Mackenzie Pridham hopes to make his mark at the MLS combine and be drafted on January 16th. By Owen Main

After re-writing the Cal Poly men’s soccer record books, Mackenzie Pridham is preparing for life as a professional. Pridham, the two-time Big West Conference offensive player of the year, recently completed a senior season in which he broke the career goals record at Cal Poly and helped the team to the highest single season goal tally in program history.

Now, the 23 year-old is hoping for a chance in Major League Soccer. Some draft boards, including this recent one from the MLS website list him with a chance to go in the top-15. Much will be decided, as Mackenzie explains, at the MLS draft combine. Pridham was one of 50 college seniors who were invited and will look to leave a good impression with scouts there just days prior to the draft itself, which takes place on January 16th.

With less than four weeks before he could become an MLS draft pick, I talked to Mackenzie about his draft prospects, Cal Poly Soccer, and maybe having to overcome some East coast bias in the world of college soccer.

Cal Poly freshman Justin Dhillon (11) celebrates after his first-half goal on Friday night. By Owen Main

The old saying goes, “a tie is like kissing your sister.” Cal Poly and UCSB learned how a Blue-Green tie truly feels, ending knotted at one goal apiece on Friday night in front of a sold-out 11,075 fans at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

In a hotly-contested match, Cal Poly scored early, gave up a goal at the end of the first half, and held-on for a 1-1 tie.

The game featured big plays by freshmen on both sides. Cal Poly’s Justin Dhillon began the scoring in the ninth minute. The tallest Mustang on the pitch, Dhillon headed a George Malki corner kick past UCSB goalkeeper Josh McNeely to give Cal Poly an early 1-0 lead. The Mustangs would give up the lead when UCSB’s Achille Campion found the back of the net in the final minute of the first half to tie the score. It would be the final goal of the match for either side.

“It was incredible,” said Dhillon of his first Blue-Green Rivalry experience as a player. “The fans here are awesome. I love representing my school and especially scoring a goal in front of them was unbelievable.”

With a relatively small team, Cal Poly’s corner kicks don’t usually get sent straight into the box, but Dhillon, the tallest field player on the pitch for the Mustangs, took advantage. The play that led to Dhillon’s goal was contrary to  how Cal Poly generally wants to play.

“We wanted to move the ball and the reality of tonight is that we had a very very difficult time communicating with the players on the field with all the noise,” said Holocher, who couldn’t give usual instructions on corner kicks. “So, for whatever reason, we played more direct than we normally do.

“It was a great goal. Really well-placed corner by George and [Dhillon] headed it down which is great. It’s good for him as a freshman to get a goal in this kind of environment.”

Dhillon’s ball squirted past the UCSB keeper and he and the team sprinted toward the Mustang Manglers section.

“George crossed the ball off a corner and I headed it home,” said Dhillon. “I just took off on a full sprint. I may have been tired but all that kind of slipped away, I was so excited, the adrenalyne was rushing through everything and it was unbelievable.”

With the tie, UCSB failed to win for the first time in 2013 Big West play. The Gauchos came into the game on a seven-game winning streak.

“They are number-one in our conference,” said Dhillon of the Gauchos.  “They are a very good team and I think we put up a good performance against them and ended up being the first [team] they’ve not won against in nine games.”

Two of Cal Poly’s seniors – George Malki and Chris Bernardi – team-up in their final home version of the Blue-Green Rivalry. By Owen Main

Holocher gave credit to UCSB after the game when asked how good they really are.

“I think they’re good enoguh to make a run in the NCAA playoffs for sure,” said Holocher. “I think they can beat anybody. They’ve got enough good, strong, big, physical individual players that make things difficult.”

For eight Cal Poly seniors, this was their final home edition of the Blue-Green Rivalry. It left some with a bitter taste.

“I’m definitely hurting inside, but I know my team and myself left everything on the field tonight and some things just didn’t go our way,” said Mackenzie Pridham, the Big West’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year and current goals leader.

Home fans and the Mustangs themselves were poised for a game-winning goal and a raucous student section having an opportunity to rush the field. Instead, fans had to settle for the tie.

“I kind of feel empty, in a way,” said Malki. “I’m glad we came out with a tie, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t come out with a win.”

Freshmen, though, may have played the two biggest roles in the game and cemented their roles in this matchup for years to come. Dhillon scored his second career goal and on the UCSB side, the freshman goalie, McNeely made his impact felt as well.

“Their goalkeeper had an unbelievable game,” said Pridham. “In my opinion he came up with four or five big-time game-changing saves. He had three or four on me, one on Ari, and a copule other big-time ones. He was on it.”

