Big West Tournament Seeding on the Line for Cal Poly Men's Soccer
10/27/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
COMPLETE WEEKLY PREVIEW (pdf)
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Two matches remain in the regular season, but just one point separates the No. 20 Cal Poly men's soccer program from first place atop the Big West Conference North Division standings as the Mustangs host UC Davis on Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. at Alex G. Spanos Stadium before visiting Sacramento State on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. Unbeaten in nine of the previous 10 matches, Cal Poly (9-3-4, 4-1-3) forced a 2-2 draw at UC Santa Barbara (10-5-2, 5-2-1) on Saturday to stay within a point of the division-leading Gauchos. Cal Poly, 6-0-1 inside Spanos Stadium this year and looking to lock down the program's first unbeaten season in the nine-year history of the complex, leads UC Davis (7-8-2, 3-3-2) by four points while Sacramento State (6-8-2, 3-4-1) sits fourth on 10 points. The top three teams qualify for the Nov. 7, 11 and 14 Big West Tournament with the North Division winner receiving a first-round bye and the second-place program hosting an opening-round match. The Mustangs, whose three overall losses are the fewest by any Big West program, enter the final week of the regular season ranked second among conference programs with a 0.99 goals against average. With 96 total goals scored and 1.71 goals per match since 2013, the Mustangs also remain the Big West's highest scoring program during the previous two-plus years.
FOLLOW THE MUSTANGS THIS WEEK: Dave Grant (Twitter: @TheDaveGrant) returns to the headset to provide play-by-play detail for Cal Poly's Wednesday's matchup versus UC Davis for GoPoly.com. Live stats and streaming video will also be available for Wednesday's match, as will live stats for Saturday's regular season finale at Sacramento State.
BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SEEDING SCENARIOS: After failing to qualify for last season's Big West Tournament, the Mustangs remain in contention to win this year's North Division title – a possible championship that would be Cal Poly's first of any kind in 22 Division I seasons. Below are Cal Poly's seeding scenarios ahead of the Nov. 7, 11 and 14 Big West Tournament.
To Win the North Division and Earn a First-Round Bye: Cal Poly must take six points from its final two matches and have UC Santa Barbara drop points Wednesday versus Sacramento State or Saturday at UC Davis. Should Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara finish with the same point total, the Mustangs would receive the higher seed by virtue of having won the season series.
To at Least Finish Second and Host a First-Round Match on Nov. 7: Cal Poly must take a minimum of two points from its final two games OR draw UC Davis Wednesday and have UC Santa Barbara defeat Sacramento State the same evening.
MUSTANGS ON THE BALLOT: Cal Poly's Oct. 24 draw at UC Santa Barbara pushed the program's point total in the NSCAA Division I Poll from 60 to 116 and vaulted the Mustangs from No. 23 to No. 20. The only ranked Big West program and ranked for the first time in two years, Cal Poly trails No. 19 Elon by 14 points and leads No. 21 Rutgers by 16 points.
RPI UPDATE: Despite an Oct. 24 draw at UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly dropped from No. 20 in the NCAA Division I RPI ratings to No. 23. The Gauchos, meanwhile, went from No. 19 to No. 18.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: Cal Poly's 3-2, overtime loss at UC Davis (Oct. 14) remains the program's lone Big West loss this season. The Mustangs seek their first home victory versus the Aggies since a 1-0 triumph on Oct. 16, 2012. The Aggies lead the all-time series, 12-9-1.
CAL POLY VERSUS SACRAMENTO STATE: The Mustangs are unbeaten in their last four visits to Sacramento State – including a 3-1 road victory last season. Cal Poly opened this year's series versus the Hornets with a 2-0 home triumph on Oct. 21 and leads the all-time series, 11-5-3.
MUSTANGS CLOSE IN ON HISTORY-MAKING SEASON: With two matches remaining in the regular season, Cal Poly is approaching single-year program records for total victories, Big West victories, fewest overall defeats and fewest Big West losses.
Total Victories: 11, set by the 1995 Mustangs and equalized in 1998, 2007, 2008 and 2012. The 2015 Mustangs have nine victories with a minimum of two matches to play.
Conference Victories: 6, established in 1998 (MPSF) and equalized in 2007, 2009 and 2012 (Big West). The 2015 Mustangs have won four times with two Big West matches remaining.
Fewest Overall Defeats: 4, set in by the 2007 Mustangs (11-4-4). The 2015 Cal Poly squad has lost just three times with two regular season matches remaining.
Fewest Big West Losses: 2, also set by the 2007 Mustangs and equalized in 2008. The 2015 Mustangs have lost just once in Big West play with two matches remaining.
2015 DEFENSIVE EFFORT SHAPING UP AS PROGRAM'S FINEST: With just 16 total goals allowed and 1.00 per game through 16 matches this year, Cal Poly remains on pace to set new program records for fewest goals conceded (17, set in 2011) and fewest opponent goals scored per game (0.94, 2011). Overall, the Mustangs have conceded multiple goals in a match just four times.
