Thursday, November 3
San Luis Obispo, CA
7 P.M.
vs
No. 4 Long Beach State
Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Top-Seeded Mustangs Host Long Beach in Big West Semifinals
11/1/2022 12:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
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SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Hosting The Big West Championships for the first time since 2014, top-seeded Cal Poly women's soccer takes on fourth-seeded Long Beach State in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday with a chance to advance to the title match for the second straight year.
A 1-0 Cal Poly (9-6-3 overall) victory over UC San Diego last Thursday, coupled with a LBSU 1-0 defeat to UC Davis in the regular season finale for both teams allowed the Mustangs to claim the No. 1 seed and their first outright Big West regular season title since 2013.
Long Beach (7-6-6) took down fifth-seeded UC Santa Barbara 2-1 in overtime in the first round of The Big West Championships on Sunday to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Prior to the Mustangs' showdown with the Beach, No. 2 seed UC Davis (9-5-4) will battle No. 6 seed UC Irvine (8-5-6) at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by Dignity Health.
FOLLOW CAL POLY: Both semifinal matches Thursday will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer providing play-by-play alongside analyst and professional soccer player Grace Cutler. Cal Poly's semifinal match will also be broadcast on ESPN Radio (1280 AM and 101.7 FM) with Daniel Gillman on the call. Follow Cal Poly women's soccer on Twitter (@CPWomensSoccer) for live updates throughout the match.
CAL POLY VERSUS LONG BEACH: In the regular season matchup between these two teams on Oct. 20, Madison Demijohn scored 1:40 into the match to give Cal Poly the early lead before LBSU responded in the 50th minute to even the match at 1-1. After a frantic final 10 seconds on the Beach goal line, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Mustangs lead the all-time series 13-9-5 and Cal Poly will be seeking its first home victory over LBSU since Oct. 13, 2017. Last season, a 1-0 win at Long Beach allowed head coach Alex Crozier to notch his 300th career victory.
SCOUTING THE BEACH: LBSU dropped from a tie for first in the conference standings to fourth with a loss to the Aggies to conclude regular season action last week. Long Beach's overtime victory over the Gauchos on Sunday snapped a three-match winless streak for the team. In that match, Big West Offensive Player of the Year Lena Silano netted a brace to move her into a tie for LBSU's single-season goals scored record. She leads The Big West in points (38), goals (16), shots (87), shots on goal (39) and game-winning goals (four), and is ranked fifth in the nation in goals and sixth in points. Big West Freshman of the Year Cherrie Cox has netted five goals this season at forward and ranks third in the conference in shots and shots on goal, and fourth in assists. In net, sophomore Zora Standifer sits atop The Big West in save percentage (.818) and is third in goals against average (1.030). As a team, Long Beach leads the conference in goals and shots.
CAL POLY IN THE BIG WEST POSTSEASON: The Mustangs have qualified for 13 of the 21 Big West tournaments, capturing all the glory in 1996, 2003 and 2004. Cal Poly has won eight of its 12 Big West semifinal matches all-time, losing just once (2012) and never advancing to the championship game on penalties, drawing in 2008, 2013 and 2014. Last season, the Mustangs advanced to the title match for the first time since 2009, falling 1-0 at top seeded UC Irvine.
NO MORE GOLDEN: Starting this season, there is no more golden goal in college soccer. That means if a match in The Big West Championships is tied after 90 minutes, two 10-minute overtime periods will be played out and if the game is still tied then penalty kicks will determine a winner.
CAL POLY VERSUS LONG BEACH IN THE POSTSEASON: The Mustangs and LBSU have three meetings all-time in The Big West postseason. In 2006, Cal Poly grabbed a 2-1 double overtime victory over the Beach in the semifinals. A year later, the Mustangs downed Long Beach in the semifinals again with a 2-1 win. In the 2014 semifinals, the two teams played to a scoreless draw and LBSU advanced to the championship match on penalty kicks, 5-4.
BEST IN THE BIG WEST: Cal Poly garnered three of the conference's top honors when All-Big West accolades were released Saturday. Senior Camille Lafaix was crowned Big West Midfielder of the Year, becoming the first athlete to receive the award in back-to-back years. Lafaix leads the Mustangs in points (11) and goals (five) this season and has buried three game-winning goals, tied for the second most in the conference. A 23rd-minute strike in a 2-0 victory over UC Irvine on Oct. 23 allowed Lafaix, the first player in program history to be named to the Preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, to reach 42 career points, the 15th-most in program history. Sophomore Mackenzie Samuel earned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year after posting nine clean sheets during the regular season, including seven in conference play. Samuel is currently tied with two other Cal Poly goalkeepers for the third most shutouts in a single season in program history. She leads the conference in shutouts per match, is fourth in goals against average (1.074) and had a 416-minute stretch this season without allowing a goal. Head coach Alex Crozier was named Big West Coach of the Year for a record sixth time after guiding the Mustangs to at least a share of the Big West regular season title for the ninth time in program history.
