Thursday, October 21
Santa Barbara, CA / Harder Stadium
7:00 PM
at
UC Santa Barbara
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
With First Place on the Line, Cal Poly Visits UC Santa Barbara Thursday
10/20/2021 11:07:00 AM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Two of the Big West Conference's top three programs square off at Harder Stadium on Thursday, Oct. 21 as first place Cal Poly visits second place UC Santa Barbara. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. for Cal Poly (10-6-0, 6-1-0), which reclaimed first place from UC Santa Barbara (7-6-3, 5-1-1) with a 3-2 overtime victory against UC San Diego (Oct. 17). On 18 points, Cal Poly leads both UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State (8-5-2, 5-1-1) by two with three regular season matches remaining. Three programs – UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and UC Davis trail with 12 points. The top four programs in the conference standings qualify for the Nov. 4 and 7 Big West Tournament, hosted by the regular season champion. The Big West's highest scoring program and ranked 30th among 335 NCAA Division I programs with 34 goals, Cal Poly has outscored conference opponents, 17-7. UC Santa Barbara enters Thursday's matchup having won three straight matches, undefeated in seven of its last eight outings and conceded just one goal in the previous 493 minutes.
FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer will provide play-by-play of Thursday's game at UC Santa Barbara for GoPoly.com HERE … live stats and video will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: The last four matches between the Mustangs and Gauchos have finished drawn with Cal Poly's last win at UC Santa Barbara a 2-1 triumph on Oct. 25, 2013. With current sophomore forward Nikki Trucco scoring the opener in the last meeting against UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly settled for a 2-2 road draw on Oct. 20, 2019. Cal Poly leads the all-time series, 15-8-8.
POINTS OF PRIDE: Cal Poly's 18-point total in the Big West standings is the program's highest since capturing the 2013 regular season title with 21 points. Cal Poly's program record for Big West points is 24, set in 1999 and equaled in 2002 during nine-game schedules. The Mustangs also collected 23 points in 2003 (nine games) and 21 in 2009 (eight). Just once has seven-time Big West regular season champion Cal Poly secured 20-plus points, but not finished first. That instance occurred in 2012 when Cal State Fullerton's 21-point total edged Cal Poly by one.
IN GOOD STANDING: Cal Poly remains on pace for its highest showing in the Big West standings since finishing second on 15 points during an eight-game 2014 season.
OFFENSE IN FOCUS: Featuring two of the Big West's top five goalscorers and two of its top five assist leaders, Cal Poly remains the conference's top-scoring side with 34 goals – a total that ranks as the program's highest since scoring 43 times in 2003. 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 nine 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's second leading scorer with nine goals, sophomore forward Nikki Trucco also ranks second with three game-winning goals and fifth with 19 points and 34 shot attempts. Having most recently scored back-to-back game-winners against CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7) and CSUN (Oct. 10), Trucco's goal after just 30 seconds in a 3-2 home win versus UC San Diego (Oct. 17) tied a 24-year-old program record for fastest strike. Averaging a goal every 123.4 minutes, Trucco has started 15 of 16 matches for Cal Poly in 2021.
… AND LAFAIX FOLLOWS: With all seven of her goals coming in Cal Poly's last 10 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 17 points, Lafaix produced her second career two-goal match in Cal Poly's 3-2 overtime win against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 23) while also securing the game-winner in a 3-2 overtime victory versus UC San Diego (Oct. 17). Lafaix, who has placed 20 of 31 shot attempts on target, has started in 15 of 16 matches this season.
ORTIZ AND RUBENSTEIN SET THE TABLE: With eight of their 11 combined assists coming in Big West matches, sophomore Olivia Ortiz ranks second among conference players with six assists while fellow forward Brooke Rubenstein is fifth with five. Ortiz has produced five of her six assists in Big West matches, including two in Cal Poly's 3-2, conference-opening victory against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 23). Ninth in the Big West with 12 points, Ortiz has scored goals in wins versus San Jose State (Sept. 12), CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7) and UC San Diego (Oct. 17). Rubenstein, meanwhile, has produced assists in three of the last five matches – all Cal Poly victories.
