As their season kicks off, Cal Poly men’s soccer head coach Steve Sampson talked with Owen about his offseason, calling Copa America for Spanish language television, and the upcoming season.

For photos of the Cal Poly Men’s Soccer exhibition against Stanford this past week, click here. 

Cal Poly soccer fans have been waiting. Since Steve Sampson was announced as the team’s new head coach, there hasn’t been a ton of fanfare or news during the offseason.

On Tuesday, the team announced four new players they’ll add to the squad that only lost a single senior last season.

For the past few seasons, attacking players have had to fill roles in the central or defensive midfield. Some, like Matt LaGrassa last season, have even had to fill-in at positions like center back. This year’s recruiting class is all midfielders and defensive players who are sure to shore-up a depleted defense that gave up eight goals and went 0-3-1 in their final four games of 2014.

The Mustangs actually ended the season with a winning 8-7-4 record last year, but missed the Big West Tournament by finishing in fourth (last) place in the conference’s North Division.

George Grote (MF)

Grote is from Huntington Beach, but has gained overseas experience over the past three? years withFC Banik Ostrava’s U-19 academy in the Czech Republic.

Because of his experience, Grote might be the most interesting/off the map recruit on the list. With his experience and connections, Sampson’s ability to bring in players from “off the map” is one reason Cal Poly fans are optimistic about the start of Sampson’s tenure in San Luis Obispo. Grote is a wild card. Wild cards are part of what are going to make Sampson’s tenure fun. Grote is the first one.

 Noah Chapleski

Chapleski is a recruit who was committed to Cal Poly before Paul Holocher left. Through two other coaches, Chapleski maintained his commitment and inked on the dotted line this week. There isn’t a ton of information about Chapleski out there and he doesn’t come from California. Having lived in Colorado and watched a lot of prep soccer, I can say that the level can be high in the area.

Lots of players I watched who were from Colorado were technically very strong due to having to play indoor soccer during the winter. I’m thinking Chapleski also is left-footed, which should give other players like Sean Dhillon the ability to move around a little more off the left wing if necessary. If Chapleski is ready to play, he could really give this team additional flexibility with who plays where. With depth an issue last season, providing more of it might be the biggest impact the freshman could have next year.

Peter Delkeskamp

I absolutely love this one. To have local prep stars sign with Cal Poly is a huge deal in all sports. There aren’t a lot of Division-1 athletes in the area. From a fan’s perspective, I believe that the ones who are out there — or are even borderline — should be at Cal Poly.

Delkeskamp is a holding/defensive midfielder, which is also a need the current roster has. Players like LaGrassa have played these positions, but if the Mustangs can get talented scorers playing positions where they can more consistently get opportunities (without having to stay back), they could be more effective. I don’t know whether Delkeskamp will be ready for big minutes next season, but his recruitment and signing doesn’t have much downside that I see.

Louis Heinzer

Heinzer comes from the Sacramento area and was one of the only players I could find who has tweets of himself signing on NLI day last week.

Sampson said in the press release that Heinzer will compete for center back playing time. Cal Poly already has Brett Foreman and Nick Carroll who got significant playing time before missing the later part of last year.

The attacking 5-7 positions on the team have at least 8-10 returning players, so depth at those positions next season is already assured on some level. With the addition on Heinzer and Chapleski (and really this entire recruiting class), the Mustangs are setting themselves up to have a much more balanced roster.

What do you think about this year’s class? Are you pumped for next year’s Big West Soccer season?

Cal Poly fans didn’t have a lot to cheer about on Sunday. By Owen Main

On Sunday night, in front of a sellout crowd at Alex G. Spanos Stadium, UCSB scored twice in the first half and held-on with ten men for the last 19-plus minutes to defeat Cal Poly 2-0.

In front of 11,075 fans — mostly students — UCSB dominated the first 30 minutes of the game en route to the victory. Cal Poly, who was without at least three key defensive players, struggled to gain traction both literally (the field was still really wet from the weekend rain and football game) and figuratively (the Gauchos dominated possession early-on).

Still, there were a few opportunities in the second half that the Mustangs just couldn’t put into the back of the net. For the Cal Poly faithful, it was a frustrating end to the match, with the UCSB captain taunting the student section and the crowd filing out of the stadium with their heads down.

The emotion

This game is always full of emotion, but I felt like something was missing this time. Perhaps the senior class from last year — George Malki, Mackenzie Pridham, etc… — made a stronger connection with the fans. Last season, the stadium was full a full hour ahead of the match. This season, students were still filing in during the national anthem. Whatever the reason, it didn’t quite feel the same, despite the sellout.

The shushing

UCSB scored early in this match and gave the crowd the single finger shushing sign. For whatever reason, the crowd seemed to obey for most of the rest of the game.

Any other crowd might have taken the shushing as a reason to get louder, which is why the second UCSB goal was such a dagger. Sure, there were chants, there was a random cell phone light thing, and there were the typical taunts of the opposition’s goalie. But there wasn’t anything sustained or filled with passion, as there has been in previous years.

On a side note, who decided to make the UCSB match a 5:00 pm game on a Sunday afternoon? Whoever does must hate sports and America, but I digress. I guess my point is that I felt like something was missing. Was it just me?

The throwing

I don’t want to get into a huge discussion of tortillas. Tortilla throwing has become something UCSB soccer and, by proxy, the Big West Conference hangs its hat on. It’s a tradition unlike any other and the only time in a match where I’ve ever seen items being thrown onto the field of play allowed — or in this case, downright encouraged.

