Sunday, October 15
San Luis Obispo, CA
5 p.m.
vs
UC Santa Barbara
Cal Poly Hosts Rival UCSB Sunday in Vital Clash
10/12/2023 11:23:00 AM | Men's Soccer
BEST-ATTENDED REGULAR SEASON MATCHES IN NCAA HISTORY
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Four points separate the Cal Poly men's soccer program from first place in the Big West standings as the Mustangs renew the Blue-Green rivalry with UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Oct. 15. Kickoff from Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital is 5 p.m. on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (4-5-3, 2-1-2), which extended its unbeaten run to four straight with a Wednesday draw at Sacramento State. Cal Poly enters Sunday's clash in third place in the Big West table on eight points, trailing only leader Cal State Fullerton (12 points) and second-place Cal State Bakersfield (10). However, four programs – including UC Santa Barbara, which saw its own four-match unbeaten run snapped with a late 1-0 loss to Cal State Bakersfield Wednesday – lurk behind on seven points. UC Santa Barbara prevailed in the opening meeting between the two sides, topping Cal Poly 2-0 (Sept. 23) in a non-conference matchup. The top six programs in the 10-team Big West table qualify for the Nov. 1, 4 and 11 Big West Championship with the top two sides receiving opening-round byes.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: The Mustangs remain winless against the Gauchos for eight straight matches following UC Santa Barbara's 2-0 home victory on Sept. 23. Also winless in three successive home matches with UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly's last series victory was a 1-0 home triumph on Sept. 30, 2018. UC Santa Barbara leads the Division I series, 31-15-10.
CENTRAL COAST SERIES A TIGHTLY CONTESTED AFFAIR: Twenty-two of the last 30 matches between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara have been decided by one goal or drawn. Seven of Cal Poly's eight victories in the last 32 attempts against UC Santa Barbara have been a one-goal triumph. Just four times since 2007 has one side scored as many as three goals against the other (Cal Poly's 4-1 home victory versus the Gauchos to close 2017 marked the first time since Nov. 9, 2001 that one team had slipped four goals past the other). The Mustangs are undefeated at home against the Gauchos in nine of the last 13 years while UC Santa Barbara has lost exactly once at home to Cal Poly in the last 24 matchups at Harder Stadium.
CAL POLY-UC SANTA BARBARA MATCHUP REMAINS THE CENTRAL COAST TOP SPORTING ATTRACTION: The best-attended sporting events annually in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, the Cal Poly-UC Santa Barbara series has drawn 29 of the top 67 regular season crowd figures in NCAA history with all matches occurring during the previous 16 seasons. The matchup inside Mustang Memorial Field has sold out all 11,075 seats in 10 of the last 14 seasons. Since the start of the 2007 season, 317,151 total spectators and an average of 9,610 fans per match have witnessed Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara clash on 33 occasions.
SCHAEFER HEATS UP MUSTANG SCORING RACE: With his first career two-goal game during Cal Poly's 3-1 home victory against UC San Diego (Oct. 8), sophomore forward Luke Schaefer took over the team scoring lead on four goals – for 30 minutes, until junior forward Jackson Kestler scored against the Tritons in the 90th to bag his fourth goal. The attacking duo jointly ranks eighth among Big West goalscorers. Kestler, who scored twice in Cal Poly's 4-0 win at Gonzaga (Sept. 20), also leads Cal Poly and ranks fourth among Big West players with four assists.
THE SIEGEL FLYS HIGH: An offseason transfer from Sacred Heart, graduate goalkeeper Justin Siegel recorded a Cal Poly best seven saves to earn his first clean sheet as a Mustang during the program's 4-0 victory at Gonzaga (Sept. 20) and second in a 2-0 home win against CSUN (Oct. 4). He also combined with junior Gabe Penner for an Oct. 11 shutout of Sacramento State. Siegel, who also produced six saves to preserve a 1-1 home draw with Utah Valley (Sept. 12), has started Cal Poly's last 10 matches while ranking third among Big West goalkeepers with a 1.02 goals against average.
