-4-9 mark since the Aztecs joined the Pac-12 Conference as an affiliate for men's soccer in 2005. UCLA has won or split the series in all but one year (2007) during that time, and carries an eight-game unbeaten streak into Friday's game. The Bruins are 6-0-2 against SDSU under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden, with a plus-11 goal differential. Current Bruins to have scored against SDSU in their careers include Tommy Silva (4G, 2A in 6 GP), Tucker Lepley (3 G, 1 A in 4 GP), Jose Contell (1G, 2 A in 4 GP), Andre Ochoa (1 G in 2 GP), and Grayson Doody (1A in 6 GP).
Take Your Shot
The Bruins have tallied double-digit shots in each of their first 11 games to start the season, including a season-high 19 shot attempts on two occasions. This is UCLA's longest streak of 10+ shot games since 2016, when the Bruins closed out the season with 14 consecutive double-digit-shot efforts. The Bruins enter the weekend with the No. 11 shot rate in the country (15.45 per game) as well as the No. 4 shots on goal rate (7.3 per game). UCLA is 5-0-1 this when taking at least 17 shots in a game.
Offensive Breakout
The Bruins have broken out for four goals in three of the last eight games, and four times overall this season in just 11 games. This year marks the first time since 2016 that a Bruin squad has potted 4+ goals twice in a three-game span. It also marks the first time since 2016 that UCLA has had a quartet of four-goal games in a single season (the 2016 squad had five such performances). For the season, UCLA is averaging 2.2 goals per game, ranking 19th in the NCAA.
Filling the Net
UCLA scored multiple goals in five straight games from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 before seeing that streak come to an end against LMU on Oct. 14. It was the first time the Bruins scored multiple goals in five straight games since Oct. 16-30, 2014. Under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden, UCLA is 28-4-5 when scoring multiple goals.
Depth in Westwood
So far this season, all but three of UCLA's 19 outfield players to have seen game action have recorded at least one point. The Bruins' 16 players with a point co-lead the Pac-12, and are the most by a UCLA squad since 2018 (also 16). The Bruins also have six players this season with multiple goals, ranking second in the league to San Diego State, which paces the Pac-12 in both total goals (28) and multi-goal scorers (7).
Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 20 - 7 p.m. PT
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Wallis Annenberg Stadium)
Stream: Pac-12.com / Pac-12 Now app
Talent: Jonah Malkin
Live Stats
UCLA Set to Host San Diego State on Friday Night
The UCLA men's soccer team (5-3-3, 2-0-2 Pac-12) continues a season-long four-game homestand this week, facing Pac-12 affiliate member San Diego State (6-2-4, 0-2-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. PT. The game will be streamed live through Pac-12.com, with Jonah Malkin on the call, and fans can also follow along with live stats on uclalivestats.com and Twitter updates from @UCLAMSoccer.
Quick Hits
- UCLA is 5-3-3 to this point of the season, with wins coming against Virginia Tech, Rutgers, UC Irvine, Cal, and Washington
- The Bruins have scored multiple goals in five of the last six games
- UCLA is the only Pac-12 school with a quartet of four-goal games this season
- The Bruins rank top-25 nationally in goals per game (2.18, 17th) and shots on goal per game (7.27, 4th)
- UCLA paces the Pac-12 in shots per game (15.5), shot accuracy (47%), and fewest fouls per game (9.6)
- UCLA has recorded 10+ shots in 11 straight games to start the year, the program's longest streak since 2016
- Jack Sarkos enters the week among the top in the nation in goals per game (0.73, 19th)
- The Bruins' four goals vs. VT on Aug. 24 were their most in a season-opener since 2018
- Sarkos had two goals in that Virginia Tech game, becoming the first player with a brace in his Bruin debut since 2018
- Dating to Sept. 15 of last season, UCLA has allowed one goal or fewer in 20 of its last 26 games
- 19 of UCLA's 24 goals this year have been scored by players who entered the season with zero career goals as Bruins
- Sept. 4's result represented UCLA's first tie in a home game since Feb. 20, 2021 (a span of 27 home contests)
- UCLA is 5-0-2 this season when scoring first, and 0-3-1 when conceding first
UCLA dropped its lone game last week, falling 1-0 to LMU in a non-conference battle at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on Saturday. LMU scored the game's lone goal in the third minute, and UCLA couldn't overcome that early marker despite 12 Bruin shots and a relentless attack in the final 20 minutes of the contest. The second half was dominated by the Bruins, who outshot the Lions by a 9-2 count in the second stanza and 12-8 overall. Tucker Lepley had a good look on a long-distance shot in the 56th minute, but his curling drive went high. A minute later, Tommy Silva sent a ball into the box that came close to finding Jack Sarkos but was instead pushed out by LMU keeper Massimo Pomponi. Karani nearly tied the game in the 72nd minute after a quick throw-in reached Ryan Becher in the box. Becher flicked it to Karani, but his shot hit the side netting. Jose Contell had a shot saved in the 76th minute, and Karani's header off a corner kick was saved in the 79th minute. UCLA had one last-ditch attempt to tie in the final 30 seconds of the game but was unable to connect on the service in the box.
Bruins Earn Back-to-Back Pac-12 Player of the Week Honors in October
UCLA grad transfers Ryan Becher (Oct. 2) and Jack Sarkos (Oct. 9) earned the first two Pac-12 Player of the Week honors this month. It was the first time since 2019 that UCLA had earned back-to-back weekly honors from the league.
