Los Angeles, Calif. - The University of Arizona Wildcat soccer team (9-3-1, 3-2) faces the No. 1 team in the country on Friday in the Bruins of UCLA. The match on Oct. 17 will take place at 7 p.m. MST in Drake Stadium.
Friday’s match versus No. 1 UCLA will be the 21st matchup between the two programs. Arizona lost to the Bruins by a score of 2-1 each of the last two seasons. On the year, UCLA is 11-0-2 (3-0-1 Pac-12) and they have scored 28 goals while surrendering four. The Bruins have registered 29 (2.23 per game) assists this season, tied for the best mark in the Pac-12. Only allowing four goals on the season, that is the best in the Pac-12 this year as well. Sam Mewis is the leading goal scorer on the team with nine. Sarah Killion has registered nine assists as well, the best total in the conference this season.
The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) week eight poll was released on October 14. The Pac-12 has four teams ranked in the top-25 poll. UCLA is first, Stanford is fourth, Washington is 20th and California is 23rd. The Wildcats moved up six places and now sit at the No. 30 spot in the NCAA RPI rankings that were released on Oct. 13.
For the Wildcats, ten student-athletes have scored 26 goals on the year. Those 26 goals are the sixth-best total among Pac-12 schools thus far. Senior forward Alexandra Doller has scored six goals for the Wildcats and she leads the team in shot attempts as well (53). That is the second-best total in the conference this season and she averages 4.08 shots per game, the No. 1 mark in the Pac-12. Paige Crouch has pumped in two goals this year. Crouch is a sophomore that has returned to action after missing nearly all of 2013 with a knee injury. Doller assisted on Crouch’s first goal and also assisted on junior Kaitlyn Lopez’s first goal of the season, coming against Idaho. Freshman Charlotte Brascia, junior Hayley Estopare, junior Lexe Selman, have each contributed goals to the Wildcats. Senior LeeAndra Smith has taken one shot on the season and it was the game-winning goal against NAU in the home-opening match. Freshman Gabi Stoian has scored eight goals for the Wildcats, tied for the fourth-best total in the Pac-12. Stoian has also tallied six assists this year, which is tied for the No. 2 mark in the conference. Stoian has racked up 22 points for Arizona (goals are worth two, assists worth one) for an average of 1.69 points per game, which is the16th-best mark in the NCAA!!! and is the second-best mark in the Pac-12.
On the defensive side, the Wildcats’ experienced group of defenders in front of senior goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman has been very effective thus far. The Wildcats have a goal differential of +14, surrendering 12 goals. Junior Sheaffer Skadsen, senior Mykaylin Rosenquist, junior Alexa Montgomery and sophomore Laura Pimienta combine to make-up the starting back four for the Wildcats. The team effort defensively has led to six shutouts in those 13 matches for Kaufman. Kaufman’s six shutouts are tied for the fourth-best total in the conference. Skadsen has scored two goals on the season, converting both attempts she has had at the penalty spot. Rosenquist pumped in her first goal of the season in the match against Washington State, Arizona’s fourth and final goal of the match.
The depth of Arizona has been on display throughout each match of the season, no less than 17 student-athletes have played in each match. In total, 22 student-athletes overall have gotten time on the pitch for the Wildcats.
On Sept. 8, Gabi Stoian was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week for her work in the matches against No. 6 Texas A&M and Oklahoma State. She tallied two assists and three goals, contributing to all five goals the Wildcats scored over the weekend. Stoian was also named College Sports 360 National Primetime Player of the Week on Sept. 8 for her accomplishments.
Goalkeeper Gabby Kaufman began the season tied for fourth place in school history with nine shutouts for her career. She has recorded six this season in the first 11 matches bringing her total to 15, the second-highest tally in UA history. Kaufman’s six shutouts on the season are tied for the No. 3 mark in program history as well. Gabi Stoian is one of only six athletes in school history to record a hat trick in a match, the last coming in 2005, courtesy of Mallory Miller. Her eight goals on the year are already tied for the sixth-best mark in program history for goals in a season. She has tallied 21 points on the season, the No. 6 total in UA history. Stoian’s five assists this season are tied for the fifth-best total in school history.
The Washington Huskies snapped Arizona’s three-game winning streak on Oct. 12 as they beat Arizona 2-0. The afternoon match in Seattle was a grind for both teams, neither looking particularly sharp. Arizona created numerous chances but could not finish. A UW defender played a through ball for Jaclyn Softli. Sheaffer Skadsen tried to clear it but it just deflected off Softli and stayed at her feet. She went up the sideline and cut in on goal, Kaufman came off her line but she slipped it right under her arms and into the net. That goal came at the 87:36 mark. On the play, Kaufman got kicked in the back of the head and was subbed off for the first time all season. Senior LeeAndra Smith put on the keeper’s uniform and subbed in for Kaufman. A long ball was played to her, she was about 30 yards away from goal and attempted to play a long ball but did not strike it well. It stayed on the ground and went right to Kate Bennett of Washington who fired a shot from about 45 yards away, over Smith’s head and into the goal at the 89:22 mark. It was the second time this season that Arizona has been shutout.
The Oct. 10 match versus Washington State ended with Arizona winning by a score of 4-1. The Wildcats trailed 1-0 and then rattled up four unanswered goals from Alexandra Doller (two), freshman Charlotte Brascia and Mykaylin Rosenquist. Kaitlyn Lopez assisted Doller’s first goal then Lexe Selman and Haley Silverberg assisted her second. Brascia’s header came off a corner kick from Gabi Stoian. Rosenquist’s first goal of the season came off a corner kick and the ball was being kicked around in the box when she finally controlled it and blasted it into the net. It was the first time the Wildcats have beat the Cougars since 2004.
A complete recap and box score will be available at ArizonaWildcats.com after the match. Also follow @ArizonaWSoccer on Twitter for live updates.
