The one-month mark until the Big West Tournament is this week and the action promises to heat up as the seven men's soccer clubs jostle for the four coveted postseason spots. League leader UC Santa Barbara aims to keep the top spot after road matches against UC Davis and rival Cal State Northridge, while upstart Cal State Fullerton heads to Cal Poly looking to avenge an overtime loss to the Mustangs just a month ago. CSF also takes on UCD Sunday in a match that could help separate a three team pack for second place.
NOTEWORTHY:
Vom Steeg Stands Alone in Big West Lore
Now in the 11th year at the helm of his alma mater, UC Santa Barbara head coach Tim Vom Steeg achieved a major Big West milestone last week. Thanks to the Gauchos’ 1-0 win over Cal Poly on October 7, Vom Steeg is now the all-time winningest coach in Big West lore, passing former Fresno State manager Jose Elgorriaga's total of 126 wins. Vom Steeg is already the career leader in league-only triumphs, posting his 60th career win against Big West foes with the Gauchos’ victory against UC Irvine on September 27. He is the lone coach in Big West history to post 60+ wins in conference play and 120+ overall wins during league membership.
Sam I Am...the Goalkeeper Man
UC Santa Barbara goalkeeper Sam Hayden was expected to make a big impact between the pipes for the Gauchos, but no one could’ve foreseen the current streak the netminder is on. Hayden has shut out UCSB's last four opponents, three of them being Big West foes, and is on a scoreless streak of 374:43 over his last five contests. Overall, Hayden leads the Big West in goals against average (0.89) and shutouts (7).
Gaucho Offense in Short Supply...Sort Of
UC Santa Barbara leads the Big West in goals (25), assists (28), points (78) and goals per game (2.08), but the Gauchos have had trouble scoring in their first three conference matches. Against Cal Poly, UC Irvine and UC Riverside, UCSB has scored a total of three goals, winning each match by a 1-0 final. Outside of those three matches, the Gauchos had scored only once against a opponent on two prior occasions this season and is averaging 2.44 goals per game against non-league foes.
Titans Using Every Second and Then Some
If you’re heading to a Cal State Fullerton match in the coming weeks, be sure to plan for overtime as the Titans have played six matches that have needed at least one extra session, exactly half their matches so far in the ‘09 campaign. CSF's OT win over Cal State Northridge last week was the first Big West overtime win for the Titans since an extra session victory over the Matadors in 2004. With the double overtime road win over UC Davis in CSF's next match, the Titans were victorious in back-to-back OT games for the first time since 1999 and won back-to-back conference overtime games for the first time since 1977. In fact besides 1977, the other other time prior to 2009 that Cal State Fullerton had won two league overtime games in the same season was in 2000 as a member of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
CSUN Hits a Rough Patch
October has not been kind to the Cal State Northridge men’s soccer team as the club has dropped each of its first three matches in the month. The Matadors have struggled finding the back of the net in that span, scoring just one goal, while the normally stout defense has allowed seven scores by the opposition. There will be no rest for the weary over the next two matches for CSUN as the club welcomes long time rival UC Santa Barbara and a vastly improved UC Davis side to Matador Soccer Complex.
Turning it Around in Conference Play
Playing a tough non-conference schedule may not have produced winning results for Cal Poly and UC Davis, but the two schools have reversed their fortunes thanks to the lessons learned in those difficult slates. The Mustangs played the likes of Creighton, Stanford, California and Portland on its way to a 2-6-1 record in non-league play, but have posted a 2-1 record in the early going of Big West action. Similarly, the youthful Aggies went 3-6 in a non-conference slate that included UCLA, Washington and New Mexico, but come into the week with a 2-2 record against Big West foes, including a 2-1 double overtime road win against defending Big West champion UC Irvine.
OT Week
Of the eight matches involving Big West teams last week, four of them needed an extra sessions or two to decide a winner. While CSF picked up the golden boot prize with a pair of overtime victories, UC Irvine also won a game in OT against New Mexico, while Cal Poly finished up in a tie against Cal State Bakersfield.
Chinchilla Performs Well in Place of Fontein
With 2008 Big West Co-Freshman of the Year Andrew Fontein injured, UC Irvine head coach George Kuntz turned to Victor Chincilla between the pipes and the JC transfer has put forth solid numbers. In his four matches since Fontein’s injury, Chinchilla has posted a 0.94 goals against average, has collected 13 saves and picked up a shutout for the 'Eaters. The club is 2-2 in his four matches, including a pair of key road wins at New Mexico and Cal State Northridge.
Big West Live 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.