University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Thursday, August 24
Harrisonburg, VA
1:00 PM
UCLA
vs
Virginia Tech
Tucker Lepley (photo: Ross Turteltaub)
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
UCLA Kicks Off 2023 Season Against Virginia Tech, James Madison
August 23, 2023 | Men's Soccer
UCLA (0-0-0) vs. Virginia Tech (0-0-0)
Date/Time: Thursday, Aug. 24 - 1:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Sentara Park)
TV/Stream: N/A
Live Stats
UCLA (0-0-0) at James Madison (0-0-0)
Date/Time: Sunday, Aug. 27 - 4:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Sentara Park)
Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats
UCLA Opens New Season at the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational
The UCLA men's soccer team officially kicks off the 2023 campaign this week, heading to Harrisonburg, Va. for the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational, hosted by James Madison. The Bruins open the tourney with a neutral contest against Virginia Tech on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 1:00 p.m. PT (no stream will be available) before finishing up with a match against the host Dukes on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 4:00 p.m. PT (stream: ESPN+). Fans can also follow along with live tweets at @UCLAMSoccer.
Preseason Recap
UCLA posted a 2-1-0 record over three home exhibitions this summer, recovering from a 2-1 loss to UC Riverside to post back-to-back 1-0 results over Cal Poly and CSU Bakersfield. The Bruins' three goalscorers, in order, were redshirt junior forward Jose Contell, senior defender Grayson Doody, and graduate midfielder Ryan Becher. UCLA won the shot battle in each contest, allowing just 11 shot attempts combined over the three games (just five of which went on frame).
2022 In Review
The Bruins are 41-9-6 all-time in season openers (for the years in which game-by-game results are available). This year marks the first time since 2019 that UCLA is opening the season away from home. The Bruins are 3-1-0 in previous season-openers under Ryan Jorden, with a tough-luck loss to Lipscomb in spring 2021 representing the program's lone Opening Day defeat dating to 2013.
Keep an Eye on Tommy
UCLA senior defender Tommy Silva picked up plenty of preseason publicity ahead of the new campaign. Notably, he was the No. 6 ranked upperclassmen player — and the highest-ranked defender — in TopDrawerSoccer's preseason player rankings. He was also named to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team (see below) and was also cited on United Soccer Coaches' Preseason List of defenders to watch. Silva has earned All-Pac-12 Second Team honors in each of the past two seasons, leading the team last year with eight assists (1-8=10) after posting career highs in goals (6) and points (6-4=16) in the fall 2021 season.
Silva, Lepley Selected to Pac-12 Preseason Best XI
UCLA senior defender Tommy Silva and redshirt junior midfielder Tucker Lepley were both selected to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team. UCLA was one of just three schools with multiple players on the 11-man list. Silva has garnered all-league recognition in each of the last two seasons. Lepley was voted Team MVP in the fall 2021 season, and came back from an injury to post a five-game points streak down the stretch a year ago.
In The Polls
UCLA appeared in a pair of major national preseason polls, including an appearance at No. 27 (College Soccer News). The Bruins were also the team with the most votes outside the top-25 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
UCLA Picked Third in Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
UCLA was tabbed to finish third in a preseason poll of Pac-12 coaches. The Bruins were one of three teams to garner a first place vote.
1. Washington (4) - 23 pts
2. Stanford (1) – 21
3. UCLA (1) – 17
4. Oregon State – 15
5. California – 8
6. San Diego State - 6
Plenty of Continuity
UCLA returns the majority of its offensive production from a season ago, including:
UCLA blanked VIrginia Tech, 1-0, at home on Aug. 28, 2022 in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Jose Contell scored the game-winner for UCLA, breaking a scoreless tie with an 81st-minute marker. Tarun Karumanchi sparked a counter to set up the game-winner, laying off a ball for Tommy Silva, who first-timed a cross from the left wing into the box, where Contell met it with a sliding shot near the penalty spot. The Bruins held the Hokies without a shot on goal, out-shooting them 10-5 for the game. UCLA rose as high as No. 4 in the national rankings after the result.
New Blood
The Bruins brought in six transfers to augment the roster for the 2023 season:
UCLA's current freshman class was ranked the No. 2 class in the country on Signing Day by TopDrawerSoccer. The group is highlighted by MLS Academy standouts in F Jacob Diaz (LAFC - club's top U-17 scorer in 2021-22), GK Wyatt Nelson (Seattle Sounders - 2022 Generation adidas Cup champion), and D Mateo Pinilla (Houston Dynamo - U-19 USYNT member). The incoming group also includes an international import in D Philip Naef (BSC Young Boys - the Copenhagen native was a member of the Swiss U-19 National Team) as well as Texan high school/club standouts in F Sam Scott (Solar SC) and D Tre Wright (won championships with Lake Travis HS and Capital City SC).
