Cal Poly celebrates Kody Wakasa's (No. 33) game-winning goal against UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 17, 2015.
Photo by: Owen Main
Throwback Team Thursday: Cal Poly Men’s Soccer’s Historic 2015 Season
11/25/2020 2:58:00 PM | 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 – Five seasons ago, the Cal Poly men's soccer team enjoyed one of the finest years in program history as the Mustangs reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, produced the program's first Big West Conference Tournament victory, climbed as high as No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll and matched program Division I records for total wins (11) and Big West victories (six).
"It was a team hungry to win and wanting to do something special," said Cal Poly head coach Steve Sampson, then in his first season on the touchline. "The 2015 team had a balance of strong defenders in Kip Colvey and Kody Wakasa, hard-working and creative midfielders in Matt LaGrassa and Chase Minter and an imaginative front-runner in Justin Dhillon."
Named Cal Poly head coach on Dec. 4, 2014, Sampson noted that, "having a new coach is not easy for players. They want to impress and they need to learn the nuances of the new staff. It took some time for (that team) to evolve and having the entire winter and spring quarters to work with them before we competed in the fall was invaluable. Getting the players to buy in to being a complete athlete – one who works on his game both on and off the field – was emphasized strongly upon my arrival. The players eventually bought in, prepared over the summer, took care of their bodies and became students of the game."
Cal Poly began Sampson's first season undefeated through the opening five matches. One of its four early victories – a 1-0 defeat of Seattle (Sept. 5) – proved crucial to Cal Poly's future NCAA Tournament at-large bid as the Redhawks captured the eventual Western Athletic Conference title and finished 18-4-1.
The Mustangs sustained setbacks at Santa Clara (Sept. 13) and UCLA (Sept. 18), but completed Big West preparations with victories against the College of Charleston (Sept. 20) and at Loyola Marymount (Sept. 27).
Cal Poly began its 10-match Big West schedule with a 1-0 win at CSUN (Oct. 1) – a result decided by a 12th-minute bicycle kick from Minter.
The Mustangs stacked eight points from their opening five conference games, but trailed Big West North Division leader UC Santa Barbara by four points heading into an Oct. 17 home showdown inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium. In front of a sellout crowd of 11,075 fans and during one of the most frenetic Blue-Green rivalry matches on record (each team scored in the opening 10 minutes and the match was drawn 2-2 at half), Cal Poly prevailed thanks to a 104th-minute overtime header by Wakasa from a Jack O'Conner corner kick. The win marked Wakasa's 59th collegiate game and his first collegiate goal.
"The players became motivated with each victory at home – especially the UCSB game – and some key victories on the road," Sampson said. "They began to believe in themselves, in the system and in their leadership. Key players show up for key games and they did. This was the difference and has been with every team I've ever coached."
Seven days after Wakasa's headed winner, Cal Poly still trailed the first-place Gauchos by a single point heading into an Oct. 24 matchup at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium. In front of 14,919 fans – the largest crowd to ever see a Cal Poly-UC Santa Barbara match – the Mustangs trailed into the 73rd minute, 2-0, before Minter found the back of the net. Then, in the final seconds of regulation, Cal Poly sent a long ball into the Gaucho penalty box that was headed toward goal by LaGrassa, but saved. The deflected save glanced off O'Connor, but freshman forward Jared Pressley – with just his third career shot on goal – scored with six seconds remaining to hand Cal Poly a crucial road point.
"The Big West is a very strong conference with each university having its own playing identity," Sampson said. "We'd play against one style in one game and, two days later, play a team with a completely different style. To have success in the Big West demands leadership, talent, maturity and the ability to adjust on the fly and travel well. The 2015 team had all of those ingredients."
The Mustangs finished the regular season second in the Big West North Division and drew UC Irvine in the opening round of the Big West Tournament on Nov. 7. The Mustangs made Dhillon's fifth-minute strike stand in a 1-0 victory, but fell to Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals four days later.