HAMILTON SAVES THE DAY: The fulcrum of Cal Poly's defense, senior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton enters Wednesday's match versus UC Davis ranked second among his Big West colleagues in goals against average (0.99) and shutouts (six), fifth in save percentage (.738) and sixth in total saves (48). Overall this season, Hamilton has conceded just 15 goals from open play in 1,537 minutes (an average of one goal every 103 minutes). Hamilton has allowed multiple goals during a match just four times this season. One of the most productive players in Mustang history, Hamilton ranks second all-time with 272 saves, 16 shutouts and 67 starts and third with a 1.25 goals against average and a .756 save percentage. Having started 64 successive matches for Cal Poly, Hamilton has played every minute of every game and all 5,299 minutes since the start of the 2013 season.
MINTER ROUNDING OFF STELLAR CAREER WITH NATIONAL PRAISE: Senior midfielder Chase Minter – one of only three Mustangs with multiple goals and assists – enters Wednesday's match versus UC Davis leading Cal Poly in points (16), goals (five) and assists (six). Cal Poly's all-time co-leader with 21 career assists, Minter also ranks fifth in program history with 49 points and eighth with 14 career goals. Named in August as one of 30 players to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List for national collegiate player of the year and one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, Minter has started all 56 of Cal Poly's matches since the start of the 2013 season. The only Big West player selected to the Hermann Trophy Watch List, Minter is the third Mustang in program history to earn Hermann Trophy Watch List recognition and the first since former forward Mackenzie Pridham in 2013. Defender Patrick Sigler was also named to the watch list prior to the 2009 season.
LAGRASSA ENJOYING STRONG SENIOR SEASON: Among Cal Poly's top three scorers in each of the last three seasons, senior midfielder Matt LaGrassa snapped a four-match scoring drought by notching the opener in a 2-1 home win versus UC Riverside (Oct. 10). Second this season in Cal Poly's lineup with four goals and 10 points, LaGrassa ranks fourth in program history with 17 career goals and seventh with 39 points and remains the Big West's active leader in both categories.
FRESHMEN MAKE THEIR MARK: Helping to propel Cal Poly's 2015 success is a freshman class that has played an integral offensive and defensive role. Forward George Grote has started 12 of 16 matches and ranks fifth among Big West players with four assists. Forward Jared Pressley has scored twice, notching the game-winner in a 2-1 defeat of UC Riverside (Oct. 10) and finding the equalizer in a pivotal 2-2 draw at UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 24). Defender Noah Chapleski has started in 14 of 15 matches and helped Cal Poly compile the Big West's second tightest defensive with just a 0.99 goals against average.
FORTRESS SPANOS: Three of Cal Poly's final five matches kick off inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium, a home where the Mustangs are 53-19-13 since the venue's 2007 opening. During the last nine seasons, the Mustangs have recorded 28 shutout victories at home while Cal Poly's goalkeepers have kept 33 clean sheets. Additionally, Cal Poly has drawn 1,000-plus spectators during 61 of 85 matches at Spanos Stadium and sold out the 11,075-capacity complex six times (by contrast, Cal Poly's football team has produced just eight sellouts during the same time frame).
SPANOS STADIUM – WHERE ATTENDANCE RECORDS GO TO DIE: Ten of the top 43 best-attended regular season matches in the history of collegiate soccer have occurred at Alex G. Spanos Stadium and all have been recorded since the start of the 2007 season. In total, Cal Poly has been involved in 16 of the top 43 best-attended regular season matches in collegiate soccer history.
MUSTANGS ON THE SPOT: Despite going just 3-for-6 from the penalty spot last season, Cal Poly has converted 15 of its previous 21 attempts (71.4 percent) dating to the start of the 2009 season. Only three current Mustangs, however, have attempted a penalty with Chase Minter 2-for-4 during his career, John Chronopoulos 1-for-2 and Matt LaGrassa 0-for-1. Cal Poly finished 5-for-5 from the spot in 2009, 3-for-3 in 2010, 2-for-4 in 2011, was not awarded a penalty attempt in 2012 and went 2-for-2 in 2013. By contrast, Cal Poly's opponents have converted 13 of their previous 18 penalties (72.2 percent) dating to the start of the 2009 season.
ETC.: Cal Poly defeated Division II Fresno Pacific 4-0 in an Aug. 22 exhibition home match ... Cal Poly improved to 14-8-0 in Division I season openers and 9-2-0 in season openers at home with a 2-1 victory against UNLV (Aug. 28) ... Cal Poly's attendance figure in nine seasons at Spanos Stadium passed the 200,000-fan mark with 3,461 spectators for a 1-0 victory versus Air Force ... Cal Poly earned the program's 50th all-time victory at Alex G. Spanos Stadium with a 2-1 victory versus the College of Charleston (Sept. 20) ... Cal Poly's 2-0 victory at Loyola Marymount (Sept. 27) marked the first time in his four-year career that Mustang goalkeeper Wade Hamilton failed to face a shot on goal ... Cal Poly won its seventh Big West-opening game in the previous eight seasons and improved to 7-6-2 all-time in Big West openers with a 1-0 victory at CSUN (Oct. 1).