RIDING HIGH: The Mustangs are unbeaten in their last seven matches (5-0-2), surrendering just one goal during that stretch in a 1-1 draw against Long Beach State. Cal Poly's 10 shutouts this fall are their most since recording 11 in 2009.
THE CAPTAIN: Sophomore defender Emma Brown joined Lafaix and Samuel on the All-Big West first team, giving Cal Poly its most first team selections since 2014. Brown anchors Cal Poly's suffocating defense, starting in every match and racking up over 1,614 total minutes, which leads the team. She's played all 90 minutes in 17 matches this season. Across two seasons, Brown has made 35 starts and been on the pitch for over 3,213 minutes.
… AND HER SHIPMATES: Brown is joined on the Cal Poly backline by senior Kylie Rojas, sophomore Aynsley Conner and freshman Camryn Penn. The formidable foursome has formed a brick wall for the Mustangs this season. Rojas has started every match, while Conner and Penn have started in 16 of 18 matches. Penn, a Big West All-Freshman team selection, recorded her second assist of the season on Olivia Ortiz's game-winning goal against UC San Diego that gave the Mustangs the No. 1 seed.
SHARING MEANS CARING: Eleven players have scored for the Mustangs this season and 14 have tallied a point. Senior midfielder Megan Hansen has buried four goals this season, including three by way of penalty. She is now 6-6 on penalty kicks during her Cal Poly career. Hansen, who garnered All-Big West honorable mention praise, has made 68 starts across her Cal Poly career, tied with three others for the eighth-most in program history. Sophomore midfielder Peja Balanon and Ortiz each have netted three goals, while seniors Monserrat Hernandez Marquez and Madison Demijohn both have two. Hernandez Marquez, who scored the latest equalizing goal in program history in a 2-2 draw against Hawai'i on Sept. 25, leads the team in shots with 35.
FIRST TIMERS: Five Mustangs have recorded their first collegiate point this season — Balanon, Lieber, Penn, freshman forward Caylie Button and freshman defender Annie Larson. Conner, who played at Minnesota last season, earned her first point as a Mustang on Sept. 22, assisting on Lieber's game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over San Diego.
THE KILLER CROSSER: Lieber, a Big West All-Freshman team selection, recorded her team-leading fourth assist of the season, fifth-most among Big West players, on Demijohn's goal against Long Beach on Oct. 20.
LIVE STATS
LISTEN
TICKETS
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Hosting The Big West Championships for the first time since 2014, top-seeded Cal Poly women's soccer takes on fourth-seeded Long Beach State in the semifinals at 7 p.m. Thursday with a chance to advance to the title match for the second straight year.
A 1-0 Cal Poly (9-6-3 overall) victory over UC San Diego last Thursday, coupled with a LBSU 1-0 defeat to UC Davis in the regular season finale for both teams allowed the Mustangs to claim the No. 1 seed and their first outright Big West regular season title since 2013.
Long Beach (7-6-6) took down fifth-seeded UC Santa Barbara 2-1 in overtime in the first round of The Big West Championships on Sunday to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Prior to the Mustangs' showdown with the Beach, No. 2 seed UC Davis (9-5-4) will battle No. 6 seed UC Irvine (8-5-6) at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal at Mustang Memorial Field Presented by Dignity Health.
FOLLOW CAL POLY: Both semifinal matches Thursday will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Zachary Anderson-Yoxsimer providing play-by-play alongside analyst and professional soccer player Grace Cutler. Cal Poly's semifinal match will also be broadcast on ESPN Radio (1280 AM and 101.7 FM) with Daniel Gillman on the call. Follow Cal Poly women's soccer on Twitter (@CPWomensSoccer) for live updates throughout the match.
CAL POLY VERSUS LONG BEACH: In the regular season matchup between these two teams on Oct. 20, Madison Demijohn scored 1:40 into the match to give Cal Poly the early lead before LBSU responded in the 50th minute to even the match at 1-1. After a frantic final 10 seconds on the Beach goal line, the match ended in a 1-1 draw. The Mustangs lead the all-time series 13-9-5 and Cal Poly will be seeking its first home victory over LBSU since Oct. 13, 2017. Last season, a 1-0 win at Long Beach allowed head coach Alex Crozier to notch his 300th career victory.
SCOUTING THE BEACH: LBSU dropped from a tie for first in the conference standings to fourth with a loss to the Aggies to conclude regular season action last week. Long Beach's overtime victory over the Gauchos on Sunday snapped a three-match winless streak for the team. In that match, Big West Offensive Player of the Year Lena Silano netted a brace to move her into a tie for LBSU's single-season goals scored record. She leads The Big West in points (38), goals (16), shots (87), shots on goal (39) and game-winning goals (four), and is ranked fifth in the nation in goals and sixth in points. Big West Freshman of the Year Cherrie Cox has netted five goals this season at forward and ranks third in the conference in shots and shots on goal, and fourth in assists. In net, sophomore Zora Standifer sits atop The Big West in save percentage (.818) and is third in goals against average (1.030). As a team, Long Beach leads the conference in goals and shots.
