UC Riverside
First-Place Cal Poly Hosts UC Riverside Saturday Evening
10/10/2024 3:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Cal Poly Men's Soccer
Upcoming fixtures
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Having furthered its unbeaten run to eight straight matches with a 3-1 victory against Sacramento State Wednesday, the Cal Poly men’s soccer program completes a two-game home stand when hosting UC Riverside on Saturday, Oct. 12. Kickoff on ESPN+ is 7 p.m. for Cal Poly (5-3-4, 2-0-1), which enters action tied for first place atop the Big West table on seven points alongside Cal State Fullerton (6-3-4, 2-0-1). Both the Mustangs and Titans sit two points clear of UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Bakersfield. With a victory Saturday, Cal Poly would match the 2007 Mustang squad for best start to a Big West campaign in program history (10 points from the initial 12). Perfect at home this season and with just one goal conceded through four matches, Cal Poly’s current unbeaten run is the program’s longest since an 11-game stretch in 2007. Featuring the Big West’s stingiest defense alongside UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly has conceded just nine times (five of which are opponent penalties). Having scored just 10 times in 10 matches – the lowest total of any Big West program – UC Riverside (3-5-2, 1-1-1) climbed to fifth place in the Big West standings on four points with a 1-0 home win on Wednesday against UC Irvine with the Highlanders scoring in the 89th minute.
CAL POLY VERSUS UC RIVERSIDE: The Mustangs have lost three of their last four home matches to UC Riverside and, overall, Cal Poly looks for its first victory against the Highlanders since a 3-1 home decision on Sept. 28, 2017. The Mustangs lead the Division I series, 16-11-4.
Check out Wednesday's highlights from the 3-1 home victory against Sacramento State. Parker Owens (79') with his first career goal, Jackson Miller (47') with his first of the year and Diego Guerra (50') with his third of 2024.#RideHighhttps://t.co/5u42ahxDI2
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 10, 2024
MCCUNE IN FRAME: Having conceded just once from open play during his previous 707 minutes and allowed nothing in the last 397 minutes, junior goalkeeper Nicky McCune enters Saturday’s match with UC Riverside leading the Big West and ranked eighth among NCAA goalkeepers with five solo shutouts, 11th in save percentage (.814) and 12th in goals against average (0.67). Overall this season, McCune – the Sept. 9 and 30 and Oct. 7 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 successive shutouts in Cal Poly’s 2-0 home win against UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 28), 1-0 victory at UC Davis (Oct. 2) and scoreless draw at UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 6).
MAHONEY TOPS THE OFFENSIVE CHARTS: Fourth among Big West players with 27 shot attempts, freshman midfielder Quinn Mahoney’s 13 attempts on target this season have yielded a team leading three goals to help fuel the program’s eight-game unbeaten run. A redshirt during his first year on campus last season, Mahoney – one of six Mustangs to start all 12 matches – also leads Cal Poly with four assists.
OFFENSE IN FOCUS: After failing to find the back of the opposition net in the first three matches this season, Cal Poly has scored 14 times in its last nine outings. Ranked second among Big West programs in scoring margin (plus-0.42), Cal Poly has featured 10 different goalscorers already this season with sophomores Jackson Miller and Parker Owens joining list with goals versus Sacramento State (Oct. 9).
UP NEXT (OCT. 16/19): Five regular season matches will remain when Cal Poly begins its final regular season road trip at UC San Diego on Wednesday, Oct. 16 before completing the swing at Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Oct. 19. Kickoff on ESPN+ is 7 p.m. both nights for Cal Poly, which is undefeated in three straight road matches, but won just once away from home in eight attempts this season.
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 33rd largest regular season figure in NCAA history and the second largest crowd in the nation this season by more than 3,000 fans … Cal Poly’s 2-0 home victory against UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 28) was its first against the Gauchos since 2018 and first against a ranked foe since a 2-1 decision versus No. 24 Loyola Marymount (Sept. 26, 2019) … the 9,985-fan figure for Cal Poly’s scoreless draw at UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 6) marked the largest collegiate soccer crowd in the nation this season and the 29th largest regular season figure in NCAA history … the draw at UCSB also helped Cal Poly cement its first unbeaten regular season against the rival Gauchos since 2015.
Goals from sophomores Jackson Miller, Diego Guerra and Parker Owens kept Cal Poly in first place atop the Big West with a 3-1 home win Wednesday versus Sacramento State. Mustangs back in action Saturday at home to UC Riverside at 7 p.m. on ESPN+.#RideHighhttps://t.co/sNA5csjZko
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 10, 2024
