Big West Tournament-Bound Cal Poly Closes Regular Season at CSU Bakersfield

Saturday, October 30

Bakersfield, CA

7 P.M.

CSU Bakersfield

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Big West Tournament-Bound Cal Poly Closes Regular Season at CSU Bakersfield

10/28/2021 11:56:00 AM | Men's Soccer

SAN LUIS OBISPO – With a Big West Conference Tournament position already confirmed, the Cal Poly men's soccer program closes the regular season when visiting CSU Bakersfield on Saturday, Oct. 30. Kickoff from Main Soccer Field is 7 p.m. for Cal Poly (6-5-4, 4-1-3), which secured a top-four finish in the Big West standings with a 3-2 home victory against UC Davis (Oct. 24). Cal Poly enters Saturday's finale sharing third place in the Big West standings alongside CSU Bakersfield (6-8-1, 5-3-0). Both programs trail second place UC Irvine (7-7-3, 5-1-2) by just two points.

BIG WEST TOURNAMENT SEEDING SCENARIOS: With Cal Poly and CSU Bakersfield entering the final match day tied for third place on 15 points and trailing second place UC Irvine by two, the Mustangs can …
– Clinch no worse than the No. 3 seed with a win or draw at CSU Bakersfield, regardless of UC Irvine's Saturday result at Cal State Fullerton;
– Clinch the No. 2 seed with a victory at CSU Bakersfield and UC Irvine loss at Cal State Fullerton;
– Fall to the No. 4 seed with a loss at CSU Bakersfield.

LOOKING AHEAD: As a No. 3 or 4 seed for the Big West Tournament, Cal Poly would host an opening-round match on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Should Cal Poly reach the No. 2 seed, the Mustangs would earn an opening-round bye and host a semifinal match on Saturday, Nov. 6 against the highest remaining seed. The Big West Tournament championship is scheduled for either Friday, Nov. 12 or Saturday, Nov. 13 at the highest remaining seed.

FOLLOW CAL POLY THIS WEEK: Live stats and video will be available for Saturday's season finale at CSU Bakersfield via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY VERSUS CSU BAKERSFIELD: Facing the Roadrunners for the first time since CSU Bakersfield joined the Big West in July 2020, Cal Poly leads the Division I series, 4-1-2. Undefeated against the Roadrunners in the last six matchups, Cal Poly handed CSU Bakersfield a 2-0 home defeat in the last matchup on Sept. 15, 2018. CSU Bakersfield's last win against Cal Poly was a 2-0 road decision on Nov. 12, 1994.

DEFENSE IN FOCUS: The Big West's dominant defensive program, Cal Poly enters Saturday's matchup having allowed just three goals in the previous 430 minutes and only five total through eight Big West matches. The Mustang rank 39th among 202 NCAA Division I programs with just 14 goals allowed. Overall, Cal Poly has conceded multiple goals in a game just three times.

IN GOOD STANDING: A third place finish in the final Big West standings from Cal Poly would be the program's highest in a single table format since finishing third in 2010 (the Big West utilized a two-division men's model from 2012-2017). Cal Poly last finished second in 2009 when the Big West standings featured just seven programs.

ARCE-HURTADO SHINES IN GOAL: Having conceded just 13 goals from open play through 15 matches and just three in his last 430 minutes, junior goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado ranks 28th among NCAA Division I players with five shutouts and 34th with a 0.88 goals against average. With a season high six saves in a 1-1 draw at UC Riverside (Oct. 20), Arce-Hurtado recorded his first shutout of the year in Cal Poly's 3-0 home win against San Francisco (Sept. 6) before recording successive clean sheets in 1-0 victories versus CSUN (Oct. 3) and UC San Diego (Oct. 6). He then helped shut out Cal State Fullerton (Oct. 13) and UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 16) in two more back-to-back efforts. Through 32 collegiate appearances, Arce-Hurtado – a three-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week selection this season – ranks third in program history with a 1.04 goals against average, fourth with nine shutouts and sixth with a .725 save percentage.

PEREZ MOVES INTO SCORING LEAD: Now Cal Poly's co-leader with four goals after scoring twice in a 3-2 home win against UC Davis (Oct. 24), all of senior forward co-captain Emmanuel Perez's goals have come in Big West play. After scoring in a 1-1, Big West-opening draw at Sacramento State (Sept. 29), Perez also found the 73rd-minute game-winner versus UC San Diego (Oct. 6). With his 2021 scoring total, Perez ranks eighth in program history with 16 goals and third with four multi-goal matches.

SET TO BOYAL: Four of senior Neil Boyal's five assists have helped fuel Cal Poly victories with the midfielder ranked fifth among Big West players and 85th among NCAA Division I players. A 2020 transfer from Louisville, Boyal set up both of Cal Poly's goals (11 minutes apart) during the program's 2-1, come-from-behind victory at Saint Mary's (Aug. 30) before providing assists in Cal Poly's 3-0 win against San Francisco (Sept. 6), 3-2 overtime loss to No. 25 Grand Canyon (Sept. 16) and 1-0 home victory versus CSUN (Oct. 3). Boyal also scored his first Cal Poly goal against Grand Canyon as the Mustangs scored twice in the final three minutes to force overtime. A starter in 14 of 15 games, Boyal ranks second among Cal Poly's outfield players with 93.5 minutes played per outing while having played every minute in a game 10 times.

FIRST IN GLASS: Now with two game-winning goals following his 68th-minute strike in a 1-0 home victory against CSUN (Oct. 3), freshman defender Jacob Glass co-leads Cal Poly with four goals while ranking second in shot attempts (13). After his 76th-minute goal marked the winning margin in a 2-1 victory at Saint Mary's (Aug. 30), Glass scored in a 3-0 home win against San Francisco (Sept. 3) before scoring in the 87th minute to help Cal Poly force overtime versus No. 25 Grand Canyon (Sept. 16). His most recent goal was the 68th minute game-winner versus CSUN (Oct. 3). A starter in all 15 matches on the backline, Glass has helped the Mustangs to five shutouts this year. Alongside junior goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado, Glass is one of two Mustangs to play all 1,438 minutes this year and averages 95.8 minutes per game.

FRESHMEN IN THE FOLD: Ten of Cal Poly's 17 goals this season have been scored by freshmen. Following defender Jacob Glass (four), defender Conner Leber has scored twice in wins against Saint Mary's (Aug. 30) and San Francisco (Sept. 6) while forward Max Kleinhammes scored versus San Diego State to force a 1-1 home draw (Sept. 3). Midfielder Nathan Colley and defender Ori Bitton found their first goals to fuel Cal Poly's 2-0 home victory versus Cal State Fullerton (Oct. 13). Forward Drew Patterson became Cal Poly's most recent freshman goalscorer, producing the game-winner in a 3-2 triumph against UC Davis (Oct. 24).

THE COMPANY YOU KEEP: Four of Cal Poly's opening seven matchups came against programs either ranked or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 poll (at time of match). Among Cal Poly's early results, the Mustangs produced a 2-1 victory at Saint Mary's (receiving votes) on Aug. 30 and drew San Diego State (receiving votes) on Sept. 3.

ETC.: The men's soccer team remains Cal Poly's most internally represented program with players from seven countries on this year's roster: United States, Mexico, England, Scotland, Netherlands, Norway and New Zealand … Cal Poly's 2-1 victory at Saint Mary's (Aug. 30) marked Cal Poly head coach Steve Sampson's 100th collegiate victory. Sampson, who finished 64-19-19 with Santa Clara (1986-90), owns 36 victories with the Mustangs and a now 100-62-31 career collegiate mark.