KENNEDY TAKES THE MUSTANG REINS: After helping direct Stanford to NCAA Tournament College Cup championships in 2016 and 2017 and four Pac-12 Conference titles in seven years and having led Division II Fort Lewis College to NCAA Tournament national championships in 2009 and 2011 as head coach, Oige Kennedy was introduced as Cal Poly's fifth head coach at the Division I level on Dec. 9, 2022. Kennedy succeeds Steve Sampson, who retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
UP NEXT (OCT. 18/22): Three games will remain on Cal Poly's regular season schedule when the Mustangs visit fourth-place UC Irvine on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. Cal Poly then closes its eight-game home schedule against Big West leader Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
Image courtesy of Jeff Liang / UCSB Athletics
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Four points separate the Cal Poly men's soccer program from first place in the Big West standings as the Mustangs renew the Blue-Green rivalry with UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Oct. 15. Kickoff from Mustang Memorial Field Presented by French Hospital is 5 p.m. on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (4-5-3, 2-1-2), which extended its unbeaten run to four straight with a Wednesday draw at Sacramento State. Cal Poly enters Sunday's clash in third place in the Big West table on eight points, trailing only leader Cal State Fullerton (12 points) and second-place Cal State Bakersfield (10). However, four programs – including UC Santa Barbara, which saw its own four-match unbeaten run snapped with a late 1-0 loss to Cal State Bakersfield Wednesday – lurk behind on seven points. UC Santa Barbara prevailed in the opening meeting between the two sides, topping Cal Poly 2-0 (Sept. 23) in a non-conference matchup. The top six programs in the 10-team Big West table qualify for the Nov. 1, 4 and 11 Big West Championship with the top two sides receiving opening-round byes.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: The Mustangs remain winless against the Gauchos for eight straight matches following UC Santa Barbara's 2-0 home victory on Sept. 23. Also winless in three successive home matches with UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly's last series victory was a 1-0 home triumph on Sept. 30, 2018. UC Santa Barbara leads the Division I series, 31-15-10.
CENTRAL COAST SERIES A TIGHTLY CONTESTED AFFAIR: Twenty-two of the last 30 matches between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara have been decided by one goal or drawn. Seven of Cal Poly's eight victories in the last 32 attempts against UC Santa Barbara have been a one-goal triumph. Just four times since 2007 has one side scored as many as three goals against the other (Cal Poly's 4-1 home victory versus the Gauchos to close 2017 marked the first time since Nov. 9, 2001 that one team had slipped four goals past the other). The Mustangs are undefeated at home against the Gauchos in nine of the last 13 years while UC Santa Barbara has lost exactly once at home to Cal Poly in the last 24 matchups at Harder Stadium.
CAL POLY-UC SANTA BARBARA MATCHUP REMAINS THE CENTRAL COAST TOP SPORTING ATTRACTION: The best-attended sporting events annually in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, the Cal Poly-UC Santa Barbara series has drawn 29 of the top 67 regular season crowd figures in NCAA history with all matches occurring during the previous 16 seasons. The matchup inside Mustang Memorial Field has sold out all 11,075 seats in 10 of the last 14 seasons. Since the start of the 2007 season, 317,151 total spectators and an average of 9,610 fans per match have witnessed Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara clash on 33 occasions.
SCHAEFER HEATS UP MUSTANG SCORING RACE: With his first career two-goal game during Cal Poly's 3-1 home victory against UC San Diego (Oct. 8), sophomore forward Luke Schaefer took over the team scoring lead on four goals – for 30 minutes, until junior forward Jackson Kestler scored against the Tritons in the 90th to bag his fourth goal. The attacking duo jointly ranks eighth among Big West goalscorers. Kestler, who scored twice in Cal Poly's 4-0 win at Gonzaga (Sept. 20), also leads Cal Poly and ranks fourth among Big West players with four assists.
THE SIEGEL FLYS HIGH: An offseason transfer from Sacred Heart, graduate goalkeeper Justin Siegel recorded a Cal Poly best seven saves to earn his first clean sheet as a Mustang during the program's 4-0 victory at Gonzaga (Sept. 20) and second in a 2-0 home win against CSUN (Oct. 4). He also combined with junior Gabe Penner for an Oct. 11 shutout of Sacramento State. Siegel, who also produced six saves to preserve a 1-1 home draw with Utah Valley (Sept. 12), has started Cal Poly's last 10 matches while ranking third among Big West goalkeepers with a 1.02 goals against average.
KENNEDY TAKES THE MUSTANG REINS: After helping direct Stanford to NCAA Tournament College Cup championships in 2016 and 2017 and four Pac-12 Conference titles in seven years and having led Division II Fort Lewis College to NCAA Tournament national championships in 2009 and 2011 as head coach, Oige Kennedy was introduced as Cal Poly's fifth head coach at the Division I level on Dec. 9, 2022. Kennedy succeeds Steve Sampson, who retired at the conclusion of the 2022 season.
UP NEXT (OCT. 18/22): Three games will remain on Cal Poly's regular season schedule when the Mustangs visit fourth-place UC Irvine on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. Cal Poly then closes its eight-game home schedule against Big West leader Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m.
Image courtesy of Jeff Liang / UCSB Athletics
Players Mentioned
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