Cervantes Promoted to Assistant Coach
After serving three years as a volunteer assistant coach with UCLA, Juan Cervantes was promoted to a full-time assistant coach position this summer. A former UCLA men's soccer student-athlete himself, Cervantes has helped the Bruins to a 23-14-2 record and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths over the last two seasons. He steered two different keepers to career years over the last two seasons. Justin Garces set single-season career highs across the board en route to All-Pac-12 honors in fall 2021 before signing a Homegrown Deal with Atlanta United FC. A year ago, Nate Crockford paced the Pac-12 in save percentage (.768) and shutouts (eight) as UCLA made its deepest postseason run since 2014.
UCLA Earns Team Academic Award From United Soccer Coaches
Just before the start of the new campaign, UCLA earned a team academic award from United Soccer Coaches for the 2022-23 season. The Bruins posted a strong 3.40 team GPA, marking the sixth consecutive year that the program has qualified for the honor (teams must post a collective GPA of 3.00 or higher). UCLA has picked up the honor every season under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden.
Notable Statistical Rankings (2022)
UCLA finished the 2022 season among the top of the national leaderboards in a variety of stats:
Date/Time: Thursday, Aug. 24 - 1:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Sentara Park)
TV/Stream: N/A
Live Stats
UCLA (0-0-0) at James Madison (0-0-0)
Date/Time: Sunday, Aug. 27 - 4:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Harrisonburg, Va. (Sentara Park)
Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats
UCLA Opens New Season at the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational
The UCLA men's soccer team officially kicks off the 2023 campaign this week, heading to Harrisonburg, Va. for the Fairfield by Marriott Invitational, hosted by James Madison. The Bruins open the tourney with a neutral contest against Virginia Tech on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 1:00 p.m. PT (no stream will be available) before finishing up with a match against the host Dukes on Sunday, Aug. 27 at 4:00 p.m. PT (stream: ESPN+). Fans can also follow along with live tweets at @UCLAMSoccer.
Preseason Recap
UCLA posted a 2-1-0 record over three home exhibitions this summer, recovering from a 2-1 loss to UC Riverside to post back-to-back 1-0 results over Cal Poly and CSU Bakersfield. The Bruins' three goalscorers, in order, were redshirt junior forward Jose Contell, senior defender Grayson Doody, and graduate midfielder Ryan Becher. UCLA won the shot battle in each contest, allowing just 11 shot attempts combined over the three games (just five of which went on frame).
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
- UCLA allowed one goal or fewer in 10 consecutive games from Sept. 15 to Oct. 29
- The 10-game streak with one goal against or fewer was the program's longest since 2005
- The Bruins allowed one goal or fewer in 13 of the last 15 games of the year
- Jose Sosa and Tommy Silva were named to the Pac-12 All-Conference Second Team (four others were honorable mentions)
- UCLA ended the regular season with an RPI of 26
- 15 different players recorded a point for UCLA, including 10 separate goalscorers
- UCLA kept a clean sheet eight times in 20 games
- The Bruins were 9-0 season when scoring first, and 3-7 when conceding first
The Bruins are 41-9-6 all-time in season openers (for the years in which game-by-game results are available). This year marks the first time since 2019 that UCLA is opening the season away from home. The Bruins are 3-1-0 in previous season-openers under Ryan Jorden, with a tough-luck loss to Lipscomb in spring 2021 representing the program's lone Opening Day defeat dating to 2013.
Keep an Eye on Tommy
UCLA senior defender Tommy Silva picked up plenty of preseason publicity ahead of the new campaign. Notably, he was the No. 6 ranked upperclassmen player — and the highest-ranked defender — in TopDrawerSoccer's preseason player rankings. He was also named to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team (see below) and was also cited on United Soccer Coaches' Preseason List of defenders to watch. Silva has earned All-Pac-12 Second Team honors in each of the past two seasons, leading the team last year with eight assists (1-8=10) after posting career highs in goals (6) and points (6-4=16) in the fall 2021 season.
Silva, Lepley Selected to Pac-12 Preseason Best XI
UCLA senior defender Tommy Silva and redshirt junior midfielder Tucker Lepley were both selected to the Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Team. UCLA was one of just three schools with multiple players on the 11-man list. Silva has garnered all-league recognition in each of the last two seasons. Lepley was voted Team MVP in the fall 2021 season, and came back from an injury to post a five-game points streak down the stretch a year ago.
