UCLA Men's Soccer Weekly Press Release • August 25, 2008 UCLA Sports Information • PO Box 24044 • Los Angeles, CA 90024-0044 SID Contact: Liza David • Phone: 310/206-8140 • Fax: 310/825-8664 • Email: [email protected] Website: www.uclabruins.com UCLA Hosts Maryland In Season Opener At The Home Depot Center On Friday #14 Bruins battle #8 Terrapins in Fox Soccer Channel's NSCAA Game of the Week. This Week — The 14th-ranked UCLA men's soccer team opens the 2008 season on Friday, Aug. 29 against 2008 UCLA Schedule eighth-ranked Maryland at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The game is Fox Soccer Channel's NSCAA Game of the Week and will be televised live at 7 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students/youth. Date Opponent Time All seats are general admission. Parking at The Home Depot Center will be free. Aug. 29 #8 Maryland (at The Home Depot Center) 7 pm Aug. 31 UCLA vs. UC Riverside 12:30 pm On Sunday, Aug. 31, games return to the UCLA campus. UCLA will host UC Riverside at 12:30 pm, followed by Maryland vs. California at 3 pm. Tickets to the doubleheaders are $7 for adults and $5 for youth. UCLA California vs. Maryland 3 pm students are free with valid ID. Sept. 5 at #1 Wake Forest (Deacon Classic) 7:30 pm ET Sept. 7 vs. #24 North Carolina (Deacon Classic) 1 pm ET Live Coverage — Friday's game against Maryland will be televised live on the Fox Soccer Channel, and the Sept. 12 #7 Indiana 7 pm UCLA-UC Riverside game will be audio broadcast live for free on the Bruins' website at UCLABruins.com. Also available on UCLABruins.com will be Gametracker for all three games this weekend. Sept. 14 Indiana vs. San Diego 2 pm Sept. 20 #5 Santa Clara 7 pm Bruins To Play At The Home Depot Center For Third Time — UCLA will play at The Home Depot Center for Sept. 25 at San Diego 7 pm the third time in school history. The Bruins played in the first collegiate game at the famed soccer venue Sept. 28 Cal State Northridge 2:30 pm on Sept. 14, 2003, defeating Cal State Fullerton 5-0 behind a hat trick from Matt Taylor and two goals and three assists from Chad Barrett. UCLA returned to The Home Depot Center on Sept. 19, 2004 for a game Oct. 1 #21 UC Santa Barbara 7 pm against Loyola Marymount that ended in a scoreless tie. Maryland has also played in The Home Depot Oct. 5 San Diego State*# 2:30 pm Center, losing to Indiana, 3-2 in double overtime, in the semifinals of the 2004 College Cup. Oct. 10 at California* 4 pm Oct. 12 at Stanford* 2:30 pm The Home Depot Center is the home of Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. It has hosted many major soccer events, including the 2003 and 2004 MLS Cups, 2003 MLS All-Star Game, 2003 Oct. 17 Washington* 7 pm FIFA Women's World Cup, 2004 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup and numerous U.S. Soccer games. Oct. 19 Oregon State* 1 pm Oct. 24 at Washington* 7 pm In The Rankings — UCLA is ranked No. 14 in the NSCAA and College Soccer News pre-season polls, No. Oct. 26 at Oregon State* 2 pm 13 in the SoccerTimes.com poll and No. 26 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll. Oct. 31 California*# 7:30 pm Scouting The Terrapins — Maryland went 10-5-2 a year ago and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Nov. 2 Stanford*# 2:30 pm Tournament. Leading the Terrapins in 2008 is All-American defender Omar Gonzalez, who was selected Nov. 8 Cal Poly 7 pm to the 2008 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List. Head coach Sasho Cirovski signed what College Soccer Nov. 15 at San Diego State* 1 pm News rated as the nation's best recruiting class. Four Maryland freshmen were named Parade All-Ameri- cans last year. Nov. 21-22 NCAA First Round TBD UCLA vs. Maryland Nov. 26 NCAA Second Round TBD UCLA's History With Maryland — Maryland leads the all-time series Nov. 29-30 NCAA Third Round TBD between the two teams, 3-2. The Terrapins won the last matchup, Date Location Result 2001 at Virginia MD W 2-1 (2ot) Dec. 5-7 NCAA Quarterfinals TBD 4-1 in College Park on Sept. 2, 2006 in a game that was delayed a day due to heavy rains. Maxwell Griffin scored the only goal for the 2002 Dallas, TX UCLA W 2-1* Dec. 12&14 NCAA College Cup (at Frisco, TX) TBD Bruins. UCLA won the last matchup in Los Angeles on Sept. 4, 2005, 2003 at MD MD W 1-0 9-4-05 at UCLA UCLA W 4-0 Home matches in bold routing Maryland at Drake Stadium, 4-0. Maxwell Griffin