- Becher led the Bruins to an unbeaten first week of Pac-12 play, scoring in both of the team's matches as UCLA took away four points from its Bay Area league rivals. He headed home an Andre Ochoa free kick in the 15th minute of an eventual 2-2 draw with No. 4 Stanford, and redirected a Jose Contell cross in the 50th minute of a 2-1 victory over California.
- Sarkos had a team-high four points (1-2=4) as the Bruins went unbeaten at the Pac-12 Pacific Northwest schools. He figured in the scoring of both goals as UCLA overcame a 2-0 deficit to force a 2-2 draw at OSU, then earned the primary assist on UCLA's final goal in a 4-2 win at Washington. It was the third career weekly honor for Sarkos, and his first at UCLA (he earned two as an undergrad at Lehigh).
Graduate forward Jack Sarkos has been on a tear to open the season, scoring a team-high eight goals over the first 11 games of the year. His 0.73 goals per game rate rates second in the Pac-12 (percentage points behind OSU's Logan Farrington) and 19th in the country. Notably, he scored seven goals in his first seven games in Westwood, a total which would have led UCLA for the entire season in each of the past three campaigns. He posted five goals in a four-game span to open the season, becoming the first Bruin to do so Milan Iloski in 2019 (Iloski went on to lead the NCAA that season with 1.06 goals per game).
Notable Statistical Rankings
The Bruins head into this week's contests with strong marks, in the Pac-12 and nationally, in the following stats:
- Shots on Goal Per Game - 7.27 (1st in Pac-12 / 4th in NCAA)
- Shots Per Game - 15.45 (1st in Pac-12 / 11th in NCAA)
- Fewest Fouls Per Game - 9.64 (1st in Pac-12 / 21st in NCAA)
- Corner Kicks Per Game - 6.09 (1st in Pac012 / 22nd in NCAA)
- Goals Per Game - 2.18 (2nd in Pac-12 / 17th in NCAA)
- Assists Per Game - 2.55 (3rd in Pac-12 / 10th in NCAA)
- Points Per Game - 6.91 (3rd in Pac-12 / 16th in NCAA)
- Goal Differential - +9 (3rd in Pac-12 / 40th in NCAA)
UCLA went 2-0-0 last year against SDSU, outscoring the Aztecs 4-1 on aggregate:
- W, 2-0, on Oct. 7, 2022 at UCLA: The Bruins scored a pair of second-half goals as part of a 2-0 home win over SDSU. Since-graduated Jose Sosa opened the scoring with a 65th minute penalty kick goal. Then-junior right back Grayson Doody earned the PK after putting in a left-footed shot from the edge of the box that went off an SDSU defender's hand. Tommy Silva then doubled the lead about 20 minutes later, closing on a SDSU defender deflecting an attempted clearance from inside the six-yard box back into SDSU's net. It was Silva's fourth goal in five career games against SDSU.
- W, 2-1, on Nov. 11, 2022 at SDSU: UCLA finished the regular season by posting a 2-1 win on the road at San Diego State. Tucker Lepley and Andre Ochoa each recorded second-half goals to lead the win, as the Bruins never trailed. Lepley opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, drilling a left-footed shot from the penalty arc off a Grayson Doody feed. SDSU equalized shortly thereafter, but Ochoa provided the game-winner against his former team in the 73rd, smashing a right-footed shot from inside the box after Jose Contell ran down a ball before the end line and tapped a pass back to the top of the box for a crashing Ochoa.
UCLA owns a 48-7-15 record all-time against SDSU, including a 23-4-9 mark since the Aztecs joined the Pac-12 Conference as an affiliate for men's soccer in 2005. UCLA has won or split the series in all but one year (2007) during that time, and carries an eight-game unbeaten streak into Friday's game. The Bruins are 6-0-2 against SDSU under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden, with a plus-11 goal differential. Current Bruins to have scored against SDSU in their careers include Tommy Silva (4G, 2A in 6 GP), Tucker Lepley (3 G, 1 A in 4 GP), Jose Contell (1G, 2 A in 4 GP), Andre Ochoa (1 G in 2 GP), and Grayson Doody (1A in 6 GP).
Take Your Shot
The Bruins have tallied double-digit shots in each of their first 11 games to start the season, including a season-high 19 shot attempts on two occasions. This is UCLA's longest streak of 10+ shot games since 2016, when the Bruins closed out the season with 14 consecutive double-digit-shot efforts. The Bruins enter the weekend with the No. 11 shot rate in the country (15.45 per game) as well as the No. 4 shots on goal rate (7.3 per game). UCLA is 5-0-1 this when taking at least 17 shots in a game.
Offensive Breakout
The Bruins have broken out for four goals in three of the last eight games, and four times overall this season in just 11 games. This year marks the first time since 2016 that a Bruin squad has potted 4+ goals twice in a three-game span. It also marks the first time since 2016 that UCLA has had a quartet of four-goal games in a single season (the 2016 squad had five such performances). For the season, UCLA is averaging 2.2 goals per game, ranking 19th in the NCAA.
Filling the Net
UCLA scored multiple goals in five straight games from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 before seeing that streak come to an end against LMU on Oct. 14. It was the first time the Bruins scored multiple goals in five straight games since Oct. 16-30, 2014. Under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden, UCLA is 28-4-5 when scoring multiple goals.
Depth in Westwood
So far this season, all but three of UCLA's 19 outfield players to have seen game action have recorded at least one point. The Bruins' 16 players with a point co-lead the Pac-12, and are the most by a UCLA squad since 2018 (also 16). The Bruins also have six players this season with multiple goals, ranking second in the league to San Diego State, which paces the Pac-12 in both total goals (28) and multi-goal scorers (7).
Players Mentioned
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