UC Riverside Head Men’s Soccer Coach Junior Gonzalez released the team’s fall schedule, and the 2012 regular season consists of four matches against 2011 NCAA College Cup participants as well as a trip east to New York to begin the season (View The 2012 Men’s Soccer Schedule).
The Highlanders pack their bags for Poughkeepsie and New Rochelle, New York on Friday, August 24 (4 pm PT) and Sunday, August 26 (10 am) to take on Marist and Iona respectively to open the 2012 campaign. They then return to California to take part in the UC Irvine Invitational on Friday, August 31 (vs. Detroit-Mercy at 4:30 pm) and Sunday, September 2 (vs. Long Island at 2 pm).
UCR takes on its first 2011 NCAA College Cup opponent on Sunday, September 23 as the Highlanders host CSU Bakersfield at 7 pm.
Conference play gets underway on Friday, September 28 as the Highlanders host UC Santa Barbara at 8 pm. The last time UC Riverside and the Gauchos tangled at the UC Riverside Soccer Stadium, the Highlanders pulled off the 3-1 upset of then seventh ranked UCSB (video highlights/recap/box score). Those two teams squared off against one another again later in the season with the Highlanders taking a 3-2 decision on the road from the then 15th-ranked Gauchos (recap/box score)
On Wednesday, October 17, conference regular season and tournament champion UC Irvine travels to the Inland Empire for a 7 pm start. UC Riverside upset the then ninth-ranked Anteaters, 3-2, on October 29 of last year (recap/box score). UCI picked up a 2-0 win in the 2011 conference semifinals, however, en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance (recap/box score). The Highlanders and ‘Eaters also play one another at Irvine on Wednesday, October 31 at 7 pm.
Sacramento State joined the Big West in men’s soccer only during the offseason, and the Highlanders will square off against the Hornets as conference foes for the first time in a Sunday, October 7 road match beginning at 1 pm.
UCR’s final regular season home match of the year is slated for October 27 vs. Cal State Northridge at 7 pm, while the final road tilt of the season is on November 3 at Cal State Fullerton beginning at 7 pm.
Men’s soccer season tickets go on sale beginning Monday, July 2. A regular season ticket is available for just $40, with discounted season tickets available for $30. For more information, please contact Highlander Tickets via email or by calling 951-827-4653.
