Wade Hamilton’s two penalty saves were highlights at the end of Sunday’s scrimmage. By Owen Main

Cal Poly men’s soccer held a scrimmage on Sunday afternoon following an alumni game. In the scrimmage, senior goalkeeper Wade Hamilton assisted on the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation and saved two shots in the penalty shootout to help his team to victory.

Overall, the squad will be much deeper this season than last year. Additions of players like Oscar Jansson and the return of junior Kody Wakasa will mean that Matt LaGrassa probably won’t have to go play center back again anytime soon (though he proved last season that he can be pretty effective wherever he’s needed on the pitch).

In Steve Sampson’s first season, the roster is dotted with talented seniors, and expectations remain high.

Photos by Owen Main

During a day off from training on Monday, Cal Poly men’s soccer junior-to-be Justin Dhillon spoke with me over the phone. Dhillon’s first two years at Cal Poly have certainly been interesting. The highest-ranked soccer recruit (and maybe recruit in any sport?) Cal Poly has ever landed, Dhillon came in with a freshman class that joined a team with big expectations.

Justin Dhillon scored the game-winning goal for PSA Elite a few weeks ago to get them into Wednesday’s US Open Cup match against the LA Galaxy. By Owen Main

At the end of his sophomore school year, though, Dhillon and his teammates have had three coaches at Cal Poly. I talked to Dhillon about what stability Steve Sampson brings to the program, what summer club soccer is like for a player of his caliber, and how his club team, PSA Elite (which also includes Cal Poly goalkeeper Wade Hamilton), got themselves into a fourth round US Open Cup match against the LA Galaxy on Wednesday night.

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Fansmanship: How was the the end of the school year?

Justin Dhillon: Good, finals were a little stressful but got through all of them and really excited to be home for summer.

F: Can you give me an idea about your spring quarter schedule and how that rolls into what you’re doing into the summer and beyond?

JD: In spring, we started the quarter with some baseline testing and fitness lifting. We went through our training cycle and did a lot of extra fitness work and lifting and stayed on a complete regimen. At the end of the quarter we retested and saw our improvements on things like vertical, power lifts, and fitness mile time.

F: So the goal is for you to stay fit year-round then?

JD: Definitely. Winter quarter we went a little lower on the fitness and more lifting and then spring quarter we slowly worked our way up with the fitness and now in the summer it’s kind of our own job to maintain and to grow with the fitness. One of our team goals is to be one of the most fit teams in the country.

F: That was something your team dealt with a lot last year with depth and guys getting hurt. How much are you looking forward to having a healthy team next school year?

JD: It was a little tough last year with all of our injuries. There was myself and a couple other guys who played in every single game and because we had very little subs we really didn’t get much time to rest but I’m hoping that for our whole team to come together from a starting fitness point. With more depth on our roster this year, we hope to maintain a strong performance throughout the year.

F: Club soccer is something that a lot of guys go play in the offseason. Tell me how that works in terms of planning. How does that all go down as the school year progresses.

JD: It’s a little bit different for everyone individually, but basically wherever you’re planning on staying for the summer usually you can contact the coach and say, “I go to Cal Poly and I’m looking to continue training.” Sometimes the coaches set them up. I know some of the guys on our team are going to Costa Rica over the summer to train. With regards to myself, PSA has been around Orange County for a while and I do know the head coach, so he contacted a group of college players who are from Orange County. In addition I’ll be attending the Galaxy because that’s where I grew up playing.

F: Tell me about what that’s like when you’re a member of a team’s (LA Galaxy’s) academy and what kind of influence that has on you as a player?

JD: For the academy, they’ve done a really good job of staying in touch with a lot of the college guys. I feel like moving past the academy, even though you might graduate from the program you’re still not done necessarily there because every year in the summer they’ll invite some people back to continue training. Last year we trained with LA Galaxy II and we got to do their whole summer training program. It was all the same equipment they use, we were in their locker room with a complete professional environment. I haven’t been there yet this summer, but I’m assuming it will be something similar to that. It’s really good training to be practicing with the first team guys and all the Galaxy II players in a professional environment to help all of us college guys prepare for the next season.

