Men's Soccer:

Aug. 20, 2007

ANTEATERS  HOST GONZAGA IN SEASON OPENER AUGUST 31ST: The UC Irvine men's soccer team will kick off the 2007 season Friday, August 31^st as they host Gonzaga at 7:30 p.m. at Anteater Stadium.

THE 2007 ANTEATERS:  Junior midfielder Matt Murphy, the 2006 Big West Midfielder of the Year, returns to lead the Anteaters in the 2007 campaign. Murphy has been selected Pre-Season Third Team All-America by College Soccer News after leading the `Eaters in scoring in 2006. Murphy will be joined in the Anteater midfield by returning juniors Rafael Macedo and J.T. Terrazas along with sophomore Kevin Santora.

Senior Brandon Foster leads the UCI backfield along with juniors David Sias, Kyle Schmid and Shane Westbrook. Sophomore Sean Harvey and junior Cory Taylor are the lone returning forwards for the `Eaters, an area that the UCI youth movement will make an impact. UCI returns three keepers from last season with junior Greg Larson, senior Eric Reingen and redshirt freshman Pat Barton competing for the starting spot in the net. The Anteaters are young with just three seniors and eight juniors on the roster.

 

2006 IN REVIEW: The 2006 Anteaters had the most successful season in program history with a record of 13-4-3. The team was ranked as high as No. 1 in the Far West region and as high as No. 7 nationally. The team finished the regular season ranked 18^th nationally. Brad Evans became UCI's All-time leader in goals and tied the record for total points with 31 goals and 73 total points in his career. Brad Evans, Cameron Dunn, Anthony Hamilton and Kenny Schoeni each went on to sign with Major League Soccer following the season.

 
PRE-SEASON ALL-AMERICAN Matt Murphy: Junior midfielder Matt Murphy has been named Pre-Season Third Team All-America by College Soccer News. Murphy was the Big West Midfielder of the Year in 2006 after leading the Anteaters with 25 points.

Murphy has 35 points, 13 goals, nine assists and six game-winning goals in his career.

 

UCI RECORD BOOKS: Matt Murphy is tied for 13^th all-time at UCI with 35 career points. He is 14^th in goals with 13 in his career and is tied for fifth in career game-winning goals with six. Murphy tied the seventh highest scoring season total with 25 points in 2006 and tied the seventh highest goals total with 10 and tied the single season game-winning goals record with five on the year.

 

HEAD COACH George Kuntz: The Anteaters are led by head coach George Kuntz who is in his 13^th year at the UCI helm. Kuntz was named NSCAA Far West Region Coach of the Year in 2006 and has been named the conference Coach of the Year in three of the past seven years including in 2006.

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