Cal Poly and UCSB play again on November 9th in the regular-season finale in Isla Vista. The game will be televised on Fox Sports West.

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Mackenzie Pridham winds up for the first goal of the game. By Owen Main

Two years ago, Cal Poly men’s soccer head coach Paul Holocher talked to me about a more open, visually pleasing style of play Cal Poly was trying to implement. It has taken some time and has been a process, but the benefits are being reaped for the Mustangs and soccer fans who like goals.

With a 5-1 dismantling of UC Riverside on Friday night, Cal Poly is now second in the nation with 2.7 goals per game. Just as importantly, the team moves to (1-0) in Big West Conference play and (8-3-0) overall. Mackenzie Pridham, who scored Cal Poly’s first goal on Friday, came into the game 11th in the nation in goals and netted his ninth in 11 games. He took a pass, spun to his left and scored with his left foot into the far right corner.

Cal Poly took their 1-0 lead into halftime, but turned up the intensity in the second half. Freshmen Ari Lassiter and Justin Dhillon provided a spark off the bench as Lassiter netted two goals to match Dhillon’s two assists. Dhillon also scored the first goal of his career within the final minute of the game to cap-off Cal Poly’s seventh game this season where they’ve scored 3-plus goals.

While there are always some scary moments with Cal Poly’s wide open style of play, the Mustangs continue honing their craft. The question remains whether their ball-control, open style of play can stand-up through an entire Big West Conference season with the likes of 6th-ranked Cal State Northridge, 25th-ranked UC Irvine, and two games against UCSB still on the schedule.

On Sunday, Holocher’s group hosts Cal State Fullerton at Alex G. Spanos Stadium at 3:00 PM.

[See image gallery at www.fansmanship.com]

Mackenzie Pridham blasts the game-winning goal on Sunday afternoon vs. Yale. By Owen Main

The first Cal Poly soccer match I went to this year was a dud. The Mustangs looked listless, didn’t create many good chances, and lost to Gonzaga in overtime. It looked like it was happening all over again.

On Sunday, it looked nearly like a carbon copy of the Gonzaga match, except Yale took advantage of Cal Poly’s mistakes and went ahead 2-0 at halftime. While they had the run of play, they used a lot of less-effective long passes and were to crack the middle part of the final third of the field. A defensive mistake by Cal Poly and a timely counter fr

Connor Drechsler put Cal Poly within 2-1 early in the second half on a cross from Chris Bernardi. Bernardi, who comes off the bench for Holocher, has looked like the fastest, most effective Mustang with the best first touch in the two games I’ve been to this season. In short, he puts a lot of pressure on defenders. Dreschler has three career goals on only three career shots on goal.

During the final 20 minutes of the second half, Yale did everything they could to legally bleed the clock. As Cal Poly’s offense started to turn up the pressure, two Bulldogs went down with what seemed like leg cramps. They subbed players every few minutes. They took their time on free kicks.

But in the end, it wasn’t enough.

With less than 90 seconds left in the match, sophomore Matt LaGrassa fired a left-footed blast into the right side of the net to tie the match. Yale’s collective hands went to their heads. Mustangs players climbed briefly onto the barrier with the stands in front of the Mustang Manglers section.

In overtime, Cal Poly persevered. Mackenzie Pridham, who had played a very physical second half, finally found himself free and quickly buried the game-winner past Yale keeper Blake Brown in the 100th minute to cap the comeback.

Chase Minter celebrates with Matt LaGrassa (20) after LaGrassa’s game-tying goal. By Owen Main

The final 55 minutes of the match– the second half and overtime — were a dominant display by Cal Poly. As discussed in my soccer preview, if the Mustangs are going to have any chance at the Big West title, careless mistakes at the back line cannot happen. A team like UCSB, Davis, or Cal State Northridge will be nearly impossible to come back on from 2-0 down in a game like Sunday’s.

I always find Paul Holocher’s comments about style of play interesting. While Yale consistently played in the second half with 8 players behind the ball defensively, Cal Poly did their best to keep the field open, maintain possession, and use the whole pitch.

I would rather lose trying to play this way than win in another way. I think our fans appreciate how we get things done as much as the outcome,” said Holocher.

In other words, the team needs to get better at the style of play, particularly with turnovers deep in the defensive zone. Holocher’s team will play two games in Colorado next week before starting conference play.

Photos by Owen Main

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Pridham’s Goal – Video

It’s not just football.

Yes, the Cal Poly football team has high expectations this year, but all three teams who play their fall home games at Alex G. Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly have strong postseason aspirations. Here’s a look at the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Cal Poly and how their seasons could be as good as (if not better than) the football team.