F: You mentioned LA Galaxy II. A former teammate of yours, Ari Lassiter, is currently playing with them and playing well, scoring a lot of goals and getting a lot of time. How much do you stay in touch with former teammates like him and Mackenzie Pridham? Is that a road map for you to play professionally in the future?

JD: Ari was actually my roommate last year and we’re still very very good friends. I’ve been texting him letting him know I’m going to be coming up there and playing with them. He’s been doing well. He actually played against Mac yesterday and he scored a penalty, so that’s pretty cool to see both the Cal Poly guys out there again. As far as a road map for us, it’s definitely what we want to achieve. It’s a big advantage to have the opportunity to be put in front of first team and Galaxy II coaching staff over the summer and training with them, so it’s pretty advantageous. Ultimately, that is a road map that I hopefully can achieve — being able to go play with the team I grew up with. It’s always been a dream of mine. Hopefully one day it can work out.

F: With Steve Sampson as your college coach now, do you feel like you’re getting more exposure or a level of preparation from a guy who has coached in a World Cup? How does having a coach like him prepare you guys (Cal Poly players) to play professionally if that’s something you want to pursue?

JD: I respect all my coaches I’ve had. We’ve seen dramatic changes ultimately for the better. He’s definitely harder on us, but he’s also so much more professional. He’s giving us all the tools we need to be successful with any other coach. He’s made it clear to us that he’s well respected at the next level and if we can continue to improve and show that that’s something we want to do and fight for it then we 100% have his support in the future. I think it’s a huge motivation even for recruits to come to our school because nobody else in the country has a coach like Steve Sampson with his resume and his connections.

F: Tell me about going to play at StubHub Center (with PSA Elite). Have you ever played there before? How does it feel to go back to play against the team you trained with when you were younger.

JD: I have played in that stadium for a scrimmage. Just playing in that stadium even back then without the fans was something really spectacular. Having the opportunity to play against the first team in the Open Cup, that’s pretty unbelievable for an amateur team in college to have an opportunity to essentially be playing in a professional game. I’m a little bit torn, being a supporter of the Galaxy and playing for them growing up and now ultimately having to play against them and wanting my team to move on to the next round. It’s a little change of heart, but ultimately I do want PSA to win and my team to be a part of the next round.

F: Do you think you have another upset in you? It would be the biggest upset in US Open Cup history…

JD: It would be a HUGE upset and obviously the Galaxy is one of the best teams in the MLS. For a team like us to be able to challenge them and play against them is an upset in itself. From the guys I know on PSA, some of them were on the Galaxy with me and some were on the (junior) national team with me, so it’s going to be an interesting game. We obviously have something to prove. Obviously (the Galaxy) are not going to take us lightly, they’re professionals, but it’s going to be a real fun test.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 at StubHub Center on Wednesday night. General admission tickets are just $10. 

A little like college baseball players who go away to play in summer leagues, college soccer players who are good enough often play for clubs during the offseason.

On Wednesday evening in Ventura, Justin Dhillon entered the game in the 79th minute of a tie US Open Cup third round match. Less than 30 seconds later, he had a game winning goal that will send his team, PSA Elite, into the fourth round to play the LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center.

Justin Dhillon will be an upperclassman on a talented Cal Poly soccer team next season. By Owen Main

Dhillon’s strike came off a long free kick that his teammate was able to settle and feed to him. After one quick touch, the winger from Tesoro high school popped a left footed shot into the back of the net. Dhillon, who will be a junior at Cal Poly next season, slotted the game-winner past incoming UCSB goalkeeper Justin Vom Steeg of the Ventura County Fusion for the game winner.

In the second round, Cal Poly midfielder Matt LaGrassa’s strike placed the Fusion on the winning side against the USL’s LA Galaxy II, a professional side that included former Mustang Ari Lassiter. On Wednesday, it was his teammate Dhillon who ended Ventura County’s US Open Cup run.

Also on the PSA Elite side that will play against the LA Galaxy is Cal Poly keeper Wade Hamilton. Hamilton made a few diving saves during the game to help keep PSA Elite in the match.