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 36.3 minutes per appearance, is averaging a goal every 145 minutes.
UP NEXT (OCT. 21): Cal Poly closes a three-game road trip and its 2021 regular season schedule when visiting second place Long Beach State on Thursday, Oct. 28 and fourth place UC Irvine on Sunday, Oct. 31. By sweeping its final three matches – including Thursday's 7 p.m. visit to UC Santa Barbara – Cal Poly can claim its first Big West regular season title since 2013.
FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer will provide play-by-play of Thursday's game at UC Santa Barbara for GoPoly.com HERE … live stats and video will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: The last four matches between the Mustangs and Gauchos have finished drawn with Cal Poly's last win at UC Santa Barbara a 2-1 triumph on Oct. 25, 2013. With current sophomore forward Nikki Trucco scoring the opener in the last meeting against UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly settled for a 2-2 road draw on Oct. 20, 2019. Cal Poly leads the all-time series, 15-8-8.
POINTS OF PRIDE: Cal Poly's 18-point total in the Big West standings is the program's highest since capturing the 2013 regular season title with 21 points. Cal Poly's program record for Big West points is 24, set in 1999 and equaled in 2002 during nine-game schedules. The Mustangs also collected 23 points in 2003 (nine games) and 21 in 2009 (eight). Just once has seven-time Big West regular season champion Cal Poly secured 20-plus points, but not finished first. That instance occurred in 2012 when Cal State Fullerton's 21-point total edged Cal Poly by one.
IN GOOD STANDING: Cal Poly remains on pace for its highest showing in the Big West standings since finishing second on 15 points during an eight-game 2014 season.
OFFENSE IN FOCUS: Featuring two of the Big West's top five goalscorers and two of its top five assist leaders, Cal Poly remains the conference's top-scoring side with 34 goals – a total that ranks as the program's highest since scoring 43 times in 2003. 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 nine 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's second leading scorer with nine goals, sophomore forward Nikki Trucco also ranks second with three game-winning goals and fifth with 19 points and 34 shot attempts. Having most recently scored back-to-back game-winners against CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7) and CSUN (Oct. 10), Trucco's goal after just 30 seconds in a 3-2 home win versus UC San Diego (Oct. 17) tied a 24-year-old program record for fastest strike. Averaging a goal every 123.4 minutes, Trucco has started 15 of 16 matches for Cal Poly in 2021.
… AND LAFAIX FOLLOWS: With all seven of her goals coming in Cal Poly's last 10 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 17 points, Lafaix produced her second career two-goal match in Cal Poly's 3-2 overtime win against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 23) while also securing the game-winner in a 3-2 overtime victory versus UC San Diego (Oct. 17). Lafaix, who has placed 20 of 31 shot attempts on target, has started in 15 of 16 matches this season.
ORTIZ AND RUBENSTEIN SET THE TABLE: With eight of their 11 combined assists coming in Big West matches, sophomore Olivia Ortiz ranks second among conference players with six assists while fellow forward Brooke Rubenstein is fifth with five. Ortiz has produced five of her six assists in Big West matches, including two in Cal Poly's 3-2, conference-opening victory against Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 23). Ninth in the Big West with 12 points, Ortiz has scored goals in wins versus San Jose State (Sept. 12), CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 7) and UC San Diego (Oct. 17). Rubenstein, meanwhile, has produced assists in three of the last five matches – all Cal Poly victories.
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 36.3 minutes per appearance, is averaging a goal every 145 minutes.
UP NEXT (OCT. 21): Cal Poly closes a three-game road trip and its 2021 regular season schedule when visiting second place Long Beach State on Thursday, Oct. 28 and fourth place UC Irvine on Sunday, Oct. 31. By sweeping its final three matches – including Thursday's 7 p.m. visit to UC Santa Barbara – Cal Poly can claim its first Big West regular season title since 2013.
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