Men’s Soccer

Mackenzie Pridham scored the second most goals in the Big West last season and has his sights set on a big senior season. By David Livingston

Coach Paul Holocher’s team is on the upswing. After a 2012 season during which they beat rival UCSB twice, went 11-7-1 overall, and reached the Big West Tournament semifinal match, this year’s team loses only three key contributors from a season ago.

While Ian Clark, Dakota Collins, Benny Estes, and Chris Gaschen all made positive contributions to Cal Poly’s changeover to an “FC Barcelona” style of play, Holocher’s top-40 recruiting class this season is probably the program’s best ever.

Meet the Freshmen

The freshman class starts with top-10 national recruite Justin Dhillon. Dhillon, whose brother Sean will be a redshirt freshman this season, brings promise of a fast, skilled wing player to take the place of Gaschen in Cal Poly’s fast-paced attack.

Ari Lassiter is another name soccer fans might recognize. His father, Roy, was a member of the US National Team, appearing in 30 games for his country throughout his career.

Add striker Kaba Alkebulan, midfielder Joseph Bolous, midfielder Brett Foreman, and goalkeeper Eric Kam, and there is good reason for optimism for Cal Poly.

Senior Leadership

While last year’s team boasted a few seniors in key positions, the 2013 Mustangs will depend on seniors all over the pitch. Mackenzie Pridham, the 2012 Big West offensive player of the year, returns up front for Cal Poly. Last year, he notched 11 goals.  Midfielder George Malki, who scored one of the most electrifying goals in Cal Poly history to help beat UCSB in Isla Vista a year ago also returns along with fellow seniors Ronald Medrano Williams (MF), Chris Bernardi (F), Mike Hocker (MF), Connor Drechsler (D), Kevin Atkins (MF) and Brett Finkelstein (G), who returns to compete with sophomore Wade Hamilton for net-minder duties.

Last season, Hamilton earned all-Big West Honorable Mention for his play.

The Back Line Could be the Key

For all the talk about the FC Barcelona style of play the Mustangs have adopted, the focus has been on midfielders and forwards. Last season, Cal Poly nearly doubled their goal output from the previous year, scoring 26 goals (they only netted 15 in 2011).

But the ball control, possession-oriented attack they are trying to build depends on defenders and midfielders reading the field and making the right pass. Mistakes from defenders can and will prove costly. Even with the “attractive” style of play the Mustangs are sure to bring, the sure play of defenders will be as big a variable as any other in determining this team’s season result.

The Big West North is TOUGH

The Big West’s Northern Division includes recent national champion and arch-rival UCSB, defending conference champion UC Davis, and Sacramento State, who Cal Poly only managed one point against in two matches last season. To even make the playoffs, the Mustangs will have to be playing their best soccer at the right time.

The coaches preseason poll ranked Cal Poly 3rd in the Northern Division, behind UCSB and UC Davis respectively. The poll results were close, though, and if newcomers like Justin Dhillon can make an immediate impact, the Mustangs can go into the final few games of conference play contending for the division title.

Women’s Soccer

OK, I’ll admit it, I’m a little late on the women’s soccer side of things. I’ll also admit that I’ve watched them play already, though I don’t know how much I learned in their 3-0 defeat of Loyola Marymount. Here’s what I do know about Alex Crozier’s squad.

Sarah Lancaster scoots the first Cal Poly goal of 2013 past the LMU keeper on Friday night. By Owen Main

They were good last season

The women’s team went (9-7-3) overall last season, (6-1-2) in the Big West, but lost to Cal State Northridge 1-0 in the Big West Tournament.

This season, the Mustangs return their leading goal scorer from last season, Elise Krieghoff. Krieghoff’s freshman season was one to remember. She scored 11 goals and notched 22 points in only 15 games, earning Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and first-team All Conference honors.

In their first game…

In the first game of the 2013 season last Friday night against Loyola Marymount, Cal Poly earned a 3-0 victory. Krieghoff managed to get off 8 shots in the game, including her first goal of 2013.

Krieghoff will be the rock at the top and should put lots of pressure on defenses, but a few other players impressed in the first game of the season. Tracy Hong, a junior defender looked quick and assertive in possession on Friday night — a good sign for a wing back.

Senior Jordyn Zander looked strong from the midfield, supporting a balanced offensive attack for Cal Poly. Sarah Lancaster, an attacking midfielder, scored the game’s first goal and had the speed and possession to push the ball up the right hand side into the attacking zone. Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Giannetti looked comfortable in goal after starting there most of her freshman campaign.

