Cal Poly pregame huddle before 2008 NCAA Tournament match at UCLA.
Throwback Team Thursday: Cal Poly Men's Soccer's Historic 2008 Season
10/15/2020 11:19:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EDITOR'S NOTE: Each Thursday from September through mid-December, Cal Poly Athletics will revisit a notable program from the department's history in the Throwback Team Thursday series presented by CalPortland.
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's soccer program enjoyed one of its more successful seasons in 2007, winning a program record 11 matches, recording an 11-match unbeaten run midway through the year, defeating No. 15 UC Santa Barbara and losing just once in 10 home matches during the first season inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
But when the 2007 NCAA Tournament field was announced in mid-November, Cal Poly wasn't among the 48 programs selected. Big West Conference regular season champion UC Santa Barbara and runner-up UC Davis – both defeated by Cal Poly during the year – represented the league in postseason play.
In a year's time, however, Cal Poly would record, arguably, the finest season in program history.
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"I think we knew how good we could be as a team coming into the 2008 preseason camp. Our senior leadership that year was outstanding," said defender Patrick Sigler (right), a freshman in 2008. "They really set the example for (the younger players) to work hard every day. As the season progressed we knew we could have something special, but we kept working day in, day out."
Featuring a roster of standout veterans alongside talented underclassmen, five members of Cal Poly's 2008 lineup started all 23 matches. Ten players started at least 15 games. Sixteen played in at least 20 matches.
A program-record four players earned NSCAA All-West Region praise and six made the All-Big West Team. Sigler earned All-Big West Freshman of the Year honors while senior Eric Branagan-Franco was named Big West Goalkeeper of the Year.
Led by sophomore forward David Zamora's team high eight-goal effort, seven Mustangs scored multiple goals. Midfielder Kyle Montgomery set a program record with 10 assists. Alongside Montgomery, senior midfielder Anton Peterlin – who would sign next year for Everton FC (THAT Everton, of the English Premier League) – started 23 times en route to all-region honors.
In goal, Branagan-Franco – who played all 2,213 minutes – recorded a program-record 105 saves and equaled his own single season mark with nine shutouts. A three-year starter, Branagan-Franco remains Cal Poly's career leader for goals against average (0.90) and shutouts (25).
"Our style of play changed often for who our opponent was. Our coaching staff had us prepared every time we stepped on the practice field to train for the next opponent," said Sigler, who ranks second in program history for both starts (79) and appearances (79). "We were a very disciplined team when it came to formations and people's understanding and knowledge of their role as a teammate. It was a very unselfish style of play we had because of the players we had on that team."
Cal Poly's schedule allowed the Mustangs to test themselves weekly. A program-record 10 of Cal Poly's 23 matches were against ranked opponents with the Mustangs winning three and drawing three more.
That run of top-flight opponents began on Sept. 14 with Cal Poly producing a 2-1 win a mile above sea level at No. 23 New Mexico. Cal Poly went undefeated in seven of its next eight matches – opening Big West play with a 3-1-0 mark – to set up an Oct. 17 home showdown versus rival UC Santa Barbara for first place in the conference standings.
In front of a sellout crowd of 11,075 fans at Alex G. Spanos Stadium – a figure that currently ranks as the 14th largest regular season crowd figure in NCAA history – Cal Poly fell to the Gauchos, 1-0, after future Major League Soccer veteran Chris Pontius scored to open the second overtime period.
Cal Poly recovered to complete Big West play undefeated in its final five matches – a run that included a 2-0 home victory against No. 11 UC Davis (Nov. 2). The Mustangs wrapped Big West action with a scoreless draw at UC Santa Barbara – a result in front of 9,749 fans that allowed the Mustangs to finish second in the conference standings alongside the Gauchos and just a point behind regular season champion UC Irvine.
Cal Poly was seeded third for the inaugural Big West Tournament, but first visited No. 19 UCLA in a Nov. 8 regular season finale. The Bruins prevailed, 2-1, but Cal Poly – fortuitously – had been provided a first-hand scouting report.
Drawn at UC Santa Barbara to open the Big West Tournament, Cal Poly took the lead in the 16th minute as midfielder Julian Alvarez notched his sixth goal of the season. The Gauchos, however, answered in the 64th before surging ahead in the 66th as forward Nick Perera stung Cal Poly in quick succession.
Twelve minutes from full time though, Sigler headed his fifth goal of the year into the back of the UC Santa Barbara net. At the other end of Harder Stadium, UC Santa Barbara placed 13 of its 30 shots on goal. Branagan-Franco, however, chalked up 11 saves – the fourth highest single match total in program history.
The match remained tied through overtime and penalties were employed after 110 minutes to break the deadlock. With the Mustangs enduring their first penalty shootout in Division I history, Cal Poly missed its first two attempts and was eliminated, 4-3.
