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Vermont (3-2) heads out west to face a pair of Big West teams this weekend. The Catamounts will take on Cal State Fullerton (3-3) on Friday (Sept. 15) at 10 p.m. (EST) and the trip will wrap up at UC Riverside (0-5) on Sunday (Sept. 17) with a 2 p.m. (EST) kickoff. Follow all of the action in both contests by clicking the links below.

RELATED LINKS
Cal State Fullerton: Video | Audio | Live Stats
UC Riverside: Live Stats
Rankings: United Soccer Coaches 

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SETTING THE SCENE
UVM takes its two-game winning streak to California this weekend. Junior forward Geo Alves leads America East in points (11), goals (5), and game-winning goals (2) while ranking in the top-10 nationally in all three categories. The Catamounts also have two of the league's top distributers in Jon Arnar Barðdal and Tom Cole. The pair have handed out two assists apiece which is tied for third in America East. Redshirt freshman goalie Alex Popovich has burst onto the scene with two clean sheets in his first two career starts. Popovich is only one of 12 freshman keepers in the country with at least two shutouts this season.
 
LAST TIME OUT | Yale Highlights
Vermont and Yale squared off for the first time in 20 years last Saturday and the Catamounts came out on top with a 1-0 shutout victory behind Alves' fifth goal of the season late in the first half. With three minutes left in the first period, UVM's offense was pushing the envelope inside of the box. Barðdal beat the Bulldogs' backline and hit Alves in stride cutting up the seam. Alves reached out and lined a one-timer into the right side of the net for this fifth goal of the season.

UNITED SOCCER COACHES EAST REGIONAL POLL | Poll Results
The Catamounts rank among the top programs in the east, according to this week's United Soccer Coaches Regional Poll. UVM sits in 10th place after the victory over Yale. Vermont is one of six America East teams in the rankings – No. 1 New Hampshire, No. 4 UMass Lowell, No. 7 Stony Brook, No. 8 UMBC, and No. 9 Albany.

SCOUTING CAL STATE FULLERTON
The Titans are coming off their third straight Big West title game appearance last season and the group was voted to finish second in this year's Big West South Division Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Titans' offense has struggled out of the gate this season with only two goals scored prior to last weekend, but broke out with three goals in a 3-0 shutout at San Francisco on Sunday. Big West Preseason All-Conference pick Ross McPhie leads the team with five points (2 goals, 1 assist). Samuel Goni trails McPhie with four points on two goals. In the victory against San Francisco, goalie Alfredo Cortez earned his first career minutes and recorded a clean sheet with two saves.
 
SCOUTING UC RIVERSIDE
The Highlanders were voted to finish third in the Big West South Division Preseason Coaches' Poll, behind Fullerton, but have yet to reach the win column this season. Despite the goose egg, UC Riverside has faced some tough competition and the last three contests have been decided by one goal, including a tough 1-0 loss at No. 17 Omaha last Friday. Big West Preseason All-Conference selection Ricardo Ruiz holds a share of the team lead with one goal and tops the pack with seven shot attempts. Edward Benito joins Ruiz with one goal under his belt and Anthony Lopez was credited with assists on each goal. Goalie Vincent Morales ranks fifth in Big West with 15 saves and the redshirt senior owns a 1.75 goals-against average.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday night's meeting at Cal State Fullerton will be the fourth all-time contest between the two programs. The Titans claimed the first two outcomes with a 3-1 victory in 1994 and a 4-1 win a year later. Vermont rebounded in last year's season opener with a 3-2 double overtime victory at Virtue Field, thanks to a game-winning goal by Brian Wright in the 109th minute. Sunday will mark the first ever match between the Cats and UC Riverside.
 
WHO'S NEXT
Vermont continues its six-game road trip with a visit to twin state rival Dartmouth on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 4 p.m. The game will be streamed live on a pay-per-view basis on the Ivy League Digital Network.