Elise Krieghoff will be Cal Poly’s main goal-scoring threat once again this season. By Owen Main

The Schedule

Alex Crozier’s team is set to play a pretty remarkable preseason schedule. Three of their first four games are at home — all against non-conference teams from California.

Then they hit the road for the remainder of their non-conference schedule. Six straight games. Three straight weekends.

Their opponents will include Baylor, Texas A&M, Oregon State, Seattle, Saint Mary’s, and Santa Clara. By the time they open conference play at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on October 4 vs. Long Beach State, Cal Poly will have gone nearly a month without a home match.

Conference Outlook

So much in women’s soccer seems to hinge on star players, and Cal Poly does have that in Krieghoff. Last season, the Mustangs had a fantastic conference regular season, scoring 4 or more goals in four of nine games. This season, don’t look for it to be that easy. Opposing teams will key on Krieghoff. Look for players like Lancaster, Sarah Epps, and Lauren Heer to benefit from the space that will open-up.

Alex Crozier is a 21st year coach with a winning pedigree. So many things depend on players health and new faces in the conference, but expect Crozier to have his team ready to be in the running for a Big West Conference title once again this year.

Paul Holocher looks on during spring practice this week. By Owen Main

It isn’t just the football team that gets to play in the spring. If you are out on the turf fields at the upper sports complex early in the morning, you will find that soccer players are sharing the vast fields with the football team, bundled-up as the strong canyon breeze makes the early morning air frigid.

Head Coach Paul Holocher’s men’s soccer team had what was probably their best recruiting class ever. The centerpiece of the incoming class is Justin Dhillon, a striker from Southern California whose brother is also on the Mustangs’ roster. With strong winds blowing across the practice field, I talked to coach Holocher about the spring, the outlook for the 2013 regular season, competitions for playing time for both strikers and goalkeepers, and the upcoming spring game against Stanford.

Cal Poly Soccer vs. Stanford, Saturday, April 20, 7:00 PM

For Paul Holocher’s Cal Poly men’s soccer team, a new system this season has led to a slew of Big West Conference honors. Now, the Mustangs will face a new challenge: success in the Big West Conference Tournament.

Cal Poly junior Mackenzie Pridham was named 2012 Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Photo by Owen Main

Junior forward Mackenzie Pridham led the Mustangs in goals (11), goals in conference (8) and game-winning goals (6). Pridham’s 11 goals mark just the third time in 19 Division-1 seasons that a Cal Poly player has reached double-digits in goals. In doing so, he was named Big West Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Led by Pridham, Cal Poly’s scoring attack has notched 24 goals and has only been shut-out 3 times.

From 2011 to 2012, Pridham’s goal tally improved from two to 11. Part of the reason might be due to hair choice. I didn’t even recognize Pridham in this picture from the Tribune, taken I think last season. In it, Pridham is sporting some soccer-locks. I’d compare him with some like-afro’d professional player, but I can’t think of one right now. This year, Pridham has gone clean-cut, maybe more aerodynamic, and definitely more successful.

Cal Poly had several other all-conference selections. Joining Pridham on the first-team is sophomore defender Nolan Moore. Cal Poly averaged only 1 goal per game allowed this season with a relatively young defense, anchored by Moore.

Junior George Malki and senior Benny Estes were selected to the All-Conference Second Team. Malki scored four goals during the year an tallied 11 points. His tying goal at UCSB with less than 2 minutes left sent the game into overtime, where Pridham beat UCSB with a golden goal. Malki also scored the game-winner at home to seal the Mustangs’ 1-0 victory marking the first season sweep of UCSB since the late 90’s.

Senior midfielder Chris Gaschen, this week’s conference Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman Wade Hamilton, this week’s conference Defensive Player of the Week, were Cal Poly’s selections for Honorable Mention All-Conference. Gaschen finished the season third in the Big West with seven assists. Hamilton earned Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season and was one of two freshman who earned an All-Conference selection, joining Freshman of the Year Ema Boateng from UCSB.

Chris Gaschen (left) and George Malki (right) played important roles in Cal Poly’s surge to qualify for the Big West Tournament, which starts tomorrow. Photo by Owen Main

Pridham’s selection as Offensive Player of the Year may have been a nod to the Big West’s North Division. Pridham was not the top goal-scorer in the conference. That honor went to CSUN’s Savi Leg-Ari, who earned Second-Team All Conference honors. The North Division sported all four teams with point totals that were as good or better than the second-team in the South Division — Cal State Fullerton.

Cal Poly hits the road tomorrow for a Big West Tournament Semifinal matchup in Northridge. The other semifinal is between UC Davis and Cal State Fullerton, in Davis. The highest seed of the two winning teams will host the tournament final on Saturday at 1PM. There is one possible scenario that would include Cal Poly hosting Cal State Fullerton at Spanos Stadium at 1PM, preceding the 6:05 football game vs. Idaho State, also at Spanos.

