UC Riverside Men's Soccer Signs Matthew Bush to NLI

(March 21, 2002) - The University of California, Riverside men's soccer tea m has signed Chapparal HS defender Matthew Bush to a national of letter intent, UCR Head Coach Nat Gonzalez announced Thursday.

"Matt is a good one v. one defender who will help us in solidifying our defense," Gonzalez said. "He will also add to our attack with his ability to get into the offensive zone. He has an outstanding workrate."

UC Riverside Men's Soccer Announces Five Signings

(May, 9, 2002) - UC Riverside Head Men's Soccer Coach Nat Gonzalez announced the signings of five players who should help the Highlanders overcome a scoring deficiency that haunted them last season.

Joining the Highlanders in the fall of 2002 are D/MF Jamshir Lakdawala (Canyon Country, CA/Canyon HS), MF/F Andrew Kigozi (Van Nuys, CA/Reseda HS), MF/F Justin Gilmore (Jamul, CA/Valhalla HS), MF/D Michael Springer (Moreno Valley, CA/Valley View HS) and MF/D John Lee (Fontana, CA/AB Miller HS).

"Goal scoring was at the top of my list of needs and I feel that we have accomplished that with this class," Gonzalez said. "I am very excited with these signings plus the rest of the incoming class. The 2002 team will definitely be more athletic. The quality and depth of our team next season is going to be the biggest change for our returners as they will battle every training for their position on the weekend."

Jamshir Lakdawala - 5-7 - 145 - D/MF - Attends Canyon HS where he was their team captain, and garnered first team All-league honors as well as league champs. Plays for the AV Heat club team out of the Palmdale area and won league cup title. "He has been a part of successful programs and knows how to win," Gonzalez said. "He is athletic and has speed which is an area we lacked last season. He will be a good addition for our defensive and midfield lines."

Andrew Kigozi - 5-7 - 150 - MF/F - Attends Reseda HS. He plays for So. Cal. United, which is currently competing in the semifinals stage of state for their age group. Should they win they will represent the Western Region at the regional tournament for their quest to be National Champions. "Andrew possess a nose for the goal and blinding speed which will help us tremendously on our attack and in turn hopefully take some pressure off of our defenders," Gonzalez said. "His work rate alone will cause the opponents trouble."

Justin Gilmore - 5-7 - 145 - F - Attends Valhalla HS. Four-year letterman, four year All-league, league MVP, has been selected to CIF first team and second team. Plays for the La Jolla Nomads and has been a member of the US National Pool and USYSA regional team. "Justin also will help us in the avenue of speed and scoring ability, he is an impact player," Gonzalez said. "His selection to the higher levels of youth soccer should help him with a smooth transition from HS to Division 1 soccer."

Michael Springer - 6-1 - 170 - MF/D - Attends Valley View HS. Plays for Southwest Soccer club and helped the team to Coast Soccer league and League Cup championships. "Michael is a left sided player, who brings in tremendous athleticism. He is very versatile player, he can be a left back, left midfielder, or a defensive midfielder," Gonzalez said. "Because of these potential options positionally, he has opportunity to contribute his freshman year."

John Lee - 5-7 - 135 - MF/D - Attends AB Miller HS and plays for the AGSS club team. "Trey is a solid soccer player. He also brings in a ton of athleticism and speed to our team. He should fit in nicely in the midfield as he is very comfortable using both feet," Gonzalez said. "His '1 v. 1' dribbling ability should serve him well out in the wide areas of the field and create scoring chances with his services into the box."

UCR Ties San Diego State in Season Opener

(August 30, 2002) - Ben Davies sliped in a goal on a rebound from his prior shot to give UC Riverside a 1-1 tie in its season opener against San Diego State University on Friday.

In the eighth minute of the game the Aztecs struck first on a goal from Paul Szefler with an assist from Eric Wohol into an open net. The shot woke up the Highlanders, as they out shot the Aztecs 3-1 for the rest of the half including the eventual goal by Davies in the 18th minute.

