Cal Poly Hosts UC Riverside Wednesday in Big West Tournament Opening Round

Wednesday, November 3

San Luis Obispo, CA

7 P.M.

UC Riverside

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Cal Poly Hosts UC Riverside Wednesday in Big West Tournament Opening Round

11/1/2021 3:03:00 PM | Men's Soccer

SAN LUIS OBISPO – Unbeaten in eight of its last nine outings, the Cal Poly men's soccer program hosts just its third Big West Conference Tournament match in the last 12 years when facing UC Riverside in an opening-round matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 3. Kickoff from Alex G. Spanos Stadium is 7 p.m. for third-seeded Cal Poly (7-5-4, 5-1-3), which matched a program record with just one Big West defeat to finish third in the final conference standings on 18 points – just two behind co-champions UC Santa Barbara (10-4-4, 6-1-2) and UC Irvine (8-7-3, 6-1-2). Sixth-seeded UC Riverside (8-7-2, 3-4-2), meanwhile, closed the regular season by taking just two points from its final four Big West matches. The Highlanders qualified for the Big West Tournament on 11 points, edging Sacramento State (also 11 points) on a head-to-head tie-breaking scenario. Behind a 15th-minute goal from senior defender Andrew Forth (above), Cal Poly came-from-behind to force a 1-1 draw at UC Riverside (Oct. 20) in the regular season matchup between the two programs.

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT: The advancing side from Wednesday's Cal Poly-UC Riverside game will visit No. 2 UC Irvine for a Saturday, Nov. 6 semifinal matchup. On the other side of the Big West Tournament bracket, fourth-seeded CSU Bakersfield hosts No. 5 UC Davis in Wednesday's other opening-round match with that advancing program visiting top-seeded UC Santa Barbara in Saturdays' second semifinal. The highest remaining seed will host the Big West Tournament championship match on either Friday, Nov. 12 or Saturday, Nov. 13.

2021 Big West Conference Tournament
Wednesday, Nov. 3 (Opening Round)
UC Davis (5) at CSU Bakersfield (4), 6 p.m.
UC Riverside (6) at Cal Poly (3), 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 6 (Semifinal)
Cal Poly/UC Riverside at No. 2 UC Irvine, 7 p.m.
CSU Bakersfield/UC Davis at No. 1 UC Santa Barbara, TBA

Friday, Nov. 12 / Saturday, Nov. 13 (Championship)
Semifinal Winners at Highest Remaining Seed, TBA

FOLLOW CAL POLY AT THE BIG WEST TOURNAMENT: Dan Gillman will provide play-by-play for each of Cal Poly's Big West Tournament matches for GoPoly.com HERE … video and live stats from all Big West Tournament games will also be available via GoPoly.com HERE.

CAL POLY IN THE BIG WEST CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: The Mustangs have qualified for nine of the 13 Big West Tournaments since the competition began in 2008, but have progressed beyond the opening round just once. That occasion occurred in 2015, when the Mustangs defeated UC Irvine in the opening round (1-0) before being eliminated at Cal State Fullerton (3-1) in the semifinals. Previously, Cal Poly has twice been eliminated at UC Santa Barbara (2008, 2010) and at CSUN (2012-13) and at home by UC Irvine (2009) – each time in the opening round (then the semifinals).

GOING TO THE SPOT: Should any Big West Tournament game be drawn after 110 minutes, the advancing side will be determined by penalties. Cal Poly has been involved in just one penalty shootout in Division I history, eliminated at UC Santa Barbara in the 2008 semifinals, 4-3, after the match finished, 2-2.

CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: Cal Poly has won seven of its last eight home matches against UC Riverside dating to 2006, but the Highlanders prevailed in the last meeting inside Spanos Stadium on Oct. 12, 2019, 1-0. Cal Poly and UC Riverside have never previously met in the Big West Tournament. The two programs finished in a 1-1 draw during the regular season meeting on Oct. 20 in Riverside. Cal Poly leads the Division I series, 16-10-2.

DEFENSE IN FOCUS: The Big West's dominant defensive program, Cal Poly enters Wednesday's matchup having allowed just three goals in the previous 520 minutes and only five total through nine Big West matches. The Mustang rank 31st among 202 NCAA Division I programs with just 14 goals allowed. Overall, Cal Poly has chalked up six shutouts this season and conceded multiple goals in a game just three times.

IN GOOD STANDING: Cal Poly's third place showing in the final Big West standings is 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).

ARCE-HURTADO SHINES IN GOAL: Having conceded just 13 goals from open play through 16 matches and just three in his last 520 minutes, junior goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado ranks 22nd among NCAA Division I players with six shutouts and 28th with a 0.83 goals against average. With a season high six saves in a 1-1 draw at UC Riverside (Oct. 20), Arce-Hurtado earned 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 before keeping his sixth clean sheet at CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 30). Through 33 collegiate appearances, Arce-Hurtado – a three-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week selection this season – ranks second in program history with a 1.00 goals against average, fourth with 10 shutouts and fifth with a .732 save percentage.

PEREZ SHARES THE 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. 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 15 of 16 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: 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 (15). 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 16 matches on the backline, Glass has helped the Mustangs to six shutouts this year. Alongside junior goalkeeper Carlos Arce-Hurtado, Glass is one of two Mustangs to play all 1,527 minutes this year and averages 95.4 minutes per game.

FRESHMEN IN THE FOLD: Twelve of Cal Poly's 19 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 Drew Patterson has found the back of the net in successive victories versus UC Davis (Oct. 24) and at CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 30). Forward Max Kleinhammes scored versus San Diego State to force a 1-1 home draw (Sept. 3) while 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). Froward Ocean Salari became Cal Poly's most recent first-time goalscorer, finding the eventual game-winner in a 2-0 victory at CSU Bakersfield (Oct. 30).

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. Cal Poly's RPI rank of No. 85 topped all Big West programs.

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.