What I don’t understand is the outrage. One media member from Santa Barbara on the sideline found a piece of something that wasn’t a tortilla that had been thrown on the field.

“They threw this at our goalie,” he told me.

“Yeah, throwing things on the field is pretty lame I said.”

He agreed.

“Tortillas too, right?” I asked.

Whoa whoa whoa.

He tried to tell me tortillas were fine but throwing other things onto the field during the game wasn’t ok. So, here’s my point. Once things are allowed to be thrown onto the field — at the players on either team — during the game, it sets a dangerous precedent. It’s hard to split hairs at that point, especially when UCSB is playing an away game.

Whoever threw the metal thing (looked like maybe a lighter??) onto the field is an idiot who should have been ejected immediately. But so, too, should fans who throw ANYTHING at players while the game is going on — whether it’s a tortilla or not.

The three seconds

Earlier this season, I was picking the brain of a former Cal Poly soccer player about the anatomy of a penalty kick. He told me that after the referee blows his whistle, the penalty taker should always count to three before his run-up to take the kick. I’ve seen two Cal Poly men this season have PK’s saved against them and I don’t know if either has paused prior to the run-up.

Maybe it had nothing to do with it, but contrast it with a penalty kick from the same night in MLS. FC Dallas midfielder Michel is one of the best in the business at penalties. He takes FOREVER in this one (starting at about 1:45 of the video). The official even has to blow his whistle a second time to get him to start his run-up. Not surprisingly, he buries the shot in the back of the net.

The aftermath

Cal Poly is now in fourth place with a trip to rugged UC Davis in front of them. The game is on Wednesday afternoon at 2:00pm, and everything is on the line. To make the conference tournament, they’ll need to win and possibly hope for a UCSB win over Sacramento State. There are a number of scenarios, but winning is the key…

Photos by Owen Main

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Cal Poly is keeping their head above water. But with players missing games due to injury, illness, or suspension, the Mustangs’ Big West Conference Season is at a sort of crossroads.

Ramiro Molina-Valerio (4) played well in the second half, but Cal Poly couldn’t find a goal. By Owen Main

On Wednesday night, missing five defensive players, the Mustangs were upended by conference-leading UC Davis 1-0. The Aggies scored in the 64th minute when Noah Wilson slotted a left-footed shot to the far post to beat Cal Poly keeper, Wade Hamilton. UC Davis, which is one tie away from tying the all-time NCAA record for ties in a season, broke theirs against Cal Poly to move to 13 points, three ahead of both Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara in the Big West North Division.

The Mustangs’ offense looked a little stagnant and lacking creativity on the night. Perhaps that is an outcome of the Aggie defensive unit. It also could have been influenced by central midfielder Matt LaGrassa having to move to center back along with Kip Colvey, who usually plays on the far right wing of the defensive line. The Mustangs also utilized freshman Trenton Matson for the first time at right defender alongside sophomore Jack O’Connor on the left side, who has also seen only limited action this season.

With fresh faces on defense, players like Chase Minter, John Chronopoulos, and Steve Palacias had to spend a lot of time defending. It’s a cycle Cal Poly couldn’t maintain and still achieve any kind of offense.

Cal Poly held possession for much of the game, but had a hard time navigating the ball through the UC Davis midfield and defenders, who allowed the Mustangs very few chances.

One of their best chances came on a Kaba Alkebulan header that sailed just over the crossbar in the second half.

In the end, UC Davis celebrated with gusto, jumping in the air, and gesturing toward the uninspired-on-this-night Cal Poly student section.

The loss to UC Davis makes Cal Poly’s game at Harder Stadium at UCSB (Saturday, 7:00 pm) all the more important. Both the Mustangs and Gauchos are three points behind the front-running Aggies with four matches left in conference play. Cal Poly will get Sean Dhillon back from a yellow-card suspension, but will be without LaGrassa, who picked up his fifth on Wednesday and will have to sit out a match because of it.

Caption Contest, anyone? By Owen Main

The schedule this season definitely doesn’t favor the Mustangs or their soccer fans, especially when it comes to the marquee games with UCSB. The game between the two on Saturday coincides with a key Cal Poly home football game, so don’t expect a ton of Cal Poly fans to travel (I’ve always wanted to see a Mustang soccer match at Harder… I guess I’ll have to wait another year). Next weekend, UCSB travels to Cal Poly. With the game scheduled for Halloween weekend, the powers at be decided it would be good to play the game at 5:00pm on a Sunday. In case you were wondering, the answer is yes — it’s the Sunday of Daylight Savings Time. If you love sports, you hate the idea of a Cal Poly-UCSB game not being on a Friday or Saturday night.

It will be a real test of how supportive Cal Poly students and fans really are. Last season, fans were climbing fences to get into the stadium. I wonder how and whether the change in day and time will affect the turnout.

A budding rivalry up North?

I mentioned it before, but keep an eye out for news about the Causeway Classico this weekend. Sacramento State is hosting UC Davis, but they’re playing the match at Republic FC’s Bonney Field, which holds about 8,000 fans. It’s the first time they’ve played under the lights there and it will be interesting to see what kind of a crowd they draw. It would be really cool to have two big rivalries with huge turnouts in the same division.

Photos by Owen Main

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