The match had just about everything one could want in a soccer game. There were two yellow cards given, a bloody player, and two overtimes of non-stop excitement.

UCR out shot the Aztecs 13-9, including several good looks in the second half by John Lee and Kyle Warsinski.

The Highlanders had seven shots on goal, and goalkeeper Luc Harrington managed to record four saves.

The Highlanders will play host to San Jose State Sunday Sept. 1 at the UCR Lower Fields at 1:00 PM.

UCR Defeats San Jose State in OT, 3-2

(Sept. 1, 2002) - Ben Davies’ header in the 99th minute gave the UC Riverside Highlanders a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting San Jose State Spartans at the UCR Lower Fields Sunday.

The goal came by way of a a cross pass from Juan Gutierrez on a free kick and gave the Highlanders (1-0-1) their first win of the young season.

This is the second overtime game this season for the Highlanders and with this victory UCR continues on a five-game unbeaten streak, the longest in the Big West, dating back to last season.

Although San Jose State (0-2-0) out shot UCR 7-6 in the first half, the Highlanders struck first as Steven Vasquez took a pass from Jordan Arias and put it off the far post in the 29th minute to give the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage.

San Jose State awoke in the second half, coming out strong on a goal by Randy Poggio in the 47th minute to even the score at 1-1. The Spartans continued on the attack and took the lead 21 minutes later on a goal by Kohta Gaines in the 68th minute.

Despite the fact that SJSU packed the defensive zone in an attempt to protect the lead, the Highlanders evened things up at 2-2 when Gutierrez squeezed a free kick over Spartan goalkeeper Daniel Benton and under the crossbar in the 80th minute.

In his goalkeeper debut Josh Alexander recorded seven saves, while Benton had six saves. The Highlanders were outshot 18-10. Both teams struggled with the heat, which was about 105 at game time, and some uncharacteristic humidity.

The Highlanders will be in action next Friday September 6 against University of San Diego at the UCR Lower Fields at 1:00 PM.

Ben Davies Named Big West Player of the Week

(Sept. 2, 2002) - Sophomore Ben Davies has been named Big West Player of the Week for the Week of September 2nd. Davies scored the game-tying goal in the Highlanders first game and the game-winning goal in their second game. His two goals already double his single-season performance from last season.

It is the second time a Highlander has received this honor in the program's history. Goalkeeper Brett Bentley won the award last season.

Highlanders Fall to USD 2-1

(Sept. 6, 2002) - The UC Riverside Highlanders lost their first game of the season to the 13th ranked University of San Diego Toreros 2-1 at the UCR Lower fields on Friday, ending the Highlanders’ five game unbeaten streak.

San Diego out shot the Highlanders 33-7. However, the Highlanders made the most of their opportunities as UCR struck first on a goal by Steven Vasquez, who’s shot attempt came off a rebound from Juan Gutierrez, giving the Highlanders the early advantage.

Three minutes later the Toreros answered back, to even the score with an18-yard goal by Eric Wunderle on a cross pass from Matt McCausland.

San Diego came out in the second half on an offensive surge, keeping the Highlanders 'keeper busy as the Toreros out shot the Highlanders 14-2 in the second half. Ryan Coiner’s driving shot from the left side in the 67th minute was the deciding factor in this game.

UCR’s ‘keeper Luc Harrington recorded 14 saves in only his second game as a collegiate goalkeeper, while USD’s ‘keeper recorded two saves.

The Highlanders will be back in action Sunday when they play host to the Sacramento State Hornets at 3:00 PM on the UCR Lower Fields.

Highlanders Rally to Tie Sacramento State, 2-2

(Sept. 8, 2002) - Nicks Supergan's goal in the 85th minute off a header from Jon Hunt helped the UC Riverside men's soccer team rally back from a 2-1 deficit to tie Sacramento State 2-2 on Sunday at the UCR Lower Fields.

Juan Gutierrez helped to set-up the goal, launching a free kick towards a crowd at the far post. Hunt, a defender, headed the ball towards the net, where Supergan pounded it past Hornet goalkeeper Matt McDougal for the score.