scored the 9-2-06 at MD MD W 4-1 * - Pac-10 Conference Match, # - Doubleheader with UCLA women’s team game-winner in the seventh minute, and the Bruin defense held *NCAA semifinals All home matches played at Marshall Field at Drake Stadium unless otherwise Maryland to zero shots on goal. No team has won back-to-back indicated. Rankings are NSCAA/adidas pre-season rankings. games in the series. Scouting The Highlanders — UC Riverside finished with a 5-6-8 record in 2007. The Highlanders return Notable 2007 All-Big West defender David Lozano and last year's top scorer Cito Soriano (4g, 3a). •UCLA will play six non-conference games against UCLA's History With UCR — UCLA and UC Riverside have met 11 times, with the Bruins winning all 11, teams ranked in the NSCAA/adidas pre-season including the last meeting in 2004 at Drake Stadium, 1-0. The prior 10 games in the series all came prior Top 25, including five ranked opponents in its to 1984. first six games. Former Bruin Gonzalez Returns To Westwood With UCR Team — UC Riverside head coach Junior Gonzalez •The Bruins are 32-5-4 all-time in season openers will return to Westwood to coach his team against his alma mater. Gonzalez won a NCAA title with UCLA in but have not won a opener since defeating Oakland 1997 and was a four-year letterman from 1995-98. 2-1 in double overtime during the 2004 season. UCLA's last two openers have gone into overtime About The Bruins — With an influx of new players and a strong core of returning players, UCLA head coach - a 2-1 loss vs. Notre Dame in 2007 and a 1-1 tie Jorge Salcedo is excited about the seemingly endless possibilities for his 2008 Bruins. A well-rounded against Cal State Northridge in 2006. 12-man incoming class and the return of six All-Pac-10 players give Salcedo many options with which to •Bruin senior Richard Flores is the only UCLA or concoct a good mix on the field to challenge for another national title. Maryland player to have played at The Home Depot The Bruins' 2007 season got derailed a bit during the off-season and early in the pre-season, with injuries Center, having played in UCLA's 2004 game there befalling several key players on both the defensive and offensive ends. The Bruin attack should be much against Loyola Marymount. In addition, Flores more potent in 2008, as all of the team's attacking players enter the pre-season healthy. The Bruins have a scored two goals in the 2004 McDonald's All- variety of options on the offensive end, with players with size, speed and savvy. The team's top two scorers American game, which was held at THDC. from last year, Maxwell Griffin (9g, 0a) and Kyle Nakazawa (3g, 7a) are back, as is 2006 leading scorer David Estrada (12g, 4a in 2006). UCLA's midfield is skillful and versatile, with two-year starters Nakazawa, Jason Leopoldo (2g, 3a) and Michael Stephens (2g, 1a) leading the way. The defense, although inexperienced, is anchored by one of the West Coast's premier defenders in three-time All-Pac-10 selection Brad Rusin. p. 1 of 2 Returning starter Danny Suits, who saw time in the back and in midfield last year, could also step in on a more permanent basis in the backline to provide solid experience. Goalkeeping is a big strength for UCLA, with five UCLA In The Rankings goalkeepers on the squad, led by U.S. Under-20 National Team starter Brian Perk, who has five shutouts in Week SA NSCAA CSN TDS ST 27 career starts during his two seasons. Pre n/a 14 14 26 13 Salcedo Seeks Win #50 — UCLA head coach Jorge Salcedo is one victory away from claiming his 50th career win. Salcedo enters his fifth season with a career record of 49-24-12. Legend: SA - Soccer America; NSCAA - National Soccer Coaches Association of America; CSN - College Soccer News; Nakazawa Named To M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List — Junior midfielder Kyle Nakazawa was named to TDS - Top Drawer Soccer; ST - Soccer Times the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List. Nakazawa, UCLA's 2007 Team MVP, has started every game of his collegiate career (45 starts) and compiled a total of seven goals and 15 assists in two seasons. In 2007, he led the Bruins with seven assists and was second on the team in scoring with 13 points and two game-win- NSCAA Pre-Season Top 25 ning goals, both of which were scored in the final two minutes of the game, at Washington and against New Mexico in the NCAA first round.