Five Things to Know About the 2024 Anteaters
Men's soccer will kick off the 2024 season in just three weeks, and they're coming off an amazingly successful 2023 season winning the Big West and returning to the NCAA Tournament.
The 2024 team will have a much different feel, but still with the same goals and same tough path to get there. A massive core of fourth and fifth-year 'Eaters are off to bigger and better things while a talented, experienced unit takes the reins, and an infusion of newcomers join the fray, both prolific goal scorers and lockdown defenders. And to top things off, 10 matches in Anteater Stadium postseason squads lining it up and down to entertain the Anteater faithful.
Below are five of the main factors entering the 2024 season for UC Irvine men's soccer who starts their season Thursday, August 22 at Corvallis:
TROPHY CASE
- The 2023 Anteaters returned to glory earning a Big West Championship, the first under head coach Yossi Raz's tenure. It came with a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, first since 2018, and battled with an LMU squad that reached the Quarterfinals.
"The group was fantastic throughout the season last year, even on days that we did not achieve the result we wanted which was illustrated in their ability to peak and prevail in the Big West Championship which is always tough. To win a trophy and get back to the NCAAs was fantastic. Just as importantly, when looking back we graduated all our players allowing them to continue and play pro or get drafted or pursue master's degrees, it was all-around very successful." - Head Coach Yossi Raz
CLASSY MOVES
- The 2024 roster saw departures from multiple key student-athletes including four from the 2019 class that was ranked No. 1 in the nation in Eddy Berumen, Oscar Cervantes, Rafael Espinoza, and Ricardo Ibarra. One 'Eater still remains from that class in Mario Anaya returning for a sixth season in the midfield.
GOING TO GOAL
- The Anteaters scored 21 goals a season ago from 13 different goal scorers, and seven of those scorers return and bring over 50% of the offense. Last season, UCI's nine game-winning goals were spread among nine different scorers with four of the finishers back in the mix.
"We are bringing back core returners that we can rely heavily on that is always great in college, especially at a place like UC Irvine to build on and develop. When you have that many returning, that's always a good sign, and the newcomers have a shared DNA and are quality. We are excited about the roster assembled. We're hoping to be versatile enough to play different tactics as required for the different competition and challenges through the season. The fans can expect a similar prototype to what we always want to be – an attractive team that plays good, positive football is entertaining, maintains the ball, going toward goal while trying to be tough and work hard to represent the university and community well. We feel like we have good depth and we think that will be a nice asset to rely on. We feel like we have nice maturity because the roster is a bit older. When you put all those ingredients together we have high expectations for this next year. We're hoping we stay healthy and weather the challenges, and we're looking forward to it." - Head Coach Yossi Raz
PROVEN PRUTER
- The imposing presence in net is also back in Luke Pruter even after he was drafted in the final pick of the MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew SC. Pruter is in the top 10 almost every all-time goalkeeping category as he enters his fourth season with the 'Eaters with 16 career wins, 12 shutouts, and 143 saves in 45 matches and nearly 4,000 career minutes
LINING UP
- Once again, coach Raz has delivered a challenging schedule starting off with NCAA College Cup participant from last year, Oregon State. The schedule also features tournament teams from last season Vermont and San Diego who will each visit Anteater Stadium, and a daunting trip to Florida in September to face a pair of perennial postseason contenders in UCF and South Florida.
"Like in years' past, we think that in order to grow and fulfill the roster's talent, you need to compete against the best of the best in the NCAA. We're always going to try to do that. We've been on the road against some of those teams, and now it's time for them to return. Vermont is one example, they're a fantastic team that's made the NCAAs in recent years and they're going to join us in Anteater Stadium. San Diego State is very competitive, USD is a postseason team the last couple years, and these type of home games will give the home crowd a sense to enjoying the highest level of soccer. I personally think all of our matches in Anteater Stadium will be quite fun as well specifically because of the styles of our opponents." "We are also going on the road a little bit with a tough match to start at Oregon State and we have a big trip to Florida and we think that our schedule is good and will challenge us. It will allow us to grow and fulfill the talents of our group and hopefully prepare us as needed for the challenges in the Big West. I think the conference is going to be competitive as always, probably more so this year. Most of the Big West is a bit older and they've recruited well, and it's going to be a very, very competitive Big West." - Head Coach Yossi Raz
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