Men’s Soccer: Iwasa, UCI seek breakthrough

With a rare combination of speed and power, Cameron Iwasa is the kind of soccer forward whom teammates play into space — lead him with passes so he can run onto the ball.

In many ways, the UC Irvine senior co-captain’s blend of talent and inspiration has done the same for the Anteaters; helping play them into the space reserved for the nation’s most consistently strong programs.

Iwasa makes the third NCAA Tournament appearance of his career Thursday, when UCI (14-5-3), ranked as high as No. 3 this season, plays host to UNLV (14-4-3) in a first-round match at 7 p.m.

“My collegiate soccer career has been great,” said Iwasa, who has four goals and five assists and earned second-team All-Big West Conference honors this season. “I have a lot of friends that went to Division I programs and they all had success. But out of all my friends, I’m the only one who has ever been fortunate enough to play in the NCAA Tournament. And this is going to be my third time. When you think about it, it’s pretty special to be able to get that kind of opportunity.”

And this group of Anteaters, who began the season 8-0-2 and were 11-1-2 before finishing 3-4-1 and settling for their first at-large bid in their five NCAA appearances, are approaching the NCAA Tournament as more an opportunity than a reward for a strong regular season.

“The goal for us is to get to places this program has never been,” said Iwasa, who helped UCI reach the Sweet 16 as a co-captain last season. The ‘Eaters were eliminated in the second round in 2011. “So, now, that would be making it to the Elite Eight. And the ultimate goal is to win a national championship.”

But Iwasa, who has started all 65 games the last three seasons, said the aspiration to win an NCAA crown is definitely more tangible than it was when he arrived from Jesuit High outside Sacramento. At Jesuit, he scored 42 goals as a senior to lead the team to a second straight CIF Sac-Joaquin Section title and consecutive No. 2 national rankings.

“When I was a freshman, [the national title] was still a goal,” Iwasa said. “We had a picture of the stadium in Alabama [site of the College Cup, semifinals and final] on the wall in our team room, because that was where we all wanted to be. But you kind of got the sense that it wasn’t quite as serious. Every team in the country says ‘Hey, let’s win a national championship.’ But this year, for us, I think it’s a lot more real.”

UCI defeated North Carolina in the second round last year, after receiving a first-round bye awarded following its fourth Big West Conference Tournament crown. The ‘Eaters then lost in the Sweet 16 at Maryland, which went on to play in the College Cup final.

“We lost to Maryland [1-0] in a game that was pretty tight,” Iwasa said. “We had our opportunities to equalize, that’s for sure. Then, seeing Maryland go on and play in the national championship game, for us, was a big confidence booster. We hung toe-to-toe with those guys and they ended up playing in the final. We’re right there and that’s within reach. I think this year, it’s more of a reality than a dream that we could win the national championship.

“We don’t have a picture of [Cary, N.C, this year’s College Cup site] posted,” Iwasa said. “I think everybody knows where we want to be. Everyone wants to be in the College Cup, in the final, then lifting the trophy.

UCI clearly would not be where it is without the dynamic 5-10 standout, whose powerful physique, competitive drive and seemingly inexhaustible stamina make him an imposing and persistent challenge for defenders.

“Statistically, Cameron is not our points leader,” first-year UCI coach Chris Volk said. “But the intangibles he brings to the team, with his work ethic, I think sets the standard for our team. I think all the guys have responded to his leadership this year.

“And on the field, he is blessed with speed and strength and he is a handful for opposing players,” Volk said. “When he is drawing the attention of defenders, he has the ability to find his teammates and create other opportunities for them. He’s a competitor, a super athlete, and he has tremendous work ethic that I think is contagious. Our other guys feed off that.”

Iwasa, who has 20 career goals (six game-winners) and 13 assists, believes he and his teammates enter the postseason with plenty to prove.

“Throughout the years, we’ve always been a team that has been able to earn a pretty high regular-season ranking, but we haven’t quite been able to back it up in the [NCAA] tournament,” Iwasa said. “I think there is doubt around the nation as to how good our team really is. I think we enjoy having that kind of doubt and having to prove we are legit.”