A Cal Poly sports junkie’s dream…

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Cal Poly forward Mackenzie Pridham scored a golden goal to give Cal Poly their first win in Santa Barbara in 14 years on Friday night. It was Pridham’s 9th goal of the season.

For Cal Poly fans, homecoming weekend began in winning fashion on Friday night. On the eve of the 6-0 football team hosting Portland State, the 1- volleyball team won their first conference match and the men’s soccer team beat UCSB 2-1 in Santa Barbara to  vault to the top of the table in the Big West Northern Division.

For the Volleyball team, the match went down to the wire. After winning the first set, Sam Crosson’s team lost the next two before winning the final two. The fifth set was won 17-15. The victory snapped a 15-match winless streak for the 2-18 (1-7 in the Big West Conference) squad.

The men’s team, who has had success throughout the season, did something they hadn’t done in 14 years — win at UCSB. The 16th-ranked Gauchos scored first in the 75th minute. Down 1-0, Cal Poly midfielder George Malki scored his third goal of the season with only 66 seconds left to send the match into overtime. In the sixth minute of overtime, Cal Poly’s leading scorer Mackenzie Pridham scored a golden goal, his ninth of the year, to send the tortilla-throwing Gaucho faithful home without any points for their team.

“It’s incredible, the heart of this team. We were scored on first, but the power and quality the guys showed tonight, they weren’t going to be denied,” seventh-year Cal Poly head coach Paul Holocher said. “We’ve come here so many times and been second best. They guys refused to have that feeling tonight.”

The win puts Cal Poly into a tie for 1st place in the Northern Division. UCSB remains on 10 points, three back of Cal Poly and Sacramento State and two points back of UC Davis.

Homecoming weekend continues this evening when the football team hosts Portland State and 6:05. We’ll be posting pictures and updates from the homecoming festivities during and after the game.

Photos by David Livingston

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Cal Poly junior forward Mackenzie Pridham scored the golden goal on Sunday in overtime. The goal was his second of the game and team-leading 7th of the season. Photo by David Livingston

Cal Poly junior forward Mackenizie Pridham scored his team-leading sixth and seventh goals of the season in a shootout Sunday afternoon as Cal Poly beat UC Irvine in an overtime thriller. After giving up a 1-0 and 2-1 lead to the Anteaters, Pridham poked in a cross from Chase Minter past UC Irvine keeper Michael Breslin for the golden goal.

The conference victory came on the heels of a disappointing 1-0 loss to Cal State Northridge on Friday night. After being shut-out for the first time in conference play this year, the Mustangs pushed the tempo much more on both sides of the field. Cal Poly piled-up 15 shots — six of them on-goal. Pridham led the team with six shots and lead the Mustangs with seven goals on the season.

Cal Poly keeper Wade Hamilton made six saves as UC Irvine matched the Mustangs’ 15 shots throughout the match. Cal Poly’s win evens their conference record at 2-2 and improves their season record to 7-5-0.

After being shut-out 9 times last season and scoring only 15 goals in 18 games, the Mustangs have turned their offense around with a new system based on the style of FC Barcelona. This season, Cal Poly already has 18 goals in only 12 games.

Next week, Cal Poly visits Sacramento State on Friday before returning home next Tuesday to face UC-Davis.

Photos by David Livingston

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Cal Poly’s Chris Gaschen puts pressure on the Army keeper on Sunday afternoon. Photo by David Livingston

In a physical match that featured five yellow cards, an ejection, and a stopped penalty, Cal Poly used an 80th minute Mackenzie Pridham goal to defeat Army 1-0 on Sunday afternoon.

In a game reminiscent of Cal Poly’s win over Valparaiso a week ago, Pridham struck in the 80th minute, heading in a cross from Mike Hocker.

In the 88th minute, Cal Poly’s Benny Estes picked up his second yellow card — this one on a hand-ball in the penalty box — and was ejected.

Army midfielder Michael Kim took the penalty, but was denied by Freshman goalkeeper Wade Hamilton’s diving save. The save was one of three on the day for Hamilton, who preserved the shutout in Cal Poly’s fourth straight victory.

The Mustangs record is now 4-2. Next weekend is a big one for Cal Poly men’s soccer and football. The men’s soccer team plays host to Harvard on Friday night to kick off the Nike Challenge. After the football team hosts Davis on Saturday, UCLA comes to town for another men’s soccer match on Sunday.

Photos by David Livingston

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