UC Davis owns the Big West's best record at 4-0-1, while UC Irvine and UC Riverside attempt to extend unbeaten streaks to highlight this week's action in women's soccer.
NOTEWORTHY
Keep An Eye On
UC Davis Offense
What a difference a year makes. In 2008, UC Davis struggled to find the back of the net, scoring 17 goals in 17 games. The Aggies ranked eighth in the Big West in goals scored. The 2009 squad has scored a Big West-best 20 goals in five games, besting last year’s total by three. Ten different Aggies have scored a goal, with the brunt of the damage inflicted by seniors Rochelle VanBuskirk (7 goals) and Marisa Boge (5 goals).
More Notables
Crozier Nabs Big West Career Win No. 150
Cal Poly head coach Alex Crozier earned the 150th win of his Big West coaching career with Friday’s 3-1 triumph at Florida International. Crozier, who has led the Mustang program since its inception in 1992, owns an overall record of 204-109-34. The Big West began sponsoring women’s soccer in 1996. Crozier’s closest pursuers are Pacific’s Keith Coleman with 130 victories, and UC Santa Barbara’s Paul Stumpf at 101.
COACHING VICTORY LEADERS
(as member of the Big West)
150 Alex Crozier, Cal Poly
130 Keith Coleman, Pacific
101 Paul Stumpf, UC Santa Barbara
92 Marine Cano, UC Irvine
79 Veronica O’Brien, UC Riverside
bold denotes active Big West head coach
UC Riverside Hosts Tournament This Week
UC Riverside welcomes fellow Big West foe UC Irvine as the two conference schools battle Bowling Green and Utah Valley as part of the UCR Tournament this weekend. The Highlanders enter the tournament on a five-game unbeaten streak. UCR’s 0-0 double-overtime tie against San Francisco last Friday marked the fourth consecutive shutout. The four straight clean sheets ranked second all-time in Highlander history.
Looking Forward To Home Cooking
After finishing off a four-match roadtrip 2-2-0 and playing a ranked opponent in four of its last five contests, Long Beach State is relishing the idea of returning to George Allen Field. The 49ers play five of their next six games on the home pitch, beginning on Friday against Pepperdine. They then hit the road to play San Diego State Sunday before returning home for four straight.
Fortress Around The Goal
Junior goalkeeper Danielle deSeriere enters this week No. 2 on the Big West career list for goals against average. She owns a 0.77 career mark, second only to Long Beach State’s Liz Ramos (2005-08) and her 0.66 figure. deSeriere has allowed just five goals while playing 637 minutes and 55 seconds in net for the Anteaters this season. Her 0.71 GAA ranks third in the Big West so far in 2009.
Titans Invade Win Column
The worst start (0-4) in Cal State Fullerton history was halted last Friday when the Titans knocked off Big Ten Conference foe Michigan by a 2-0 score. It was a reversal of fortune for CSF, pinning a shutout on the visiting Wolverines after enduring three straight shutout defeats of its own. CSF doubled its total scoring output for the season since scoring a goal in the 67th minute of a season-opening 2-1 loss to Utah.
Ives Still Scoreless In 2009
No one would have predicted that 2008 Big West Offensive Player of the Year Genelle Ives would be scoreless through seven matches in 2009. But that is the case. The UC Santa Barbara senior forward is the Big West active career goals (22), assists (17) and points (61) leader, but has been held out of the scoring column thus far in 2009. Ives scored nine goals and added seven assists for last season’s Big West Tournament champion Gauchos, which went on to compete in the NCAA Tournament. Ives is one assist away from moving into the Big West career top 10.
BIG WEST CAREER ASSIST LEADERS
29 Kim Silos - Long Beach State 2005-08
29 Wendy Woolgar - Pacific 1996-98
26 Jennifer Borcich - UC Santa Barbara 2001-04
25 Krista Davey - North Texas 1996-99
21 Natalie Dorr - Pacific 1996-98
20 Chandi Bickford - UC Santa Barbara 2003-06
19 Christy Johnson - North Texas 1997-99
19 Simone Ferrara - UC Irvine 1996-98
18 Hayley Bolt - Long Beach State 2005-08
18 Kellie Cox - Cal State Fullerton 2001-05
18 Shana Stickel - Cal Poly 1996-98
18 Allie Kueny - UC Santa Barbara 2003-06
17 Genelle Ives - UC Santa Barbara 2005-pres.
Youth Leading The Way For Pacific
Pacific is 4-2-1 on the young season - thanks to youth. Of the 13 Tiger goals, 12 have been scored by either freshmen or sophomores. Freshman Laura Hernandez seems to be finding a knack for making her goals count, as her second career goal was also her second career game-winner. She scored in the 74th minute against Fordham on Sunday in a neutral match in Reno, Nev.
Anteaters Attempt To Keep Streak Alive
UC Irvine owns the longest unbeaten streak of any Big West school this season - six. Since a season-opening 2-0 loss at Arizona State on Aug. 21, the Anteaters have outscored their opponents 15-3. They had blanked three straight foes before settling for a 1-1 tie at UNLV Friday.
Searching For Scoring Infusion
Cal State Northridge has not distributed offensive production much, as five players have accounted for the team’s nine goals on the year. After scoring a combined six goals in victories over San Diego State and Loyola Marymount, the Matadors have collected just three goals in the past five outings.
Big West Live Comes To Twitter
The Big West Conference is excited to bring Big West Live to Twitter, a Twitter feed designed to give fans an in-the-stands view of select Big West Events. Bringing near-instantaneous photos, commentary, and updates, Big West Live is the first feed of its kind. Moving beyond the scores and stats, Big West Live delivers the “color” of Big West events.
Follow Your Team On BigWest.TV
The Big West Conference and the CBS College Sports Network are partnering to bring you exclusive coverage of Big West sports, press conferences, interviews, and features to your home via the Internet! Now in its fifth year, BigWest.TV covers every home and conference contest in men’s basketball as well as women’s basketball and volleyball. Also covered are select contests in men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and Big West Conference Championships. A monthly subscription of $9.95 or an annual subscription of $79.95 delivers exclusive coverage to you. If you can’t make it to the gym or the field, you can still catch all the action on BigWest.TV!