CAL POLY IN THE BIG WEST POSTSEASON: The Mustangs have qualified for 13 of the 21 Big West tournaments, capturing all the glory in 1996, 2003 and 2004. Cal Poly has won eight of its 12 Big West semifinal matches all-time, losing just once (2012) and never advancing to the championship game on penalties, drawing in 2008, 2013 and 2014. Last season, the Mustangs advanced to the title match for the first time since 2009, falling 1-0 at top seeded UC Irvine.
NO MORE GOLDEN: Starting this season, there is no more golden goal in college soccer. That means if a match in The Big West Championships is tied after 90 minutes, two 10-minute overtime periods will be played out and if the game is still tied then penalty kicks will determine a winner.
CAL POLY VERSUS LONG BEACH IN THE POSTSEASON: The Mustangs and LBSU have three meetings all-time in The Big West postseason. In 2006, Cal Poly grabbed a 2-1 double overtime victory over the Beach in the semifinals. A year later, the Mustangs downed Long Beach in the semifinals again with a 2-1 win. In the 2014 semifinals, the two teams played to a scoreless draw and LBSU advanced to the championship match on penalty kicks, 5-4.
BEST IN THE BIG WEST: Cal Poly garnered three of the conference's top honors when All-Big West accolades were released Saturday. Senior Camille Lafaix was crowned Big West Midfielder of the Year, becoming the first athlete to receive the award in back-to-back years. Lafaix leads the Mustangs in points (11) and goals (five) this season and has buried three game-winning goals, tied for the second most in the conference. A 23rd-minute strike in a 2-0 victory over UC Irvine on Oct. 23 allowed Lafaix, the first player in program history to be named to the Preseason MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List, to reach 42 career points, the 15th-most in program history. Sophomore Mackenzie Samuel earned Big West Goalkeeper of the Year after posting nine clean sheets during the regular season, including seven in conference play. Samuel is currently tied with two other Cal Poly goalkeepers for the third most shutouts in a single season in program history. She leads the conference in shutouts per match, is fourth in goals against average (1.074) and had a 416-minute stretch this season without allowing a goal. Head coach Alex Crozier was named Big West Coach of the Year for a record sixth time after guiding the Mustangs to at least a share of the Big West regular season title for the ninth time in program history.
RIDING HIGH: The Mustangs are unbeaten in their last seven matches (5-0-2), surrendering just one goal during that stretch in a 1-1 draw against Long Beach State. Cal Poly's 10 shutouts this fall are their most since recording 11 in 2009.
THE CAPTAIN: Sophomore defender Emma Brown joined Lafaix and Samuel on the All-Big West first team, giving Cal Poly its most first team selections since 2014. Brown anchors Cal Poly's suffocating defense, starting in every match and racking up over 1,614 total minutes, which leads the team. She's played all 90 minutes in 17 matches this season. Across two seasons, Brown has made 35 starts and been on the pitch for over 3,213 minutes.
… AND HER SHIPMATES: Brown is joined on the Cal Poly backline by senior Kylie Rojas, sophomore Aynsley Conner and freshman Camryn Penn. The formidable foursome has formed a brick wall for the Mustangs this season. Rojas has started every match, while Conner and Penn have started in 16 of 18 matches. Penn, a Big West All-Freshman team selection, recorded her second assist of the season on Olivia Ortiz's game-winning goal against UC San Diego that gave the Mustangs the No. 1 seed.
SHARING MEANS CARING: Eleven players have scored for the Mustangs this season and 14 have tallied a point. Senior midfielder Megan Hansen has buried four goals this season, including three by way of penalty. She is now 6-6 on penalty kicks during her Cal Poly career. Hansen, who garnered All-Big West honorable mention praise, has made 68 starts across her Cal Poly career, tied with three others for the eighth-most in program history. Sophomore midfielder Peja Balanon and Ortiz each have netted three goals, while seniors Monserrat Hernandez Marquez and Madison Demijohn both have two. Hernandez Marquez, who scored the latest equalizing goal in program history in a 2-2 draw against Hawai'i on Sept. 25, leads the team in shots with 35.
FIRST TIMERS: Five Mustangs have recorded their first collegiate point this season — Balanon, Lieber, Penn, freshman forward Caylie Button and freshman defender Annie Larson. Conner, who played at Minnesota last season, earned her first point as a Mustang on Sept. 22, assisting on Lieber's game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over San Diego.
THE KILLER CROSSER: Lieber, a Big West All-Freshman team selection, recorded her team-leading fourth assist of the season, fifth-most among Big West players, on Demijohn's goal against Long Beach on Oct. 20.
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