In The Polls
UCLA appeared in a pair of major national preseason polls, including an appearance at No. 27 (College Soccer News). The Bruins were also the team with the most votes outside the top-25 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
UCLA Picked Third in Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll
UCLA was tabbed to finish third in a preseason poll of Pac-12 coaches. The Bruins were one of three teams to garner a first place vote.
1. Washington (4) - 23 pts
2. Stanford (1) – 21
3. UCLA (1) – 17
4. Oregon State – 15
5. California – 8
6. San Diego State - 6
Plenty of Continuity
UCLA returns the majority of its offensive production from a season ago, including:
- 14 of 26 goals (54%)
- 22 of 33 assists (67%)
- 50 of 85 points (59%)
- Four of the top six scorers (based on points) from a season ago
UCLA blanked VIrginia Tech, 1-0, at home on Aug. 28, 2022 in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Jose Contell scored the game-winner for UCLA, breaking a scoreless tie with an 81st-minute marker. Tarun Karumanchi sparked a counter to set up the game-winner, laying off a ball for Tommy Silva, who first-timed a cross from the left wing into the box, where Contell met it with a sliding shot near the penalty spot. The Bruins held the Hokies without a shot on goal, out-shooting them 10-5 for the game. UCLA rose as high as No. 4 in the national rankings after the result.
New Blood
The Bruins brought in six transfers to augment the roster for the 2023 season:
- Ryan Becher, M (UMBC) – 70 pts in 62 games over four years (25-20=70) ... Lone NCAA player with double-digit goals and assists in 2022 (13-10=36) ... Named to the NCAA.com "Best Starting XI" in 2022
- Oshea Foster, F (San Diego) – WCC All-Freshman Team in 2022 (3-0=6)
- Sean Karani, M (Temple) – 26 pts in 40 career games at Temple (8-10=26) ... Set career highs in goals (3), pts (11) in '22
- Jack Sarkos, F (Lehigh) – Over his last two seasons, posted 16 goals and was a two-time All-Patriot League choice
- Owen Schwartz, D (Brown) – Veteran of 48 games at Brown ... 2021 All-Ivy League choice after posting career-high 3 G
- Noah Sutherland, GK (Lehigh) – Four-year letterwinner ... Had a career-best 10 saves on 9/14/21 vs. Fairleigh-Dickinson
UCLA's current freshman class was ranked the No. 2 class in the country on Signing Day by TopDrawerSoccer. The group is highlighted by MLS Academy standouts in F Jacob Diaz (LAFC - club's top U-17 scorer in 2021-22), GK Wyatt Nelson (Seattle Sounders - 2022 Generation adidas Cup champion), and D Mateo Pinilla (Houston Dynamo - U-19 USYNT member). The incoming group also includes an international import in D Philip Naef (BSC Young Boys - the Copenhagen native was a member of the Swiss U-19 National Team) as well as Texan high school/club standouts in F Sam Scott (Solar SC) and D Tre Wright (won championships with Lake Travis HS and Capital City SC).
Cervantes Promoted to Assistant Coach
After serving three years as a volunteer assistant coach with UCLA, Juan Cervantes was promoted to a full-time assistant coach position this summer. A former UCLA men's soccer student-athlete himself, Cervantes has helped the Bruins to a 23-14-2 record and a pair of NCAA Tournament berths over the last two seasons. He steered two different keepers to career years over the last two seasons. Justin Garces set single-season career highs across the board en route to All-Pac-12 honors in fall 2021 before signing a Homegrown Deal with Atlanta United FC. A year ago, Nate Crockford paced the Pac-12 in save percentage (.768) and shutouts (eight) as UCLA made its deepest postseason run since 2014.
UCLA Earns Team Academic Award From United Soccer Coaches
Just before the start of the new campaign, UCLA earned a team academic award from United Soccer Coaches for the 2022-23 season. The Bruins posted a strong 3.40 team GPA, marking the sixth consecutive year that the program has qualified for the honor (teams must post a collective GPA of 3.00 or higher). UCLA has picked up the honor every season under fifth-year head coach Ryan Jorden.
Notable Statistical Rankings (2022)
UCLA finished the 2022 season among the top of the national leaderboards in a variety of stats:
- Fouls Per Game - 9.25 (1st in Pac-12 / 10th in NCAA)
- Save Percentage - .780 (1st in Pac-12 / 23rd in NCAA)
- Team GAA - 1.00 (3rd in Pac-12 / 40th in NCAA)
- Total assists - 33 (3rd in Pac-12 / 40th in NCAA)
Players Mentioned
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