Sacramento State struck first in the contest with a goal by Patrick Nelle off a cross pass from David Fraser giving the Hornets the early 1-0 advantage.

UCR responded in the second half with a goal by Luc Harrington in the 57th minute on an assist from Ben Davies that evened the score at 1-1.

Sacramento's Utodi Madu then slipped a 30-yard penalty kick under the cross bar and over goalkeeper Alex Keough's hands, giving the Hornets a 2-1 lead.

Sacramento State (1-1-1), coming off their first victory of the season with a win over Cal Poly on Friday night, out shot the Highlanders 20-11.

Alex Keough, in his first start of the season as goalkeeper for the Highlanders, recorded eight saves, while the Hornet's McDougall recorded two. It was second consecutive season that the Highlanders and the Hornets have tied 2-2.

The Highlanders will be back in action Friday at Oregon State at 5:30 PM.

UCR Falls To OSU, 2-0

(Sept. 13, 2002) - The UC Riverside Men's Soccer team lost to the Oregon State Beavers 2-0 at the OSU/Diadora Classic on Friday in Corvallis, OR.

The Beavers (3-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead after Alan Gordon knocked home a goal off a cross from Kurt Ness to Aaron Hardy who slipped the ball to Gordon on the left side.

In the second half, the Highlanders (1-2-2) came out firing with 11 shots but Aaron McHardy iced the game in the 71st minute and swung the momentum back in Oregon State's favor, taking a Kevin Atkinson pass off the right wing and heading it past a diving Luc Harrington in goal for a 2-0 lead. The Beavers had five shots in the second half, but outshot Riverside, 16-14.

Harrington had six saves while Beaver goalkeeper Peter Billmeyer had eight saves.

The Highlanders will be back in action Sunday against Gonzaga University at 11:30 AM.

Highlanders Defeat Gonzaga, 3-0

(Sept. 15, 2002) - The UC Riverside Men's Soccer team bounced back to defeat the Gonzaga University Bulldogs 3-0 at the OSU/Diadora Classic on Sunday in Corvallis, OR.

The Highlanders (2-2-2) got on the board first in the 44th minute after a cross from Steven Vasquez allowed Matt Bush to score his first goal of the season from five yards out. Riverside outshot the Bulldogs 7-2 in the first half and 15-10 overall.

In the second half, UCR added two goals in the second half, a header by Nick Supergan off a lead pass from Jeff Pusey and cross by Juan Gutierrez. Gutierrez had a free kick in the last minute of the game for his fourth goal of the year to end the scoring.

Goalkeeper Luc Harrington recorded his first shutout of the year and had four saves. Gonzaga 'keeper Mike McCarthy had five saves.

The Highlanders will be back in action on Friday at the UNLV Tournament against the University of Central Florida at 5:00 PM.

Highlanders Fall to Central Florida, 1-0

(Sept. 20, 2002) - Austin Gunning fired a rebound off the cross bar past UCR goalkeeper Alex Keough in the 45th minute and the University of Central Florida held on to defeat the Highlanders 1-0 in the opening game of the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas.

The Highlanders had seven shots on the evening, three on goal. Central Florida had nine shots.

Keough recorded four saves for the Highlanders.

UCR (2-3-2) faces Hofstra on Sunday at 2:00 PM.

Highlanders Battle Hofstra to Scoreless Draw

(Sept. 22, 2002) -The UC Riverside Highlanders and No. 24-ranked Hofstra University battled to a scoreless draw on a 102-degree afternoon in Las Vegas Sunday.

The match was defensively oriented, with the Pride outshooting the Highlanders, 13-11. Goaltender Luc Harrington played an outstanding match for the Highlanders, making a clutch save in overtime to save the draw.

With the tie, the Highlanders stopped the Pride from matching the best-ever start in program history.

