Mustangs Chase Postseason Spot versus UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton

Wednesday, October 18

Irvine, CA

6 p.m.

UC Irvine

Photo by: Owen Main

Mustangs Chase Postseason Spot versus UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton

10/17/2023 11:25:00 AM | Men's Soccer

SAN LUIS OBISPO – With just three regular season matches remaining, the Cal Poly men's soccer program looks to solidify a postseason position when visiting UC Irvine on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. and hosting Big West leader Cal State Fullerton on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ for Cal Poly (4-6-3, 2-2-2), which enters Wednesday's encounter at UC Irvine in fifth place in the Big West standings on eight points – and just two behind the three programs who share second place. Defensively, the Mustangs have conceded just twice in the last 415 minutes. UC Irvine (2-9-3, 2-3-1), meanwhile, is one of three programs sitting sixth with seven points. Cal State Fullerton (11-3-2, 5-1-0), having lost just one in its last 13 matches, tops the table on 15 points. 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 IRVINE: Cal Poly seeks its first victory at UC Irvine since a 1-0, penalty-fueled triumph on Sept. 28, 2011 with the Mustangs having taken just one road point off the Anteaters during the last five visits. The Mustangs edged UC Irvine at home last fall, 2-1, to break a five-match series slide. UC Irvine leads the Division I series, 19-11-8.

CAL POLY VERSUS CAL STATE FULLERTON: The two sides have split the previous four results with Cal State Fullerton prevailing at home last season, 3-2. Cal Poly dealt the Titans a 2-0 defeat in the last matchup at Mustang Memorial Field (Oct. 13, 2021). Having lost to Cal Poly just twice in the previous 11 meetings, Cal State Fullerton leads the Division I series, 21-15-1.

DEFENSE KNUCKLES DOWN: After allowing 11 goals during the opening three games and 15 in seven non-conference matches, Cal Poly leads the Big West with just four conceded goals in six conference outings. With Cal Poly's goalkeepers combining for three clean sheets in the last eight games, Cal Poly has gone 10 straight matches without conceding multiple goals.

MUSTANG GOLDEN BOOT RACE COMES DOWN TO WIRE: 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. Sophomore forward Sean McTague and freshman midfielder Rylan Firouznam sit next in Cal Poly's lineup with two goals apiece while eight different Mustangs have found the back of the opposition net this season. 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 10 Cal Poly's last 11 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 (SATURDAY, OCT. 28): Cal Poly closes its 16-game regular season schedule – and looks to finalize a spot in the Big West Championship – when visiting Cal State Bakersfield at 7 p.m. on ESPN+. The Mustangs have won five straight against the Roadrunners since 2010, are undefeated in eight of nine Division I matchups and prevailed in both Big West meetings on the road in 2021 (2-0) and at home in 2022 (3-2).