UCI seeking solid footing

In most cases, an overnight trip to Santa Barbara is a refreshing, restorative experience that is relished by those Southern Californians who make the drive north.

But don’t expect UC Irvine men’s soccer coach George Kuntz to provide a complimentary quote for the coastal community’s tourism brochure.

It was a two-day journey to Santa Barbara that adversely altered the Anteaters’ 2007 season for good, as a 4-0 loss to the then-defending NCAA champion Gauchos, in a game televised nationally by the Fox Soccer Channel, began a 1-8-3 slide, all against conference foes. That virtually erased a 5-0-0 start that produced a No. 25 national ranking.

“I think we started out with a false sense of security and the chemistry was pretty good,” Kuntz said. “Then we hit a couple of speed bumps with some adversity from within and some adversity during games and we did not deal with it well.”

Kuntz, whose 14th season begins with a home exhibition game against Division II Cal State San Bernardino Sunday at 7:30 p.m., said he expects 2008 to go much better.

“It’s a totally different team this year,” said Kuntz, who has encouraged his players to forget last season, which included a last-place finish in the seven-team Big West Conference. “Last year, we only had three seniors and only one of those started [defender Brandon Foster]. This year, we have seven seniors, who make up a much stronger core.”

UCI is picked to finish fifth in the preseason conference coaches poll, which identifies UCSB as the favorite to earn its sixth straight Big West crown.

The returners, including midfielder Matt Murphy and defender David Sias, both second-team all-conference honorees a year ago, produced all but one goal and three assists from last year’s team total.

Murphy, the Anteaters’ leading scorer the last two years (he was Big West Midfielder of the Year as a sophomore), produced nine goals and two assists, more than doubling the point total of the second-most productive UCI scorer in 2007.

Murphy enters this season ranked sixth in UCI career annals in points (55) and goals (22), and his seven game-winning goals have been bettered by only two players in the program’s history.

“He’s always lethal and always dangerous, because he has a great left foot,” Kuntz said of Murphy, of whom much is expected in terms of leadership. “He’s an excellent player, but he’s still learning how to lead in his own way. But the kids look up to him.”

Kuntz also said professional scouts who observed his off-season training opportunities with four Major League Soccer teams, will also be looking to see if Murphy can step up his game enough to compete at the next level.

“[Murphy] knows this is kind of an important statement he needs to make this year,” Kuntz said.

Also hoping to complete their collegiate career with a strong senior campaign are returning starters Rafael “Pollo” Macedo, Kyle Schmid and Jake Westbrook.

Kuntz said Macedo, who had one goal and three assists last season, continues to be a mainstay in the midfield, where he has been a three-year starter.

Schmid, the son of Columbus Crew Coach Sigi Schmid, who coached formerly with the LA Galaxy and UCLA, had been expected to help anchor the back line. But an injury to his left Achilles tendon in practice this week has rendered his status uncertain.

Westbrook, a midfielder, had two goals and four assists in 19 starts last season, when only Foster started more games. But a knee problem that has yet to be effectively diagnosed has sidelined Westbrook indefinitely, Kuntz said.

Also expected to improve from last season are sophomore forwards Spencer Thompson and Amani Walker. Thompson tallied four goals and one assist as a freshman, while Walker had one goal and three assists in his debut collegiate campaign.

Kuntz said Walker was the team’s leading scorer in the spring and, combined with Thompson, senior Michael Willrich, and junior Carlos Aguilar, a transfer from 2007 state champion Taft Community College, the quartet gives the ’Eaters some diverse scoring threats.

“Willrich is 6-foot-7, so he’s a big target who creates havoc for opponents,” said Kuntz, who called Aguilar one of the more clever players up front.

Kuntz said Irving Garcia, a junior who was a National Junior College Assn. All-American last season at Yavapai College in Arizona, should make an impact at midfield, where sophomore Gray Bailey is a returning starter.

“Garcia is an exciting player to watch,” Kuntz said.

Kuntz said Jimmy Turner, a freshman midfielder out of Mission Viejo High who helped form a recruiting class ranked No. 40 by College Soccer News, should also see plenty of time. Turner could also contribute on the back line, Kuntz said.

Junior defender Kevin Santora enters his third season as a starter, while sophomore defender Corey Attaway, one of 10 returns with at least one goal last season, comes off an off-season in which he helped the Galaxy under-20 team win the Western Region championship, Kuntz said.

Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Pat Barton, who had all three of his shutouts last season in the aforementioned 5-0-0 start, returns after posting a 1.3 goals-against average.

Junior J.T. Terrazas, is another returner with experience at midfield and at forward.

The Anteaters begin the regular season Aug. 30 by opening the UC Irvine Collegiate Classic against North Florida at 7:30 p.m. at Anteater Stadium.

UCI opens Big West play Oct. 1 against visiting UC Davis at 7 p.m. and, for those wondering, the annual visit to UCSB is Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.