Highlanders Lose to No. 7 Loyola Marymount, 3-0

(Oct. 4, 2002) - The UC Riverside Highlanders fell to 7th-ranked Loyola Marymount University 3-0 on Friday afternoon at Sullivan Field. The win moved the Lions to 9-0-2 overall, while the Highlanders fell to 2-4-3.

Lion senior Arturo Torres led LMU with two goals in the game. LMU posted 14 shots and Highlander goalkeeper Alex Keough made five saves, Lion goalkeeper junior Adam Sthay made four saves and played 70 minutes. He was relieved by junior Shaun Kalnasy late in the second half.

Torres opened up the scoring in the 33rd minute, then held the lead into halftime. In the 47th minute Torres struck again, then the Lions capped it on a goal by Pat Parker in the 84th minute.

Highlanders Fall to UNLV, 3-0

(Oct. 6, 2002) - The UC Riverside Highlanders fell to UNLV at Peter Johann Memorial Field in Las Vegas Sunday.

Alex Hernandez opened scoring on a diving header with the assist from sophomore Brendon Bain for the 1-0 lead. For their second goal Kelly Frederick received a short pass from Hernandez, to score the game's second goal from six-yards out. Three minutes later, the same exact play resulted on the give-and-go goal.

Overall, UNLV outshot UC Riverside, 13-5, in the match.

UC Riverside Defeats Cal Poly, 2-1

(Oct. 12, 2002) – Sophomore midfielder Luc Harrington tallied two goals to give the UC Riverside Men’s Soccer a 2-1 win over visting Cal Poly in a Big West contest at the UCR Soccer Stadium Saturday.
The Highlanders struck first when Harrington shot a header towards the far post off a cross from Michael Springer in the 17th minute giving the Highlanders the early 1-0 advantage.

Harrington struck again in the 71st minute giving the Highlanders a 2-0 advantage. Juan Gutierrez crossed the ball to Nick Supergan who fed a pass over to Harrington, who booted the ball past goalkeeper Luis Trejo for the goal.
The goal proved significant as Cal Poly’s (2-8, 0-1 in Big West) offense awoke and went on an attack. The Mustangs scored 10 minutes later as Andre Nestle knocked in a rebound of his own shot off of goaltender Josh Alexander to cut the deficit in half.

The Highlanders had a great scoring opportunity in the 88th minute when Cory Craig tried to put a diving header near post off a cross pas from Jeff Pusey, but Trejo was there to save the potential goal.

Alexander improved his record to 2-0 with the win, posing seven saves. Cal Poly’s Trejo posted six. UCR was out shot 19-13.

The Highlanders (3-5-3, 1-0), who are tied for first place in the Big West conference for the first time ever, will travel to #24 UC Santa Barbara next Wednesday to face the Big West defending champions.

Gauchos Shutout Highlanders

(Oct. 16, 2002) - The Highlanders (3-6-3, 1-1-0) dropped a 5-0 decision to UC Santa Barbara at the Harder Soccer Stadium in Goleta Wednesday.

The game was scoreless for the first 38 minutes before forward Rob Friend got things started for UCSB with a header off of a cross from junior midfielder David McGill. In the 43rd minute, sophomore forward Drew McAthy scored the first of two goals on the night. Junior midfielder Memo Arzate hit a corner kick that ricocheted off of a defenders head and then off of McAthy's head into the goal. Junior midfielder Neil Jones scored in the 54th minute on assists from junior forward Gene Deering and Friend. Deering scored a goal of his own in the 71st minute, shoving in a rebound of a Matt Kubota shot. UCSB scored the final goal of the match in the 80th minute whenMcAthy tallied from about 15 yards out.

Josh Alexander played the entire match in goal for the Highlanders, posting five saves. Jeff Pusey led the Highlanders with a pair of shots.

The Gauchos (10-1-0, 2-0-0) outshot the Highlanders 24-5 and posted their third shutout in the last five matches.

