‘Eaters engage Gauchos

Less than a week into the start of a new school year, UC Irvine men’s soccer players are already inundated with homework. And Anteaters Coach George Kuntz has never been more pleased to see his team surrounded by stacks of books.

It’s Kuntz’s belief that the more his players are consumed with their routine, the less they will over-think the lesson plan that will unfold tonight in UCI’s Big West Conference opener at defending NCAA champion UC Santa Barbara at 8 at Harder Stadium.

Tonight’s game will also be televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel, providing an opportunity for Kuntz and his players to display why they believe their program has climbed to the point of inclusion in the NCAA Tournament.

To the consternation of many, UCI was denied a postseason berth after a 13-4-3 season in 2006 that included a 2-0 win home win over UCSB on Nov. 1. It was the last game the Gauchos lost on their way to the program’s first national title.

“It can affect a lot of things,” Kuntz said of the national television debut for his No. 25-ranked squad (5-1-2) against the No. 12-ranked Gauchos (4-2-2, 1-0 in conference). “It can affect recruiting and it can affect the [NCAA selection] committee. It provides us an opportunity to showcase a little bit of what we represent in Orange County. It gives the program more exposure and its an outstanding opportunity for our guys to be seen by the committee.”

UCI left Tuesday for tonight’s game, arriving by bus in the afternoon in time to practice. Today, they will have team meals and a team meeting and Kuntz said he hopes their remaining down time will be occupied by their studies, as opposed to stressing about the importance of the game.

“The guys are extremely motivated for these types of games,” Kuntz said. “The most important thing, as a coach, is to keep them focused on daily routines, the same things they’ve been doing. We’re trying to keep their minds occupied.”

The Anteaters could be preoccupied by the absence of redshirt freshman goalie Pat Barton, who did not make the trip after spraining his ankle during warmups for the Brown game, Sept. 23. Barton opened the season with three straight shutouts and five straight wins. Next came a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Loyola of Chicago and a 2-2 tie with Brown. Both of those teams, as well as San Diego State, which the ’Eaters battled to a scoreless tie Saturday, are teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last season.

“Those were [three] teams with a little more confidence than the teams we played earlier,” Kuntz said.

Helping bolster Kuntz’s confidence has been the play of junior midfielder Matt Murphy, who leads the team with 11 points (five goals and one assist). Murphy, the Big West Midfielder of the Year last season and a third-team preseason All-American this year, had double the points of the two next most productive teammates, freshmen Amani Walker and Spencer Thompson. Murphy had 10 goals and five assists in 2006.

Walker and Thompson, forwards for whom Kuntz has predicted great futures, have two goals and one assist apiece heading into tonight’s contest.

Kuntz said Shane Westbrook, a junior center midfielder, and junior center defenders David Sias and Kyle Schmid have also been central to the team’s early success, as have freshman midfielder Indar Smith and senior defender Brandon Foster.

Junior Greg Larson will replace Barton in goal. Larson, who began his career at San Diego State, blanked the Aztecs in his first UCI start and Kuntz said the team has complete faith in him.

Kuntz said UCSB is similar to last season, when the two teams split their conference meetings. UCI has not won at UCSB since 2005.

The Gauchos return three all-conference performers, including 6-foot-5 senior Andy Iro, who has twice been named Big West Defender of the Year. Junior midfielder Eric Avila was a first-team all-conference honoree last season, while sophomore forward Bongomin Otii was a second-team choice.

The Gauchos, who opened conference with a 4-0 triumph over UC Davis, have scored 10 goals in their last three games, after having scored seven in their previous five. Chris Pontius leads UCSB with four goals and one assist, followed by Avila with three goals and two assists.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].