Off to its first 3-0 Big West start since 2003, Cal Poly leads the women's soccer standings as teams approach the midway point of the league ledger.
  
The Mustangs earned a dramatic 1-0 win in the final seconds of last Sunday's contest against Cal State Northridge, giving head coach Alex Crozier his 200th career victory.  It was the third straight win for the Mustangs, which also have won four of their last five and seven of their last nine games after a 1-4 start.
   
For the second straight week, Cal Poly faces just one game on its schedule.  But the opponent is none other than arch rival UC Santa Barbara, the preseason pick of the coaches to win the Big West in 2008.
   
The all-time series has swung in Cal Poly's favor with a 9-5-2 record.  However, the two teams have played some tight battles recently, with the last three games being decided by one goal.  UCSB has won two of the last three meetings, although CP grabbed a 1-0 win in Santa Barbara last season.
   
Cal Poly equaled last year's win total of eight against CSUN.  The Gauchos already have eclipsed their 2007 victory tally of six, and are honing in on the double-digit win mark.  UCSB could reach 10 wins when it welcomes Pacific to Harder Stadium on Friday.
   
The Tigers are looking to prevent the Gauchos from securing their first 10-win season since 2004.  At the same time, Pacific (8-6-0) is bidding for its third 10-win campaign in the last four seasons.  The Tigers are hot with wins in five of their last six matches, and have scored 13 goals during that six-match stretch.  Pacific is tied atop the standings with Cal Poly with nine points, but has one loss in conference play as well - a 2-1 setback to Long Beach State on Oct. 5.
   
Pacific finishes the week at Cal State Northridge on Sunday.  The Matadors are still stuck on their 99th Division I win, and have two chances this week to hit the century milestone.  CSUN has lost four straight games and is 0-6-1 in its last seven outings.  However, CSUN owns a 3-0-1 record at home this year.
   
Long Beach State currently sits in third place at seven points.  After finishing off a four-match homestand last weekend, the 49ers close out the regular season with four of their last five games on the road.  This week's matchups are against UC Riverside and Cal State Fullerton.  The Highlanders have one win and two ties in their last nine matches.  The Titans also are struggling with losses in four of their last five contests.
   
The Cal State Fullerton-Long Beach State matchup, which kicks off on Sunday at 6:00 p.m. on BigWest.TV, features last season's regular season co-champions.  The 49ers have lost three of the last four meetings against the Titans.
   
UC Irvine and UC Davis are tied for fifth in the Big West with four points.  The Anteaters picked up a point when they forged a 0-0 tie to knock Long Beach State off the first place perch last week.  UCI hosts Cal State Fullerton on Friday before traveling to UC Riverside on Sunday.  The Anteaters are 6-3-0 at home, but just 1-3-1 on the road.
   
The Aggies are 5-2-1 in their last eight contests.  UCD earned a 1-0 victory against Cal State Fullerton last week.  The team's only action this week is at Cal State Northridge.