"I don't think we thought the season was over," Sigler said. "We knew there was a chance to make the NCAA Tournament from the schedule our coaches had set up for us and for the way we played all year. It may have been a long shot, but we felt we deserved to be there and we never stopped believing that."
The Mustangs, indeed, were rewarded for their demanding schedule as a record four Big West programs – 57 percent of the conference – were selected for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Cal Poly had snapped a 13-year postseason drought and would open the 48-team tournament on Nov. 21 at UCLA.
"I think the reaction was pure excitement and we all immediately hit the training field and started preparing for UCLA," Sigler said. "I remember the game plan our coaches gave us was completely different from the game plan we had a couple weeks ago against them. It was more of an attacking pressing style of play rather than sitting back, which was more up our alley."
In their first postseason match since 1995, the Mustangs found the eventual winning goal in the 28th minute as Alvarez played a ball up the middle of the field for forward Ryan Anderson, who scored just his second goal of the season. Branagan-Franco chalked up three saves as Cal Poly made Anderson's goal stand in a 1-0 triumph. Cal Poly had produced the program's first NCAA Tournament victory since the 1991 Mustang squad reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
"I remember how fast paced the game was – up and back the whole time. No real time to rest. I remember how well we played as a team and I remember how it felt like a home game for us even though we were on the road," Sigler said. "Our fans that night were unbelievable. I will never forget the moment the final whistle blew and our bench cleared out along with our fans and we rushed the field and danced all over it. The atmosphere in the locker room and on the bus ride home was amazing and something that will be with all of us for the rest of our lives. It was an incredible night."
One of 32 programs remaining for a national championship, Cal Poly had earned a second-round matchup at Big West Tournament champion and 14th-seeded UC Irvine.
Cal Poly's season, however, ended on Nov. 25 with UC Irvine eliminating the Mustangs, 3-0. The match remained scoreless into the 59th minute, when forward Irving Garcia broke through for the Anteaters. Garcia scored his second in the 71st before UC Irvine added the final goal on 74 minutes.
"I remember that match was, again, extremely fast paced. I know we were unfortunate on a couple of goals that we conceded, but that's the way the game goes sometimes," Sigler said. "We lost one of our key defensive players early in the game to an injury, which is always tough. UC Irvine was a tough team that year – very well coached and organized. One thing I really remember from that game was the fight we had as a team even when we were down. We fought until the final whistle, which was a sign of true character from that team. We fought for everything we won and earned that year.
"It was truly an incredibly season and one we all still talk about today when we get together."
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men's soccer program enjoyed one of its more successful seasons in 2007, winning a program record 11 matches, recording an 11-match unbeaten run midway through the year, defeating No. 15 UC Santa Barbara and losing just once in 10 home matches during the first season inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium.
But when the 2007 NCAA Tournament field was announced in mid-November, Cal Poly wasn't among the 48 programs selected. Big West Conference regular season champion UC Santa Barbara and runner-up UC Davis – both defeated by Cal Poly during the year – represented the league in postseason play.
In a year's time, however, Cal Poly would record, arguably, the finest season in program history.
-----
"I think we knew how good we could be as a team coming into the 2008 preseason camp. Our senior leadership that year was outstanding," said defender Patrick Sigler (right), a freshman in 2008. "They really set the example for (the younger players) to work hard every day. As the season progressed we knew we could have something special, but we kept working day in, day out."Featuring a roster of standout veterans alongside talented underclassmen, five members of Cal Poly's 2008 lineup started all 23 matches. Ten players started at least 15 games. Sixteen played in at least 20 matches.
A program-record four players earned NSCAA All-West Region praise and six made the All-Big West Team. Sigler earned All-Big West Freshman of the Year honors while senior Eric Branagan-Franco was named Big West Goalkeeper of the Year.
Led by sophomore forward David Zamora's team high eight-goal effort, seven Mustangs scored multiple goals. Midfielder Kyle Montgomery set a program record with 10 assists. Alongside Montgomery, senior midfielder Anton Peterlin – who would sign next year for Everton FC (THAT Everton, of the English Premier League) – started 23 times en route to all-region honors.
In goal, Branagan-Franco – who played all 2,213 minutes – recorded a program-record 105 saves and equaled his own single season mark with nine shutouts. A three-year starter, Branagan-Franco remains Cal Poly's career leader for goals against average (0.90) and shutouts (25).
"Our style of play changed often for who our opponent was. Our coaching staff had us prepared every time we stepped on the practice field to train for the next opponent," said Sigler, who ranks second in program history for both starts (79) and appearances (79). "We were a very disciplined team when it came to formations and people's understanding and knowledge of their role as a teammate. It was a very unselfish style of play we had because of the players we had on that team."
