Thursday, November 2
Berkeley, CA
3:30 PM
UCLA
at
California
Photo by: Jamie Mitchell
UCLA at California Thursday Afternoon
November 01, 2023 | Men's Soccer
LOS ANGELES - The UCLA men's soccer team (7-3-4, 4-0-3 Pac-12) begins their final road trip of the regular season at California (6-5-4, 2-3-2 Pac-12) on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. PT at Edwards Stadium in Berkeley, California. The contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks, with David Kenna on the call. Besides the P12N broadcast, fans can follow along with a live stream through Pac-12.com and live Twitter updates from @UCLAMSoccer.
Quick Hits
With the win 1-0 win over Washington and the 0-0 draw with Oregon State, the Bruins continued their undefeated streak in Pac-12 play, improving their conference record to 4-0-3. The Bruins are the only team without a loss in Pac-12 play this year. In addition, it's the first time UCLA has won its first four league games since 2011, when the Bruins went 10-0-0 en route to the league title. The Bruins are unbeaten in eight straight league games dating back to last year, the program's longest streak since 2013. UCLA (15 pts) enters Thursday's contest second in the Pac-12 table, but has two games in hand compared to league-leading OSU (18 points).
The Week in Review
UCLA went 1-0-1 in its last two contests, downing Washington 1-0 on Thursday before earning a 0-0 draw with Oregon State on senior day:
The Bruins head into this week's contests with strong marks, in the Pac-12 and nationally, in the following stats:
UCLA owns a 50-20-8 record all-time against Cal. The Bruins are 6-2-2 in their last 10 matches overall against Cal, and have won the three most recent matchups, including a 2-1 win this season at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Bruins have scored a total of21 goals against the Bears over their last 10 meetings, good for an average of over two per contest.
Last Time Out Against California
Ryan Becher and Tucker Lepley both scored in the second half to earn the Bruins a 2-1 win at Wallis Annenberg Stadium back on October 1st. Becher's goal was assisted by Jose Contell, and gave UCLA a 1-0 lead in the contest in the 50th minute. With under five minutes to go at the 85:45 mark, Lepley doubled the Bruins advantage with a beautiful solo goal that he took from just inside the 18-yard box off his left foot that curled into the top right corner of the net. Offensively the Bruins 17-11, and had 11 shots on target compared to Cal's one.
Take Your Shot
The Bruins have tallied double-digit shots in 13 of their first 14 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. 21 shot rate in the country (14.79 per game) as well as the No. 10 shots on goal rate (6.9 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 11 games, and four times overall this season in just 14 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 2.1 goals per game, ranking No. 21 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 29-4-5 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 (29) and multi-goal scorers (7).
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).
Sark(os) Attack
Graduate forward Jack Sarkos has been on a tear to open the season, scoring a team-high eight goals over his 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).
Riding the Momentum
Before falling 1-0 to LMU two weeks ago, UCLA had enjoyed a five-game unbeaten streak, the team's longest of the season and longest overall in the Ryan Jorden era (since 2019). UCLA's last five-game unbeaten streak came in 2014 (six games). Overall, the Bruins have just one loss over their last nine games.
2022 In Review
UCLA went 12-7-1 overall on the year, the program's most single-season wins since 2014
The Bruins advanced to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.
Quick Hits
- UCLA is 7-3-4 to this point of the season, with wins coming against Virginia Tech, Rutgers, UCI, Cal, Washington twice, and SDSU
- Earlier this season, UCLA had its first unbeaten (1-0-1) trip to the Pac-12 Pacific Northwest schools since 2017
- Jack Sarkos (1-2=4) was named Pac-12 Player of the Week after UCLA's trip to OSU and UW
- UCLA is unbeaten (4-0-3) in its first seven league games for the first time since 2011
- Dating back to last season, UCLA is unbeaten in their last eight Pac-12 games (program's longest streak since 2013)
- The Bruins have scored multiple goals in six of the last nine games
- UCLA is the only Pac-12 school with a quartet of four-goal games this season
- UCLA paces the Pac-12 in shots per game (14.8), shot accuracy (45%), and fewest fouls per game (9.8)
- Jack Sarkos entered the week among the top in the nation in goals per game (0.73, 20th)
- Dating to Sept. 15 of last season, UCLA has allowed one goal or fewer in 23 of its last 29 games
- 20 of UCLA's 27 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 6-0-2 this season when scoring first, and 1-3-1 when conceding first
- 2022: 12-7-1, reached NCAA 3rd rd. for first time since 2014, had a 10-game streak of allowing 1 GA or fewer
- In The Hunt
- With three games remaining in the league schedule, UCLA is squarely in the hunt for the Pac-12 title. The Bruins are seeking their ninth conference title in Pac-10/12 history, and first since 2012. UCLA previously won four straight Pac-10 titles (2002-05) before reeling off four league titles in five years (2008-09, 2011-12). The Bruins need four points from their next two matches to clinch at least a share of title, and if UCLA sweeps the Bay Area schools on the road then they will be Pac-12 champions.