Fullerton Holds Off Highlanders, 4-2

(Oct. 19, 2002) - Luc Harrington scored goals on both of his two shots and the UC Riverside Highlanders (3-7-3, 1-2-0) put up a valiant fight but could not overcome Hector Orellana's goal and assist as they fell to Cal State Fullerton 4-2 in Fullerton Saturday.

Fullerton (5-6-1, 2-1) took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute on sophomore Fouzi Elmojahid's first collegiate goal. UCR didn't manage a shot until the 26th minute but Harrington made it count, with a leaning, running header on a cross by Nick Supergan and the score was tied at the half, 1-1.

Fullerton took the lead for good in the 55th minute when Eugene Brooks blasted a shot in from about 25 yards on a feed from Brendan Dugan and Orellana scored in the 66th minute, his team-high eighth goal of the year, to give the Titans a 3-1 lead.

Harrington brought UCR within a goal at 67:44 on a penalty kick for his second goal of the year, making it 3-2, but the Titans finished strongly, as Jason Clifford scored off an assist by Orellana in the 86th minute.

Fullerton outshot the Highlanders, 21-3. UCR had several good opportunities but couldn't get a strong foot on the ball. Harrington had an opportunity for the hat trick when he beat Titan keeper Sam Reynolds but lost control of the ball and defender Jason Ashurst cleared it from the goal mouth.

Northridge Nips Highlanders, 2-1

(Oct. 23, 2002) - Michael Springer scored on his only shot of the game and the UC Riverside Highlanders (3-8-3, 1-3-0) put up a valiant fight but could not overcome Northridge’s two goal lead as they fell to Cal State Northridge (8-3-2, 1-1-1) 2-1 on Wednesday at the UCR Soccer Stadium.

The Matadors struck first with an unassisted goal by Will Beard in the 2nd minute of the game, setting the tempo for the rest of the half, which was dominated by Northridge. In the first half Northridge outshot the Highlanders 10-6.

When a Highlander was called for a handball in the goal box in the 69th minute, the Matadors Edwin Miranda scored off a rebound from his penalty kick to put Northridge up 2-0, thus sealing the victory for Cal State Northridge.

UCR awoke in the second half going on the offensive attack controlling the time of possession. Finally in the 72nd minute the Highlanders cut their deficit in half with a goal by Springer as Luc Harrington passed the ball to Juan Gutierrez, who slipped the ball past the defenders to Springer snuck the ball past Matador ‘keeper Radames Lafaurie.

The Highlanders had plenty of opportunities to score throughout the second half. In the 80th minute the Highlanders had a great scoring opportunity as the Matadors ‘keeper Lafaurie fell down with the ball slowly rolling in front of the goal. The Highlanders were unable to get to the ball thus resulting in a goal kick for the Matadors as the ball rolled out past the far post.

The Highlanders ‘keeper Josh Alexander recorded four saves in the loss, which dropped his record to 2-3-0. Matador ‘keeper Lafaurie recorded three saves.

The Highlanders will be back in action again this Saturday as they will play host to UC Irvine at 1:00 PM at the UCR Soccer Stadium.

UC Riverside Game With UC Irvine Postponed

(Oct. 26, 2002) - The UC Riverside and UC Irvine men’s soccer match that was scheduled for 1:00 PM Saturday at UC Riverside has been postponed due to an incident involving the Irvine soccer team.

The game has not been rescheduled.

Northridge Defeats Highlanders, 3-0

(Nov. 2, 2002) - The Cal State Northridge Matadors defeated the UC Riverside Highlanders 3-0 at Northridge Saturday.

Northridge (11-3-2, 4-1-1) scored early when Charles Mitchell scored off a pass from freshman Will Beard at 12:49. The team would extend its lead in the second period as sophomore Yossi Raz grabbed a cross from senior Brandon Esparza and knocked it in at 69:13. The Matadors would end the scoring for the day when Mitchell scored his second goal of the game on an assist from junior Edwin Miranda.

UC Riverside (3-9-3, 1-4) was led by forward Juan Gutierrez and defender Cory Craig. Gutierrez ended with a team-high three shots on goal while Cory finished the game with two shots and one on goal. Josh Alexander posted two saves on the day.

