Mustangs Look to Regain Top Spot in Home Finale

Sunday, October 17

San Luis Obispo, CA

12:00 PM

UC San Diego

Bugsch Goal Celebration Sacramento State (Main)

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Mustangs Look to Regain Top Spot in Home Finale

10/15/2021 2:57:00 PM | Women's Soccer

SAN LUIS OBISPO – With four regular season matches remaining in the Big West Conference regular season, the Cal Poly women's soccer program closes its 11-game home schedule at Alex G. Spanos Stadium against UC San Diego on Sunday, Oct. 17. The Big West's leader entering the week, Cal Poly (9-6-0, 5-1-0) – with 15 points, but idle Thursday – slipped to second place in the standings after UC Santa Barbara (7-6-3, 5-1-1) climbed to 16 points with a 2-1 win at UC San Diego (Oct. 14). With the top four programs qualifying for the Nov. 4 and 7 Big West Tournament, Long Beach State (7-5-2, 4-1-1) sits in third place on 13 points while UC Irvine (9-4-0, 4-1-0) and Cal State Fullerton (7-9-0, 4-3-0) jointly occupy fourth with 12 points. Cal Poly can regain the outright top spot with a victory Sunday as UC Santa Barbara is idle. The Big West's highest scoring program and ranked 34th among 335 NCAA Division I programs with 31 goals, Cal Poly has outscored conference opponents, 14-5. Following Sunday's home finale, Cal Poly plays its final three regular season matches at the remaining three programs in the top four – UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 21), Long Beach State (Oct. 28) and UC Irvine (Oct. 31).

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer will provide play-by-play of Sunday's game against UC San Diego for GoPoly.com HERE … live stats and video will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS UC SAN DIEGO: Following last year's season cancellation, Cal Poly faces UC San Diego for the first time in program history.

OFFENSE IN FOCUS: Featuring two of the Big West's top five goalscorers and two of its top four assist leaders, Cal Poly remains the conference's top-scoring side with 31 goals – a total that ranks as the program's highest since scoring 32 times in 2014. Highlighted by a 5-0 victory against San Jose State (Sept. 12) and 4-2 win versus Sacramento State (Aug. 29), Cal Poly has scored multiple goals in game eight times and been shutout just twice – including a 2-0, season-opening loss to No. 24 Stanford (Aug. 19). Cal Poly has received goals from 11 different players this season while 15 separate Mustangs have recorded at least a point.

TRUCCO SETS THE SCORING PACE … : The Big West Conference's second leading scorer with eight goals, sophomore forward Nikki Trucco surpassed her 2019, three-goal total after just six matches. Having most recently scored back-to-back game-winners against CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7) and CSUN (Oct. 10), Trucco also leads Cal Poly and ranks fourth among Big West players with 20 shots on goal and sixth with 32 total attempts. Trucco has started 14 of 15 matches for Cal Poly in 2021.

… AND LAFAIX FOLLOWS: With all six of her goals coming in Cal Poly's last nine games, two-time Big West Offensive Player of the Week honoree and sophomore midfielder Camille Lafaix ranks fifth in the Big West in scoring. Also sixth in the Big West with 15 points, Lafaix produced her second career two-goal match in Cal Poly's 3-2 overtime win against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 23). Lafaix, who has placed 19 of 29 shot attempts on target, has started in 14 of 15 matches this season.

ORTIZ AND RUBENSTEIN SET THE TABLE: With seven of their 10 combined assists coming in Big West matches, forwards Brooke Rubenstein and Olivia Ortiz rank second among Big West players with five assists apiece. Rubenstein has produced assists in three of the last four matches – all Cal Poly victories. Ortiz, meanwhile, has four assists in Big West matches, including two in Cal Poly's 3-2, conference-opening victory against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 23). Ortiz also has goals in wins versus San Jose State (Sept. 12) and CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7).

SUPER SUB: Cal Poly's third leading scorer with four goals, all of freshman Kate Reedy's strikes have come in reserve appearances with the midfielder finding the back of the net against Sacramento State (Aug. 29), the game-winner at Colorado College (Sept. 5), the second of a 3-0 victory versus UC Riverside (Sept. 26) and the final in a 3-0 home win against CSUN (Oct. 10). Reedy, with just 38.2 minutes per appearance, is averaging a goal every 143 minutes.

UP NEXT (OCT. 21): Cal Poly opens its final road trip of the regular season – a three-game run – at current Big West leader UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, Oct. 21. Kickoff time from Harder Stadium is 7 p.m. for Cal Poly, which can regain first place with an Oct. 17 home victory against UC San Diego as the Gauchos – who lead the Mustangs by a point – are idle.