With the win 1-0 win over Washington and the 0-0 draw with Oregon State, the Bruins continued their undefeated streak in Pac-12 play, improving their conference record to 4-0-3. The Bruins are the only team without a loss in Pac-12 play this year. In addition, it's the first time UCLA has won its first four league games since 2011, when the Bruins went 10-0-0 en route to the league title. The Bruins are unbeaten in eight straight league games dating back to last year, the program's longest streak since 2013. UCLA (15 pts) enters Thursday's contest second in the Pac-12 table, but has two games in hand compared to league-leading OSU (18 points).
The Week in Review
UCLA went 1-0-1 in its last two contests, downing Washington 1-0 on Thursday before earning a 0-0 draw with Oregon State on senior day:
- Sean Karani found the back of the net early in the second half to lead UCLA to a 1-0 win over Washington on Thursday in Westwood. It marked the Bruins' first home win over Washington since 2018, and the first sweep in the season series over the Huskies since 2015. UCLA has won two straight over UW, after the Huskies had taken each of the nine previous matchups. Karani's goal in the 47th minute, as he finished off a right wing cross from Jose Contell, who had taken on two defenders and beat them to the goal line with a deft inside move. The Bruins had the better of the chances throughout the night, including two near-goals (a Contell header was stopped by UW's Sam Fowler but may have crossed the goal line, and the Washington also had a clear hand ball in the box go uncalled). Frosh Wyatt Nelson made three saves to earn his second shutout of the year.
- UCLA then drew 0-0 with Oregon State on Sunday, on senior day at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Bruins notched their fourth clean sheet of the season, and their second in a row. UCLA limited the Beavers to just two shots on target and six overall, and the Bruins also had multiple attempts of their own saved by the OSU keeper to keep the match a scoreless draw between the top two sides in the Pac-12 standings.
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 - 6.64 (1st in Pac-12 / 13th in NCAA)
- Shots Per Game - 14.79 (1st in Pac-12 / 21st in NCAA)
- Corner Kicks Per Game - 6.14 (1st in Pac-12 / 22nd in NCAA)
- Fewest Fouls Per Game - 9.86 (1st in Pac-12 / 27th in NCAA)
- Assists Per Game - 2.29 (3rd in Pac-12 / 15th in NCAA)
- Points Per Game - 6.14 (3rd in Pac-12 / 25th in NCAA)
- Goal Differential - +11 (3rd in Pac-12 / 37th in NCAA)
UCLA owns a 50-20-8 record all-time against Cal. The Bruins are 6-2-2 in their last 10 matches overall against Cal, and have won the three most recent matchups, including a 2-1 win this season at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Bruins have scored a total of21 goals against the Bears over their last 10 meetings, good for an average of over two per contest.
Last Time Out Against California
Ryan Becher and Tucker Lepley both scored in the second half to earn the Bruins a 2-1 win at Wallis Annenberg Stadium back on October 1st. Becher's goal was assisted by Jose Contell, and gave UCLA a 1-0 lead in the contest in the 50th minute. With under five minutes to go at the 85:45 mark, Lepley doubled the Bruins advantage with a beautiful solo goal that he took from just inside the 18-yard box off his left foot that curled into the top right corner of the net. Offensively the Bruins 17-11, and had 11 shots on target compared to Cal's one.
Take Your Shot
The Bruins have tallied double-digit shots in 13 of their first 14 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. 21 shot rate in the country (14.79 per game) as well as the No. 10 shots on goal rate (6.9 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 11 games, and four times overall this season in just 14 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 2.1 goals per game, ranking No. 21 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 29-4-5 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 (29) and multi-goal scorers (7).
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).
Sark(os) Attack
Graduate forward Jack Sarkos has been on a tear to open the season, scoring a team-high eight goals over his 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).
Riding the Momentum
Before falling 1-0 to LMU two weeks ago, UCLA had enjoyed a five-game unbeaten streak, the team's longest of the season and longest overall in the Ryan Jorden era (since 2019). UCLA's last five-game unbeaten streak came in 2014 (six games). Overall, the Bruins have just one loss over their last nine games.
2022 In Review
UCLA went 12-7-1 overall on the year, the program's most single-season wins since 2014
The Bruins advanced to the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.
Players Mentioned
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