Bruins to Face Pair of Big West Foes in UC Irvine, CSUN
UCLA (1-1-0) at UC Irvine (0-2-0)
Date/Time: Friday, Sept. 3 - 7:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Irvine, Calif. (Anteater Stadium)
Stream: ESPN+ (subscription required)
Live Stats
UCLA (1-1-0) vs. CSUN (0-2-0)
Date/Time: Monday, Sept. 6 - 7:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Wallis Annenberg Stadium)
Stream: Pac-12.com / Pac-12 Now app
Stream Talent: Nick Koop
Live Stats
Bruins Battle Pair of Big West Foes in UC Irvine, CSUN
The UCLA men's soccer team, which plays seven of its first eight games at home this year, plays its lone road contest of the early season with a short trip south to UC Irvine on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. The Bruins then return home to host another Big West club in CSUN on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. Both contests will be streamed live, with watch links available on the men's soccer schedule page on UCLABruins.com. As always, live updates will also be available on the team Twitter account, @UCLAMSoccer.
The Week In Review
The Bruins opened the fall 2021 campaign by splitting a pair of home games, suffering a tight 2-1 loss to Lipscomb on Thursday before responding with a 2-1 triumph over San Francisco on Sunday. Lipscomb went ahead early in the season-opener on an odd play (a shot off the post was deemed to have crossed the goal line) in the fourth minute, but UCLA responded to tie it in the 33rd minute on a solid individual effort from Tucker Lepley, who rifled in an off-foot shot for the equalizer and his first collegiate goal. The Bisons notched the game winner in the 83rd minute against the run of play. Tommy Silva played the overtime hero for UCLA against the Dons, finding the back of the net less than three minutes into the overtime session after USF knotted the score late in the second half on a set piece goal. Silva, playing up as a winger in OT, took advantage of a USF defensive miscommunication, streaking in from the left and winning a 50-50 ball against the keeper before finishing into the open net.
On The Mark
Through the season's first week, the Bruins' have shown themselves to be adept at getting their shot attempts on target, with 10 of the team's 16 shots going on frame. UCLA's 63% shot accuracy as a team paces the Pac-12 Conference and ranks 10th in the country.
Tommy "Golden Goal" Silva
Dating back to this spring's season finale against Cal, sophomore defender Tommy Silva has notched two golden goals in the last three games for UCLA. He's the first Bruin with two golden goals in a three-game span since Jose Hernandez accomplished the feat during the 2015 season against UC Irvine (Sept. 27) and at Washington (Oct. 4).
The Series Against UC Irvine
The Bruins are 16-3-1 all-time against UC Irvine, including a 7-2-0 mark in road games. The most recent match-up between the two UC schools produced the series' first-ever tie, a 2019 tilt at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The Bruins have played at Irvine just twice in the past 20 years (last: 2013) and are seeking their first win at Anteater Stadium since 2004.
Last Time Out Against UC Irvine
The Bruins and Anteaters battled to a 1-1 draw at Wallis Annenberg Stadium in the most-recent matchup between the two schools (Sept. 26, 2019). Both goals came within three minutes of each other, with Milan Iloski opening the scoring in the 26th minute before Alvaro Quezada answered for the Anteaters at the 28:13 mark. Iloski's score came off a failed UCI clearance, with Iloski picking off the pass above the box, taking two touches, and then hitting a left-footed strike from inside the penalty arc that snuck inside the left post. Justin Garces made four saves in the contest. The game was the men's soccer team's Centennial Celebration game, marking UCLA's 100th year.
The Series Against CSUN
UCLA owns an 18-3-3 record all-time against CSUN, and has won six of its last eight games against the Matadors. The Bruins are 9-2-2 all-time in home games against CSUN, but the Matadors emerged victorious in the previous matchup in Westwood (2-1, Sept. 16, 2018).
Last Time Out Against CSUN
UCLA's offense broke out in a 4-2 win at CSUN in the last matchup between the two schools, at Matador Field on Sept. 15, 2019. Milan Iloski had a team-high five points on the night, scoring the Bruins' first two goals before setting up Cody Sundquist's game-winner in the 64th minute. Eric Iloski notched the final tally for the Bruins. UCLA limited a high-flying CSUN offense, which entered the contest with a 3.6 goals per game average, to a then-season-low two goals and handed the Matadors their first loss of the 2019 season (it was the sixth game of the year).