An historic season, however, had one final chapter. On Monday, Nov. 16, Cal Poly was awarded an at-large berth for the 48-team NCAA Tournament. Drawn at UCLA for a Nov. 19 opening-round matchup, Cal Poly kept the Bruins without a shot on goal during the opening half and forced UCLA goalkeeper Juan Cervantes into three first-half saves. UCLA, however, broke the scoreless deadlock 14 minutes into the second half with a headed corner-kick goal from midfielder Jackson Yueill. Further undone by an own goal in the 77th minute, Cal Poly's year closed with a 2-0 loss.
"The 2015 season ended with a great sense of accomplishment, but also left a sour taste in our mouths," Sampson said. "Having played UCLA in the regular season we believed we could go there and win. We played very well, but missed some key opportunities on the night."
At season's completion, Cal Poly matched a program record with six all-conference selections as Minter earned a second straight Big West Midfielder of the Year honor and goalkeeper Wade Hamilton collected a second successive Big West Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Further highlighting Cal Poly's 2015 talent pool, three Mustangs – Minter (No. 21, Columbus Crew SC), Colvey (No. 49, San Jose Earthquakes) and Hamilton (No. 61, Portland Timbers) – were selected in the January 2016 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Only 2015 NCAA Tournament runner-up Clemson (four), Georgetown (four) and Creighton (four) enjoyed more selections that year.
Two more Mustangs, LaGrassa (Nashville SC) and Dhillon (Seattle Sounders FC), reached Major League Soccer following standout USL careers.
A multi-year member of the New Zealand Men's National Team, Colvey became the first and only Big West player to appear in the FIFA Confederations Cup with the All Whites taking part in the 2017 summer tournament in Russia. A few months later, Colvey came just short of a potential 2018 World Cup appearance as New Zealand lost its two-legged inter-confederation qualifying playoff to Peru.
"After the dust settled, there was a great sense of accomplishment in 2015. But, equally important, the 2015 season did set a precedent for what can be accomplished when there's leadership on and off the field and players lead by example," Sampson added. "The 2015 senior class did just that. Many players went on to play professionally and still remain very involved at the highest levels. It was a fantastic year and set the tone for what is to come and should come at Cal Poly."
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Five seasons ago, the Cal Poly men's soccer team enjoyed one of the finest years in program history as the Mustangs reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years, produced the program's first Big West Conference Tournament victory, climbed as high as No. 21 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll and matched program Division I records for total wins (11) and Big West victories (six).
"It was a team hungry to win and wanting to do something special," said Cal Poly head coach Steve Sampson, then in his first season on the touchline. "The 2015 team had a balance of strong defenders in Kip Colvey and Kody Wakasa, hard-working and creative midfielders in Matt LaGrassa and Chase Minter and an imaginative front-runner in Justin Dhillon."
Named Cal Poly head coach on Dec. 4, 2014, Sampson noted that, "having a new coach is not easy for players. They want to impress and they need to learn the nuances of the new staff. It took some time for (that team) to evolve and having the entire winter and spring quarters to work with them before we competed in the fall was invaluable. Getting the players to buy in to being a complete athlete – one who works on his game both on and off the field – was emphasized strongly upon my arrival. The players eventually bought in, prepared over the summer, took care of their bodies and became students of the game."
Cal Poly began Sampson's first season undefeated through the opening five matches. One of its four early victories – a 1-0 defeat of Seattle (Sept. 5) – proved crucial to Cal Poly's future NCAA Tournament at-large bid as the Redhawks captured the eventual Western Athletic Conference title and finished 18-4-1.
The Mustangs sustained setbacks at Santa Clara (Sept. 13) and UCLA (Sept. 18), but completed Big West preparations with victories against the College of Charleston (Sept. 20) and at Loyola Marymount (Sept. 27).
Cal Poly began its 10-match Big West schedule with a 1-0 win at CSUN (Oct. 1) – a result decided by a 12th-minute bicycle kick from Minter.
