UC Davis
Cal Poly Opens Big West Play Wednesday at UC Davis
10/1/2024 7:48:00 PM | Men's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Enjoying its lengthiest unbeaten run in three years, the Cal Poly men’s soccer program opens its 23rd season of Big West action when visiting UC Davis on Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. and Blue-Green rival UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. Both matches stream on ESPN+ with Sunday’s visit to No. 22 UC Santa Barbara also televised on ESPNU for Cal Poly (3-3-3), which extended its unbeaten run to five successive matches after delivering a 2-0, non-conference home victory against the rival Gauchos on Sunday afternoon. At UC Davis (4-2-3), the Mustangs begin Big West play where they closed last season after the Aggies edged Cal Poly in the opening round of the 2023 Big West Championship, 1-0. Cal Poly has drawn three of its last five Big West opening matches, but not won a conference opener since 2017 (a 3-1 home decision against UC Riverside). UC Santa Barbara (6-2-1), meanwhile, hosts UC San Diego Wednesday in its Big West opener. The Gauchos, who saw a six-match unbeaten run snapped in Saturday’s loss at Cal Poly, also dropped nine spots in the Oct. 1 edition of the United Soccer Coaches poll to No. 22 following the setback.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC DAVIS: The Mustangs have defeated UC Davis just once in the last seven matchups and seek their first away victory against the Aggies since winning successive overtime road matchups in 2016 and 2017. Overall, UC Davis leads the Division I series, 16-13-4.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC SANTA BARBARA: Cal Poly broke a nine-match, six-year win drought against the Gauchos with a 2-0 home triumph (Sept. 28). Cal Poly’s most frequent opponent at the Division I level, UC Santa Barbara leads the series, 31-16-10.
A HARDER PLACE TO WIN: While Cal Poly is undefeated at home versus UC Santa Barbara in 10 of the previous 15 matchups, the Mustangs have won just once at Harder Stadium in the past 24 years and 25 games. That historic win was a 2-1, overtime, come-from-behind effort on Oct. 19, 2012 in which Cal Poly scored in the 89th and 96th minutes. Meanwhile, 2-2 draws in 2008, 2014 and 2015, a 1-1 draw last fall and scoreless draws in 2008, 2016 and 2017 mark the seven other instances since 1998 that Cal Poly has earned at least a road point versus the Gauchos.
Cal Poly opens its 23rd year of Big West action Wednesday at UC Davis at 3 p.m. on ESPN+. Big West-opening road trip concludes Sunday at No. 22 UC Santa Barbara on ESPNU.#RideHighhttps://t.co/dMBlgRZooj
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 2, 2024
CENTRAL COAST SERIES A TIGHTLY CONTESTED AFFAIR: Twenty-three of the last 32 matches between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara have been decided by one goal or drawn. Seven of Cal Poly’s nine victories in the last 34 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 10 of the last 15 years while UC Santa Barbara has lost exactly once at home to Cal Poly in the last 25 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 31 of the top 70 regular season crowd figures in NCAA history with all matches occurring during the previous 17 seasons. The matchup at Mustang Memorial Field at Spanos Stadium has sold out all 11,075 seats in 11 of the last 16 seasons. The 24 combined matches between Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara during the last 12 years comprise 24 of the 32 highest attended collegiate soccer games in the United States – including NCAA Tournament and College Cup matches. Since the start of the 2007 season, 334,936 total spectators and an average of 9,570 fans per match have witnessed Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara clash on 35 occasions.
MAHONEY’S SCORING FORM: The Big West’s shot attempts leader (24), freshman midfielder Quinn Mahoney’s 11 attempts on target this season have yielded goals in three of Cal Poly’s last four matches to help fuel the program’s five-game unbeaten run. A redshirt during his first year on campus last season, Mahoney – one of six Mustangs to start all nine matches – has owns assists at Tulsa (Sept. 1) and during Cal Poly’s 3-0 home victory versus Gonzaga (Sept. 8).
OFFENSE IN FOCUS: After failing to find the back of the opposition net in the first three matches this season, Cal Poly has scored 10 times in its last six outings. Ranked second among Big West programs with 113 shot attempts – just one behind leader Cal State Fullerton – Cal Poly has featured seven different goalscorers already this season.
MCCUNE IN FRAME: Having conceded just once from open play during his previous 446 minutes, junior goalkeeper Nicky McCune enters Wednesday’s match at UC Davis ranked 43rd among NCAA Division I goalkeepers with a 0.89 goals against average. He also sits third in the Big West with a .758 save percentage and 806 minutes played. Overall this season, McCune – the Sept. 9 and 30 Big West Defensive Player of the Week selection – has allowed just four goals from open play (the remaining four being penalties). Earning his first career shutout in a season-opening, scoreless draw at San Francisco (Aug. 22), McCune produced successive clean sheets in home victories against San Jose State (Sept. 5) and Gonzaga (Sept. 8). After making a career best six saves in a 1-1 draw at Utah Tech (Sept. 16), he picked up his fourth career shutout in Cal Poly’s 2-0 home win against UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 28).
UP NEXT (OCT. 9/12): Cal Poly plays the first two of its four home Big West matches when welcoming Sacramento State (Wednesday, Oct. 9) and UC Riverside (Saturday, Oct. 12). Kickoff is 7 p.m. both evenings for Cal Poly, which is undefeated and unscored upon at home through three matches.
ETC.: Cal Poly is in its 30th Division I season and 23rd as a Big West member … Cal Poly was selected fifth in the Aug. 19 release of the Big West Preseason Coaches poll … Cal Poly’s 1-0 setback at Oral Roberts (Aug. 29) and 3-2 loss at Tulsa (Sept. 1) marked the program’s first all-time games in the state of Oklahoma … Cal Poly’s 1-1 draw at Utah Tech (Sept. 16) marked the program’s first all-time matchup against the Trailblazers … the 9,657-fan attendance figure for Cal Poly’s 2-0 home victory against UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 28) marked the 32nd largest regular season figure in NCAA history and the largest crowd in the nation this season by more than 3,000 fans.
