UC Riverside Highlanders men's soccer
| UC Riverside Highlanders men's soccer | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Founded | 1965 [1] | ||
| University | University of California, Riverside | ||
| Head coach | Tim Cupello [2] (13th season) | ||
| Conference | Pac-12 I Division | ||
| Location | Riverside, California, US | ||
| Stadium | UCR Soccer Stadium (capacity: 878 [3]) | ||
| Nickname | Highlanders | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[4] | ||
| |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 2018, 2022 | |||
| Conference tournament championships | |||
| 2018, 2022 | |||
| Conference regular season championships | |||
| 2022 | |||
The UC Riverside Highlanders men's soccer is the intercollegiate varsity soccer team representing the University of California, Riverside (also UCR), located in Riverside, California. Starting in 2026, UCR will play as a men's soccer affiliate of the Pac-12 Conference under the terms of a men's soccer alliance between the Pac-12 and UCR's primary home of the Big West Conference.[5] Both the Big West and Pac-12 are member conferences in NCAA Division I.[6]
The Highlanders' current head coach is Tim Cupello, who is in charge since 2013.[1] The team play their home matches at the UCR Soccer Stadium, which has a capacity for 878 spectators.[3]
The team was established in 1965, and played in the Big West from 2002 to 2025,[1] where it has won two tournament championships (in 2018[7] and 2022, when the team also won the regular season)[8]
Stadium
UC Riverside plays its home matches at UCR Soccer Stadium, also used by the women's soccer team. The venue has a capacity of 878 people, although there is room for an additional 278 people on the grass. The field was renovated in 2007 with a TigerTurf artificial grass. One year later, a scoreboard was added to the facility. Moreover the lighting system was improved to allow men's and women's programs to host night games.[3]
Players
Current roster
As of December 2025[2]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Records
Source:[1]
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Professional players
UCR players that play/have played at professional levels are:
| Nat. | Player | Pro. | Professional career (teams) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Aaron Long | 2012 | Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles FC | [9][10][11] |
 | Otis Earle | 2014 | FC Tucson, FC Dallas | [12][13] |
| Daniel Aguirre | 2021 | LA Galaxy, Guadalajara | [14][15] |
Coaches
Current staff
- As of 15 December 2025
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Andres Ochoa |
| Assist. coach | Chris Volk |
| Assist. coach | Romario Lomeli |
| Assist. coach | Tony Huerta |
Coaching history
Source:[1]
- As of December 2025
| # | Name | Tenure | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Hofinga | 1965–73 | 59–55–5 |
| 2 | Charles Stamos | 1974 | 9–7–2 |
| 3 | Francisco Salcedo | 1975–77 | 17–19–2 |
| 4 | Cliff Singh | 1978–80 | 26–20–2 |
| 5 | Nat Gonzalez | 2001–03 | 12–36–8 |
| 6 | Junior Gonzalez | 2004–12 | 53–96–12 |
| 7 | Tim Cupello | 2013–present | 75–112–38 [n1 1] |
- Notes
- ↑ As of 2025
Titles
Conference
Source:[16]
| Conference | Championship | Titles | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big West | Big West tournament | 2 | 2018, 2022 |
| Regular season | 1 | 2022 |
Team statistics
NCAA appearances
UB's appearances in NCAA tournament are listed below:[1]
- Key
- a.e.t. – Match went to extra time
- p – Match decided by a penalty shootout after extra time
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| Season | Stage | Rival | Res. | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | First round | Pacific | L | 0–1 |
| 2022 | First round | Portland | L | 1–2 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 UCR Men's Soccer Record Book (2025)
- 1 2 Men's soccer roster at gohighlanders.com
- 1 2 3 UCR Soccer Stadium at gohighlanders.com
- ↑ "UCR Colors | Brand Identity". June 13, 2020. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ↑ "Pac-12 Conference and The Big West Announce Collaborative Men's Soccer Partnership to Strengthen Opportunities in the West" (Press release). Pac-12 Conference. March 30, 2026. Retrieved March 30, 2026.
- ↑ Division I - Riverside, CA | UC Riverside on ncaa.com
- ↑ Men's Soccer Wins First Big West Conference Championship at news.ucr.com. 14 Nov 2018
- ↑ UC Riverside men’s soccer wins first Big West regular season title at news.ucr.com - 30 Oct 2022
- ↑ Aaron Long - Career Summary at timbers.com
- ↑ Aaron Long - Career Summary at soundersfc.com
- ↑ USMNT perdería todo el verano al defensa Aaron Long by Jorge Herrera Navas on As.com, 17 May 2021
- ↑ Three former FC Tucson players selected in MLS draft on the Arizona Daily Star. Jan 15, 2015
- ↑ Otis Earle statistics on ESPN Deportes.com
- ↑ "LA Galaxy II sign midfielder Daniel Aguirre | LA Galaxy". lagalaxy.
- ↑ Daniel Aguirre joins Chivas for AP24. 6 Oct 2024
- ↑ Big West Conference Record Book (2025) at bigwest.org
External links
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