Support the National Club Semi-finalists!

WHO ARE WE?

UCLA Men's Club Soccer is a competitive club team of student-athletes continuing their passion for soccer while also pursuing studies at UCLA. We have grown to become a tight family who look out for each other on and off the field. 

Every week we look forward to intense practice sessions, and, of course, matches against some of the strongest club teams in the country. Though we are bonded by soccer, off the field we always enjoy each other's company whether it be a team dinner at BPlate or a casual kickback at someone's place. We motivate each other to be the best versions of ourselves and look forward to seeing each other succeed in all aspects of our lives. 

Competing in the Southern California region, you have to feel for the other collegiate club teams that face us. We are reigning Regional Champions for Southern California, and we strive to show off these talents on the national stage. Last year we travelled to Texas to compete against the top club soccer programs in the country and last year we achieved our best every finish as a club reaching the Championship Division Semifinals.

As a student-run club, the majority of expenses—tournament fees, transportation, and equipment—are purchased out of pocket, with little help from UCLA. We are extremely lucky to have a close-knit community of alumni, families, and friends who continue to support the team. Without the aid from our compassionate donors, our amazing accomplishment of winning the 2023 Regionals and achieving our best-ever finish in the 2023 Nationals would have never been possible.

HOW YOU CAN HELP?

Last year’s campaign was a huge success, smashing our goal of $7,000 and raising $8,700 for our program! We are beyond thankful for the UCLA Club Soccer community and are truly indebted to all who donated. This year we are looking to recapture the league title and defend our title as reigning regional champions. Additionally, we hope that this year we can win our first Championship Division national title. To have the best opportunity to fulfill these achievements, our goal for this year’s campaign is to raise $7,000. Any donation amount is very appreciated and extremely helpful to keep our mighty movement going! WE MOVE!

RECAP OF 2023

Spring 2023 - WCSA Regional Champions (Back-to-Back): 

Golden Glove Ryan McCloskey with a huge penalty save to help us keep UCSB quiet, winning the final 1-0. The last dance for our superb seniors Jack Stenzel, Richard Schafhalter, Kellen Whetstone, Jake Greenberg-Bell, and Seyi Adekoya!

Fall 2023 - Aztec Cup Season Opener:

With new signings heading into the 23/24 season, the boys topped their group with a highlight 5-0 win against CSU Fullerton. Travis Caplan was the hat-trick hero of the quarter-final clash against Long Beach State, an eight-goal thriller finishing 5-3. Unfortunately, the thin-numbered and beat-up Bruins were unable to conjure enough strength to topple UCSB in the semis, losing out 1-3.

Fall 2023 - NIRSA Regionals

After winning the NIRSA National Open Division last year, the boys craved the opportunity to head back to Texas and compete in the tougher, closed division bracket. In order to receive another ticket to Texas, a tournament win at the NIRSA Regionals was required. The boys looked to get their revenge for the loss against the Gauchos during the Aztec Cup but had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate. A truly dominating performance against the hosts, Cal Poly SLO, ended as a 3-0 clinic. The game saw dazzling goals from the likes of Sophomore Tyler Cho and Senior Giorgio Conta. The result was more than enough to skip the dreaded play-in game and head straight to the semifinals. The semifinal bout was the first match against our noisy LA neighbors, USC, this season. The boys silenced the Trojans and earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory largely due to a defensive masterclass led by Senior Tosh Martin. Since there were only a couple hours between the end of the semifinal and the beginning of the final, the lads quickly found an acai place to fuel up before the big final. However, news swiftly spread that there had been a tense scuffle after the other semifinal match. The boys were ready to challenge UCSB once again, as they beat SDSU in overtime of the other semifinal. Due to what went down after their match, however, the Gauchos were disqualified from the tournament, which ultimately punched the boys’ tickets to NIRSA Nationals in Texas.

Fall 2023 - NIRSA Nationals

With more games under their belts due to the NIRSA Regional tournament, the boys were buzzing to play in Round Rock. Despite a little mishap waking up Sophomore Caleb Ginsburg, who was in a deep sleep before Sophomore Lucas Cozuc saved the day, the boys all made it to LAX in time for their flight. For most, the first event after arriving at the Airbnb was a scramble to figure out sleeping situations. Sharing a house with 20+ teammates forced those to use their creativity to make their sleep as comfortable as possible, shoutout Freshies Connor Favero and Emmett Tjen. After the fun day of traveling, it was time to dial in. The first game against Colorado-Boulder started out a tad rocky, as the boys conceded first. But, a towering header by Junior Michael Crisera just before halftime reminded everyone that everything was going to be alright. His performance along with the cool and collected Senior Quinn Sprague, the boys registered their first win of the tournament, outlasting the Buffs 4-2. To finish off group play, the boys came up against an undefeated Virginia Tech team. The result represented the tightly contested match that night, as both shared the points from the 1-1 draw. The Bruins’ sole goal scored by Senior Ciaran “El Jefe” Hernon. Because of the flurry of goals against Colorado, the boys finished atop their group, jumping Virginia Tech due to goals forced. This set up a round of 16 matchup with west coast compatriot Oregon. A slow start from the boys put them in a hole early, falling 1-0 behind. Looking for a spark from the bench, Gaffer Brenden Werner called upon Senior Taig Lonergan to revitalize the lads on the pitch. Within minutes he did exactly that, adding the finishing touch to a beautifully worked team goal. At the halftime whistle, the goals were split evenly amongst the two teams, 1-1. Having been in this situation once already this tournament, the boys knew they were more than capable of completing the comeback from a losing position. The second half began and the boys came out absolutely flying. With all this momentum, the Bruins found their go-ahead goal through the celebration merchant, Sophomore Tyler Cho, making the tie 2-1. It wasn’t the smoothest of victories, but the boys managed their lead all the way until the full-time whistle.

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Should this fund reach the campus minimum required for the establishment of an endowment or quasi-endowment, The UCLA Foundation reserves the right to convert this fund to an endowment or quasi-endowment. Please click here to learn more about how the UCLA Foundation invests and manages its endowments.