Sunday, November 5
Stanford, CA
4:00 PM
UCLA
at
Stanford
UCLA Set For Road Test at No. 19 Stanford
November 03, 2023 | Men's Soccer
LOS ANGELES -- The UCLA men's soccer team (7-3-5, 4-0-4 Pac-12) continues their final road trip of the regular season at No. 19 Stanford (8-2-5, 2-1-5 Pac-12) on Sunday at 4 p.m. PT at Cagan Stadium in Stanford, California. The contest will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks, with Troy Clardy 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 two 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 three points from their remaining two matches to clinch at least a share of title, and if UCLA picks up at least four points from their final two games on the road they will be Pac-12 regular season champions.
Taking on the Pac
With the 0-0 draw with Oregon State on senior day and the 1-1 draw on the road with California, the Bruins continued their undefeated streak in Pac-12 play, improving their conference record to 4-0-4. 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 eight league games since 2011, when the Bruins went 10-0-0 en route to the league title. The Bruins are unbeaten in nine straight league games dating back to last year, the program's longest streak since 2013. UCLA (16 pts) enters Sunday's contest tied atop the Pac-12 table, but has one game in hand compared to fellow league leaders Oregon State.
The Week in Review
UCLA went 0-0-2 in its last two contests, drawing with Oregon State 0-0 on senior day at Wallis Annenberg Stadium, and then tying Cal 1-1 on the road:
UCLA 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.
Andre Ochoa rescued a point for the Bruins on Thursday. His 81st minute strike got UCLA level in a game that freshman goalkeeper Wyatt Nelson shined in. The Seattle, Washington native made two massive stops for the Bruins in the first 45 minutes of play. The first happened in the 36th minute when Nelson stopped a point-blank shot with his outstretched right foot, and followed that up with another spectacular stop in the 40th minute. The second stop was a one-on-one save from the Nelson, as the Cal attacker was bearing down on goal before Nelson was able to get his fingertips to the ball and push it out for a corner. A Cal red card at the end of the half gave the Bruins a man advantage in the second half, and the Bruins responded with nine second half shots and the goal from Ochoa.
Notable Statistical Rankings
All-Time Series Against Stanford
UCLA owns a 45-18-12 record all-time against the Cardinal. The Bruins are 1-1-3 against Stanford in their last five matches overall, including a 2-2 draw this season at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
Last Time Out Against Stanford
Ryan Becher and Jack Sarkos both scored in the draw with Stanford at Wallis Annenberg Stadium back on September 28th. Becher opened the scoring in the 15th minute and was assisted by Andre Ochoa. After the Cardinal equalized midway through the first half, Sarkos then put the Bruins in front to begin the second half in the 50th minute. His seventh goal of the season was assisted by Bruins' left back Tommy Silva, but Stanford responded in the 54th minute with a goal of their own and the two sides played to a draw on the day.
Take Your Shot
The Bruins have tallied double-digit shots in 14 of their first 15 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. 24 shot rate in the country (14.47 per game) as well as the No. 11 shots on goal rate (6.67 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 12 games, and four times overall this season in just 15 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.
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
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).
2022 In Review
Quick Hits
- UCLA is 7-3-5 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 (4-0-4) in its first eight league games for the first time since 2011
- Dating back to last season, UCLA is unbeaten in their last nine Pac-12 games (program's longest streak since 2013)
- The Bruins have scored multiple goals in six of the last 10 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 (14.47), shot accuracy (45%), and fewest fouls per game (9.67)
- 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 24 of its last 30 games
- 20 of UCLA's 28 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 1-3-2 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
With two 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 three points from their remaining two matches to clinch at least a share of title, and if UCLA picks up at least four points from their final two games on the road they will be Pac-12 regular season champions.
Taking on the Pac
With the 0-0 draw with Oregon State on senior day and the 1-1 draw on the road with California, the Bruins continued their undefeated streak in Pac-12 play, improving their conference record to 4-0-4. 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 eight league games since 2011, when the Bruins went 10-0-0 en route to the league title. The Bruins are unbeaten in nine straight league games dating back to last year, the program's longest streak since 2013. UCLA (16 pts) enters Sunday's contest tied atop the Pac-12 table, but has one game in hand compared to fellow league leaders Oregon State.
The Week in Review
UCLA went 0-0-2 in its last two contests, drawing with Oregon State 0-0 on senior day at Wallis Annenberg Stadium, and then tying Cal 1-1 on the road:
UCLA 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.
Andre Ochoa rescued a point for the Bruins on Thursday. His 81st minute strike got UCLA level in a game that freshman goalkeeper Wyatt Nelson shined in. The Seattle, Washington native made two massive stops for the Bruins in the first 45 minutes of play. The first happened in the 36th minute when Nelson stopped a point-blank shot with his outstretched right foot, and followed that up with another spectacular stop in the 40th minute. The second stop was a one-on-one save from the Nelson, as the Cal attacker was bearing down on goal before Nelson was able to get his fingertips to the ball and push it out for a corner. A Cal red card at the end of the half gave the Bruins a man advantage in the second half, and the Bruins responded with nine second half shots and the goal from Ochoa.
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 - 6.67 (1st in Pac-12 / 11th in NCAA)
- Shots Per Game - 14.47 (1st in Pac-12 / 24th in NCAA)
- Corner Kicks Per Game - 6.00 (1st in Pac-12 / 26th in NCAA)
- Fewest Fouls Per Game - 9.67 (1st in Pac-12 / 21st in NCAA)
- Assists Per Game - 2.20 (3rd in Pac-12 / 18th in NCAA)
- Points Per Game - 5.93 (3rd in Pac-12 / 27th in NCAA)
- Goal Differential - +11 (3rd in Pac-12 / 41st in NCAA)
All-Time Series Against Stanford
UCLA owns a 45-18-12 record all-time against the Cardinal. The Bruins are 1-1-3 against Stanford in their last five matches overall, including a 2-2 draw this season at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.
Last Time Out Against Stanford
Ryan Becher and Jack Sarkos both scored in the draw with Stanford at Wallis Annenberg Stadium back on September 28th. Becher opened the scoring in the 15th minute and was assisted by Andre Ochoa. After the Cardinal equalized midway through the first half, Sarkos then put the Bruins in front to begin the second half in the 50th minute. His seventh goal of the season was assisted by Bruins' left back Tommy Silva, but Stanford responded in the 54th minute with a goal of their own and the two sides played to a draw on the day.
Take Your Shot
The Bruins have tallied double-digit shots in 14 of their first 15 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. 24 shot rate in the country (14.47 per game) as well as the No. 11 shots on goal rate (6.67 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 12 games, and four times overall this season in just 15 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.
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 Cal.
- 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).
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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