Fullerton Defeats Highlanders, 3-2 in Double OT

(Nov. 6, 2002) - Fullerton’s Hector Orellana scored on a corner kick with two minutes remaining in the second over time of an extremely physical game in a developing rivalry to overcome a 2-0 UCR lead and defeat the Highlanders 3-2 at the UCR Soccer Field on Wednesday.

The two teams combined for 39 fouls, seven yellow cards and two red cards, one of which was issued to UCR starting goalie Josh Alexander in the second over time. Alex Keough relieved in the goal, and on the ensuing play, Orellana nailed his corner kick into the upper left corner of the goal for the victory.

With the win, Fullerton improves to 7-7-3, 3-2-2 Big West, while the Highlanders fall to 3-10-3, 1-5.
UCR dominated the first half, scoring once while failing to convert on countless opportunities in putting 11 shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. Nick Supergan put the Highlanders out to a 1-0 lead when he scored on a cross from Cory Craig in the 20th minute to break a scoreless tie. Supergan added a second goal in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring on a rebound in the 61st minute.

Fullerton cut the lead in half less than a minute later, as Jason Clifford fed Eugene Brooks on a breakaway to put the Titans on the board. Brooks tied the game in the 75th minute, scoring from just outside the box to send the game to overtime.

Alexander finished with nine saves for the Highlanders, and Kyle Polak tallied nine as well for the Titans. UCR out shot Fullerton 23-21, but were out shot 5-2 in the over time periods.

The Highlanders will return to action on Saturday, November 9, in a Big West Conference match-up, at home against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at 1:00 PM.

Highlanders Fall to #15 Gauchos, 3-0

(Nov. 9, 2002) - The UC Riverside men’s soccer team fell to the 15th ranked UC Santa Barbara Gauchos 3-0 at the UCR Soccer Stadium. The game was played on a wet and sloppy field and a steady rain fall throughout the match.

The Gauchos (15-2-1, 7-0-1) dominated the time of possession in the game, keeping the Highlander defense on its toes. In the 18th minute Rob Friend headed in the Gauchos first goal of the game off a corner kick from Memo Arzate giving the Gauchos a 1-0 advantage.

The Highlanders (3-11-3, 1-6-0) came out in the second half in an offensive fury, dominating the time of possession early on. The Highlanders had several good looks but were not able to capitalized on these opportunities.

UCSB scored again when sweeper Alan Keely drove through the Highlander defense and took a shot on goal beating Highlander ‘keeper Alex Keough to give the Gauchos the 2-0 advantage.
Santa Barbara scored its final goal in the 68th minute when Matt Bly scored off a rebounded shot of Matt Kubota.

The Highlanders started a big line-up in which Head Coach Nat Gonzalez utilized his bench to try and put a stop to Santa Barbara’s offensive surge.

The Highlanders were out shot 25-4.

With the win Santa Barbara clinches its second consecutive Big West Championship.

The Highlanders will conclude their home schedule this Monday as they play host to UC Irvine at 1:00 Pm at the UCR Soccer Stadium.

Highlanders Fall to Irvine, 2-1

(Nov. 9, 2002) - The UC Riverside men’s soccer team fell to the UC Irvine Anteaters in their season finale, 2-1 at the UCR Soccer Stadium.

The Highlanders (3-11-3, 1-6-0) dominated the time of possession in the first half, and had several good looks at the net, especially in the 10th minute when freshman midfielder Nick Supergan had a one-on-one with the Anteater ‘keeper Ryan Mathy, Supergan faked left and the ‘keeper went left leaving Supergan and the net all by themselves, but Supergan was unable to finish the task missing wide left.

With 1:05 remaining on the clock UCR’s freshman Matt Bush threw in the ball from the left sideline to a goal box filled with both teams, and with the ball high in the air UCR’s Luc Harrington headed the ball past Irvine ‘keeper Mathy for the apparent game tying goal, only to have a hand ball called on the Highlanders negating the goal.