The Mustangs stacked eight points from their opening five conference games, but trailed Big West North Division leader UC Santa Barbara by four points heading into an Oct. 17 home showdown inside Alex G. Spanos Stadium. In front of a sellout crowd of 11,075 fans and during one of the most frenetic Blue-Green rivalry matches on record (each team scored in the opening 10 minutes and the match was drawn 2-2 at half), Cal Poly prevailed thanks to a 104th-minute overtime header by Wakasa from a Jack O'Conner corner kick. The win marked Wakasa's 59th collegiate game and his first collegiate goal.
"The players became motivated with each victory at home – especially the UCSB game – and some key victories on the road," Sampson said. "They began to believe in themselves, in the system and in their leadership. Key players show up for key games and they did. This was the difference and has been with every team I've ever coached."
Seven days after Wakasa's headed winner, Cal Poly still trailed the first-place Gauchos by a single point heading into an Oct. 24 matchup at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium. In front of 14,919 fans – the largest crowd to ever see a Cal Poly-UC Santa Barbara match – the Mustangs trailed into the 73rd minute, 2-0, before Minter found the back of the net. Then, in the final seconds of regulation, Cal Poly sent a long ball into the Gaucho penalty box that was headed toward goal by LaGrassa, but saved. The deflected save glanced off O'Connor, but freshman forward Jared Pressley – with just his third career shot on goal – scored with six seconds remaining to hand Cal Poly a crucial road point.
"The Big West is a very strong conference with each university having its own playing identity," Sampson said. "We'd play against one style in one game and, two days later, play a team with a completely different style. To have success in the Big West demands leadership, talent, maturity and the ability to adjust on the fly and travel well. The 2015 team had all of those ingredients."
The Mustangs finished the regular season second in the Big West North Division and drew UC Irvine in the opening round of the Big West Tournament on Nov. 7. The Mustangs made Dhillon's fifth-minute strike stand in a 1-0 victory, but fell to Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals four days later.
An historic season, however, had one final chapter. On Monday, Nov. 16, Cal Poly was awarded an at-large berth for the 48-team NCAA Tournament. Drawn at UCLA for a Nov. 19 opening-round matchup, Cal Poly kept the Bruins without a shot on goal during the opening half and forced UCLA goalkeeper Juan Cervantes into three first-half saves. UCLA, however, broke the scoreless deadlock 14 minutes into the second half with a headed corner-kick goal from midfielder Jackson Yueill. Further undone by an own goal in the 77th minute, Cal Poly's year closed with a 2-0 loss.
"The 2015 season ended with a great sense of accomplishment, but also left a sour taste in our mouths," Sampson said. "Having played UCLA in the regular season we believed we could go there and win. We played very well, but missed some key opportunities on the night."
At season's completion, Cal Poly matched a program record with six all-conference selections as Minter earned a second straight Big West Midfielder of the Year honor and goalkeeper Wade Hamilton collected a second successive Big West Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Further highlighting Cal Poly's 2015 talent pool, three Mustangs – Minter (No. 21, Columbus Crew SC), Colvey (No. 49, San Jose Earthquakes) and Hamilton (No. 61, Portland Timbers) – were selected in the January 2016 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Only 2015 NCAA Tournament runner-up Clemson (four), Georgetown (four) and Creighton (four) enjoyed more selections that year.
Two more Mustangs, LaGrassa (Nashville SC) and Dhillon (Seattle Sounders FC), reached Major League Soccer following standout USL careers.
A multi-year member of the New Zealand Men's National Team, Colvey became the first and only Big West player to appear in the FIFA Confederations Cup with the All Whites taking part in the 2017 summer tournament in Russia. A few months later, Colvey came just short of a potential 2018 World Cup appearance as New Zealand lost its two-legged inter-confederation qualifying playoff to Peru.
"After the dust settled, there was a great sense of accomplishment in 2015. But, equally important, the 2015 season did set a precedent for what can be accomplished when there's leadership on and off the field and players lead by example," Sampson added. "The 2015 senior class did just that. Many players went on to play professionally and still remain very involved at the highest levels. It was a fantastic year and set the tone for what is to come and should come at Cal Poly."
@CPMustangs • #RideHigh
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