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Men’s soccer prepares to face UC Irvine, Virginia Tech with revamped squad

Senior winger Constantinos Michaelides celebrates on the field. Michaelides scored one of two goals in the Bruins’ preseason 2-0 win against Westmont. (Lauren Kim/Daily Bruin)

Men's Soccer


UC Irvine
Thursday, 7 p.m.

Wallis Annenberg Stadium
Pac-12 Networks
Virginia Tech
Sunday, 6 p.m.

Wallis Annenberg Stadium
Pac-12 Networks

By Ethan Ng

Aug. 24, 2022 11:39 a.m.

After a four-year drought, the Bruins will begin their season as a nationally ranked team once again.

No. 23 UCLA men’s soccer will face off against UC Irvine and Virginia Tech at Wallis Annenberg Stadium Thursday and Sunday, respectively. The Bruins recently competed in two exhibition matches, winning the first game 2-0 against Westmont before being held to a goalless draw by UNLV.

Coach Ryan Jorden said he had an opportunity to experiment with his lineups, featuring a few of the seven freshmen recruits and two junior transfers across the two games.

“Five of the seven (freshmen) were here in the springtime, meaning we were able to integrate a good bit during our spring season,” Jorden said. “Two others have joined in August, and that’s been a real positive. We feel like our continuity should be pretty good, and we’re obviously excited about the impact that each of those guys is going to have on our team.”

The Bruins will also return numerous key players, including each of its top-six goal scorers from last season.

Junior defender Grayson Doody said the new players have ushered in a heightened sense of competition and fresh perspectives.

“Bringing in those new players causes competition for starting spots, which in turn improves everyone’s ability,” Doody said. “All the new guys are brimming with energy, and so far, everyone coming in has made an impact on and off the field.”

An upcoming test for the new players will come Thursday, when they take on their first official collegiate game against Irvine. In the most recent contest between the two squads in September last year, the Bruins defeated the Anteaters 1-0 on the road.

According to sophomore goalkeeper Nate Crockford, the Bruins have devised a game plan for the matchup against Irvine, who tied for first with UC Santa Barbara in the Big West Conference last year.

“We’ve focused in on a lot of the attacking components of the game, developing relationships between players and making sure the team’s ready,” Crockford said.

Crockford also praised the competitive spirit of the squad, specifically the strides made by the goalkeeping unit after the departure of starting goalkeeper Justin Garces, who is now an MLS player for Atlanta United FC.

“We have a really good keeper unit, and we always push each other to the next level and the best that we can be,” Crockford said. “Our training sessions give us a great environment to grow.”

On Aug. 25, the Bruins will kick off against the Anteaters at 7 p.m. at home.

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