Cal State Bakersfield
All to Play for as Cal Poly Hosts Cal State Bakersfield Saturday
10/28/2024 11:04:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Cal Poly Men's Soccer
Upcoming Fixtures
SAN LUIS OBISPO – The Cal Poly men’s soccer team can secure the program’s first Big West regular season title with a victory against Cal State Bakersfield in the Saturday, Nov. 2 home regular season finale – but would need help from multiple other programs this weekend as the six-team conference championship field comes into focus. Kickoff against the Roadrunners on ESPN+ is 8 p.m. for third-place Cal Poly (6-4-7, 3-1-4), which improved to 13 points in the Big West standings alongside UC Irvine following successive draws last week. Cal Poly and UC Irvine trail leader UC Santa Barbara by just two points and second-place Cal State Bakersfield by only one heading into Saturday’s final round of matches. With all four programs still eligible to clinch the regular season title, Cal Poly – with a victory against Cal State Bakersfield (7-4-4, 4-2-2) coupled by a UC Irvine loss or draw at UC San Diego earlier on Saturday – can secure no worse than a top two seed for the Nov. 6, 9 and 15 Big West Championship and a bye to the semifinals. A Cal Poly victory, combined with a UC Santa Barbara loss at UC Riverside and UC Irvine loss or draw, secures the Big West title and the top seed for the conference championship. Featuring one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, Cal Poly leads the Big West and ranks eighth among NCAA Division I programs in goals against average (0.71) and 16th in fewest goals conceded (12, though six are penalties). Cal Poly remains undefeated at Mustang Memorial Field this season and with just two goals conceded in 540 minutes.
CAL POLY VERSUS CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD: The Mustangs have won six straight matchups against the Roadrunners since 2010 – including all three as a Big West opponent. Cal Poly’s 1-1 draw at Cal State Bakersfield to close the 2023 regular season clinched the Mustangs spot in the Big West Championship at the expense of the Roadrunners. The Mustangs lead the Division I series, 7-1-3.
MCCUNE IN FRAME: Having conceded just three times during his last nine appearances and 847 minutes, junior goalkeeper Nicky McCune enters Saturday’s match with Cal State Bakersfield leading the Big West and ranked fifth among NCAA goalkeepers with a 0.65 goals against average, sixth with seven solo shutouts, and 13th in save percentage (.828). Overall this season, McCune – the Sept. 9 and 30 and Oct. 7 Big West Defensive Player of the Week selection – has allowed just six goals from open play (the remaining five against him being penalties). McCune’s most recent standout effort included a career high seven saves during a 1-1 home draw with UC Irvine (Oct. 23). 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 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). His sixth shutout came at home to UC Riverside (Oct. 12) while the seventh occurred in a 1-0 victory at Cal State Fullerton (Oct. 19).
Cal Poly wraps up the regular season, looks to clinch a top two seed for the Big West Championship and honors its senior class when hosting Cal State Bakersfield Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN+.#RideHigh pic.twitter.com/4Fqb4pge8p
— Cal Poly Men’s Soccer (@CPMensSoccer) October 28, 2024
MAHONEY TOPS THE OFFENSIVE CHARTS: Second among Big West players with 43 shot attempts, freshman midfielder Quinn Mahoney’s 18 attempts on target this season have yielded a team leading four goals to help fuel the program’s run toward a Big West regular season title. A redshirt during his first year on campus last season, Mahoney – a starter in 16 of 17 matches – also leads Cal Poly and ranks eighth in the Big West 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 17 times in its last 14 outings. Ranked third among Big West programs in scoring margin (plus-0.29), Cal Poly has featured 11 different goalscorers already this season with sophomore defender Joaquin Torres joining list with his free-kick goal at CSUN (Oct. 26).
DEFENSE ON HISTORIC PACE: With junior Nicky McCune enjoying one of the finest goalkeeping seasons in program history, Cal Poly’s defense has recorded eight shutouts already – two behind the program season record accomplished in 2007. Cal Poly has conceded just 0.71 goals per match, well under the program record of 0.88 set in 2021, while 12 total goals conceded remains on pace to break the mark of 17 allowed in 2011.
UP NEXT (NOV. 6/9): Seeds Nos. 3 and 4 will host Big West Championship opening-round matches against Nos. 5 and 6 on Wednesday, Nov. 6 with the winners advancing to visit seeds Nos. 1 and 2 for the Saturday, Nov. 9 semifinal round. Kickoff times will be available via GoPoly.com should Cal Poly be hosting any postseason game.
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 … Cal Poly’s nine-game unbeaten run from Sept. 5-Oct. 12 was the program’s lengthiest since a record 11-match stretch in 2007.