Cal Poly's schedule allowed the Mustangs to test themselves weekly. A program-record 10 of Cal Poly's 23 matches were against ranked opponents with the Mustangs winning three and drawing three more.
That run of top-flight opponents began on Sept. 14 with Cal Poly producing a 2-1 win a mile above sea level at No. 23 New Mexico. Cal Poly went undefeated in seven of its next eight matches – opening Big West play with a 3-1-0 mark – to set up an Oct. 17 home showdown versus rival UC Santa Barbara for first place in the conference standings.
In front of a sellout crowd of 11,075 fans at Alex G. Spanos Stadium – a figure that currently ranks as the 14th largest regular season crowd figure in NCAA history – Cal Poly fell to the Gauchos, 1-0, after future Major League Soccer veteran Chris Pontius scored to open the second overtime period.
Cal Poly recovered to complete Big West play undefeated in its final five matches – a run that included a 2-0 home victory against No. 11 UC Davis (Nov. 2). The Mustangs wrapped Big West action with a scoreless draw at UC Santa Barbara – a result in front of 9,749 fans that allowed the Mustangs to finish second in the conference standings alongside the Gauchos and just a point behind regular season champion UC Irvine.
Cal Poly was seeded third for the inaugural Big West Tournament, but first visited No. 19 UCLA in a Nov. 8 regular season finale. The Bruins prevailed, 2-1, but Cal Poly – fortuitously – had been provided a first-hand scouting report.
Drawn at UC Santa Barbara to open the Big West Tournament, Cal Poly took the lead in the 16th minute as midfielder Julian Alvarez notched his sixth goal of the season. The Gauchos, however, answered in the 64th before surging ahead in the 66th as forward Nick Perera stung Cal Poly in quick succession.
Twelve minutes from full time though, Sigler headed his fifth goal of the year into the back of the UC Santa Barbara net. At the other end of Harder Stadium, UC Santa Barbara placed 13 of its 30 shots on goal. Branagan-Franco, however, chalked up 11 saves – the fourth highest single match total in program history.
The match remained tied through overtime and penalties were employed after 110 minutes to break the deadlock. With the Mustangs enduring their first penalty shootout in Division I history, Cal Poly missed its first two attempts and was eliminated, 4-3.
"I don't think we thought the season was over," Sigler said. "We knew there was a chance to make the NCAA Tournament from the schedule our coaches had set up for us and for the way we played all year. It may have been a long shot, but we felt we deserved to be there and we never stopped believing that."
The Mustangs, indeed, were rewarded for their demanding schedule as a record four Big West programs – 57 percent of the conference – were selected for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Cal Poly had snapped a 13-year postseason drought and would open the 48-team tournament on Nov. 21 at UCLA.
"I think the reaction was pure excitement and we all immediately hit the training field and started preparing for UCLA," Sigler said. "I remember the game plan our coaches gave us was completely different from the game plan we had a couple weeks ago against them. It was more of an attacking pressing style of play rather than sitting back, which was more up our alley."
In their first postseason match since 1995, the Mustangs found the eventual winning goal in the 28th minute as Alvarez played a ball up the middle of the field for forward Ryan Anderson, who scored just his second goal of the season. Branagan-Franco chalked up three saves as Cal Poly made Anderson's goal stand in a 1-0 triumph. Cal Poly had produced the program's first NCAA Tournament victory since the 1991 Mustang squad reached the semifinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
"I remember how fast paced the game was – up and back the whole time. No real time to rest. I remember how well we played as a team and I remember how it felt like a home game for us even though we were on the road," Sigler said. "Our fans that night were unbelievable. I will never forget the moment the final whistle blew and our bench cleared out along with our fans and we rushed the field and danced all over it. The atmosphere in the locker room and on the bus ride home was amazing and something that will be with all of us for the rest of our lives. It was an incredible night."
One of 32 programs remaining for a national championship, Cal Poly had earned a second-round matchup at Big West Tournament champion and 14th-seeded UC Irvine.
Cal Poly's season, however, ended on Nov. 25 with UC Irvine eliminating the Mustangs, 3-0. The match remained scoreless into the 59th minute, when forward Irving Garcia broke through for the Anteaters. Garcia scored his second in the 71st before UC Irvine added the final goal on 74 minutes.
"I remember that match was, again, extremely fast paced. I know we were unfortunate on a couple of goals that we conceded, but that's the way the game goes sometimes," Sigler said. "We lost one of our key defensive players early in the game to an injury, which is always tough. UC Irvine was a tough team that year – very well coached and organized. One thing I really remember from that game was the fight we had as a team even when we were down. We fought until the final whistle, which was a sign of true character from that team. We fought for everything we won and earned that year.
"It was truly an incredibly season and one we all still talk about today when we get together."
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
Thursday, November 06
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