The Basics
Game 4
Oral Roberts (1-1-1) vs #24 UC Santa Barbara (2-0-0)
Date/Time: Sunday, September 1 / 7:00 p.m. (CT)
TV/Video (Summit League Network): ORUSN
Live Stats: ORU
Summit League: Weekly Notebook: No. 2
Location: Case Soccer Complex (Tulsa, Oklahoma)

TULSA, Okla. – The Golden Eagles are coming off their first win of the 2024 season off a stellar performance from Joao Mesquita who picked up 11 saves en route to his first clean sheet of his ORU career.

Fans can watch the game live through the Summit League Network or follow @ORUMSoccer on X for updates and information.

Gauchos vs Golden Eagles

• ORU and UCSB are currently even in their all-time matchups with the Golden Eagles evening up the series at 1-1 with a win in Santa Barbara last year.
• Luis Flores and Juan Moreno would make up four different Golden Eagles that were able to find the back of the net against the Gauchos.
• The Golden Eagles will host UCSB for the first time since October 26, 1997.

Scouting UCSB

• The No. 24 UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team put their clinical attack and fearless defense on display again Thursday night, scoring two early goals, adding a third late and blocking shot after shot to earn a 3-0 win over Kansas City
• Haruki Utsumi saw his first action of the season on Thursday, a welcome return after his ironman streak ended last week due to a preseason injury. Utsumi played every second for the Gauchos in 2023 and recorded 47 minutes in his return Thursday night, playing the entire first half.
• UC Santa Barbara opened its 2024 campaign last Thursday, defeating Missouri State, 3-1, at Harder Stadium. Alexis Ledoux and Peleg Brown both starred for the Gauchos, and each man earned a Big West weekly award for his performance. Ledoux was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week with two goals and an assist, while Brown earned a Freshman of the Week nod after notching his first collegiate assist to go with 73 shutout minutes in defense.

More for Mora

• Omar Mora scored the most goals in an ORU regular season opener since Reed Berry's brace in a 4-1 win over Drake (8/30/2019).
• After scoring his third goal of the season off a penalty against Cal Poly, Mora is now tied for first in the Summit League and is second for points.

In Good Hands

• Joao Mesquita picked up his first clean sheet against the Mustangs on Thursday.
• His 11 saves last game were the most by an ORU keeper in a game since Miles Motakef's 12 saves against Eastern Illinois in 2018.

Running it Back

• Head Coach Ryan Bush enters the season 9 wins shy of hitting the century mark of career wins at ORU (91-69-25)
• Luis Flores enters the year listed as one of United Soccer Coaches' 2024 NCAA Division I Men's Players to Watch after a 2023 campaign that saw him break ORU single-season goals scored record (15).
• Flores and Schinieder Mimy were selected to the Summit League Preseason Players to Watch list. This is the second consecutive Player to Watch honor for Mimy and the first for Flores.
• At the end of this past summer, Brian McCurdy was promoted to Associate Head Coach.
• Along with Mimy and Flores, ORU returns starters Jakub Grzesiak, Juan Moreno, and Thiago Patto back for the 2024 season.

For the latest information on ORU men's soccer, follow @ORUMSoccer on Instagram, X, and Facebook, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics App in the Google Play or App Store.