The Anteaters (8-7-3, 3-3-2) jumped out the early lead with a goal by Anthony Vizcarra who slipped his shot past Highlander ‘keeper Josh Alexander off of a cross pass from David Yemane to give Irvine the 1-0 advantage.

In the 62nd minute Irvine struck again on an unassisted goal by Scott Bowman to give the Anteaters the 2-0 advantage.

The Highlanders refused to lie down and went on an offensive attack, and finally scored their only goal. In the 87th minute Trey Lee headed the ball past Irvine ‘keeper Mathy off a corner kick from Juan Gutierrez to cut the deficit in half.

Highlanders and UCI Record 0-0 Draw

(Nov. 13, 2002) - Playing their second match in three days, the UC Irvine Anteaters (8-7-4, 3-3-3) and the UC Riverside Highlanders (3-12-4, 1-7-1) finished in a scoreless draw at Anteater Stadium Wednesday. Goalkeeper Josh Alexander earned a shutout with 10 saves on the night for UCR.

Juan Gutierrez and Luc Harrington each had four shots for the Highlanders.

Highlanders Close Out Season With Win Over Cal Poly, 3-2

(Nov. 16, 2002) - The UC Riverside Highlanders capped off the 2002 season with a 3-2 win over host Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo Saturday

The Highlanders end their season with a 4-12-4 recordand 2-7-1 in the Big West, good for fifth place. Cal Poly finishes at 3-16, 1-9.

A freshman connection gave the Highlanders the win. In the 82nd minute, freshman forward Justin Gilmore dropped a pass to freshman forward Trey Lee, who knocked it home to snap a 2-2 tie.

Freshman forward Nick Supergan scored first for the Highlanders, as he blasted a pass from defender Paul Salazar into the net at 15:05 to give the Highlanders a 1-0 lead. The Mustangs answered back just 0:30 into the second half, as Mark Jones scored on a penalty kick to tie the game at one.

However, less than five minutes later, the Highlanders regained the lead as senior Filberto Mares, playing his final collegiate game, scored from 22 yards out at 50:20 to put the Highlanders back in front.

James Mason brought the Mustangs back into the game, as he headed a Brian Reed pass past Highlander goalkeeper Josh Alexander at 59:06 to tie the game at two.

Cal Poly outshot UC Riverside, 11-8. Alexander made two saves in goal for the Highlanders. Luis Trejo made two saves in goal for the Mustangs.

Highlanders Have Four Named to All-Big West Teams

(Nov. 19, 2002) - Sophomore forward Luc Harrington (Diamond Bar, CA) was named to the Big West second team and freshman Nick Supergan (Poway, CA), and sophomores Jeff Pusey (Alta Loma, CA) and Ben Davies (Alta Loma, CA) were named to the Honorable Mention squad following a vote by conference coaches Tuesday.

Harrington played in 18 games for the Highlanders, including six in goal. He played 578 minutes in goal, making 35 saves and posting a 1-2-2 record. As a forward, Harrington played in 12 games, scoring five goals and one assist. He had 26 shots on the season, 14 on goal.

Supergan led the Highlanders in scoring with five goals and two assists, appearing in 16 games in his rookie campaign. Davies, a defender, started 15 of 16 matches and scored two goals and an assist. Pusey, a midfielder, was a strong defensive presence for the Highlanders, appearing in 20 games and tallying one assist.

In their second season, the Highlanders finished 4-12-4 overall and 2-7-1 in the Big West Conference.

Esparza Joins LA Galaxy Staff

(Feb. 1, 2003) -UC Riverside Assistant Coach Kevin Esparza has joined the coaching staff of the Los Angeles Galaxy of MLS, Head Coach Nat Gonzalez announced.

"We are sorry to see Kevin go, but this is a great opportunity for him. He will certainly be missed," Gonzalez said.

Esparza was in his first year with the Highlanders after serving as an assistant coach at Chapman University. He is also involved with the Olympic Development Program.