Steve Palacios held-down the midfield for Cal Poly, playing a steady role as the team’s only senior this season. By Owen Main

Cal Poly men’s soccer was a goal away from winning their regular season finale and earning a birth into the Big West Conference Tournament. Instead, the season ended in heartbreak on Wednesday as UC Davis netted the golden goal, ending the Mustangs’ season.

The 2014 men’s soccer season began with tumult and ended with questions of what could have been.

What if?

For the Mustangs, this season is chalk-full of “what-ifs.”

What if head coach Paul Holocher hadn’t resigned just a few days before the start of training camp?

What if Koda Wakasa or Ruben Duran had been healthy?

What if center backs Brett Foreman and Nick Carroll had been available for so many important Big West North matchups?

What if they’d been able to maintain the two-goal lead they opened-up at rival UCSB?

Soccer is not always a fair game, though. What-ifs are replaced with what actually happened, and the Mustangs fell a little short. They are a young and talented group (Steve Palacios was the only senior on the team), but they just couldn’t overcome key injuries and inconsistency.

What’s next for the program?

This is a program in transition, but it’s also a program with seven players who would have been returning seniors next season (two were injured this year and will technically be juniors next season). If they have a new coach next season, it will be their third coach in as many years.

Like many Cal Poly fans, I’m interested to see what kind of recruiting happened this season, given that the Mustangs played this entire season with an “interim” coach. I don’t know how effective an interim coach can be with recruiting — and it may not matter too much for next year, given that the team only loses one senior, but the long-term ramifications of a coach leaving the way Paul Holocher did can be potentially devastating.

This year’s team came out of the blocks strong. They scored a ton of goals early-on and got fans’ hopes up for a successful conference season, as they have in year’s past. With Phil Ruskin at the helm, there was hope for some continuity and a strong conference run. But the team finished the year with a whimper — losing their final three matches and netting only four points in six Big West North matches.

Phil Ruskin showed promise this season as the team’s interim head coach. He deserves at least another season at the helm. By Owen Main

Will Ruskin be back?

When he was named interim coach just a few days before practice started this season, Phil Ruskin took on an enormous challenge. Early-on, it looked as though the team really responded to him. The Mustangs came out scoring goals and playing an offensive, possession-oriented style of soccer that has been their hallmark. They beat North Carolina State on the road, tied top-ranked UCLA, and started conference play by tying top-5 ranked UC Irvine.

Cal Poly even started Big West Conference play strong. The tie with Irvine was followed by victories at home against Cal State Fullerton and on the road against eventual South Division champion UC Riverside.

The win in Riverside was costly. Brett Foreman, Cal Poly’s most experienced central defender went down against the Highlanders and didn’t return all season. Freshman Nick Carroll was also not available for the next game — a loss at Cal State Fullerton — and the Mustangs struggled to put things together after that. With tons of depth in attacking positions, Cal Poly was paper-thin in central defense. Carroll missed six consecutive matches before returning for the final game.

In place of Carroll and Foreman, midfileders like Matt LaGrassa and Sean Dhillon filled in admirably. Defender Mamadou Kebe was probably a year away from being truly ready for the big-time. Trenton Matson, who I believe ended up playing some, might have been better-served to maintain his redshirt season. Jack O’Connor played all right at left back as well, but the point is that a lot of players who might not have been on the pitch as much saw a lot of time and several players spent significant time in unfamiliar positions over the past six matches.

During those six games (Big West North divisional play), Cal Poly managed just four points, perpetuating a trend of a Cal Poly men’s soccer season that starts with a ton of excitement and ends with disappointment.

What’s next for Ruskin and the program? Cal Poly will likely initiate a nationwide coaching search, though I don’t know that they’ll do a lot better than Ruskin. For what it’s worth, he has always been positive and never seemed to lack confidence. Despite injuries, his teams didn’t look tactically out-matched and his players this season showed a higher level of maturity on the field this year than in seasons past.

The Big West North is a tough, tough division, and this Cal Poly team just couldn’t overcome all their challenges. With only one senior on this season’s roster, it would be very interesting to watch a Cal Poly team at full-strength with Ruskin at the helm next season. For what it’s worth, Cal Poly (according to their roster) had seven key juniors on this team who are set to return next year, including LaGrassa, Chase Minter, Wade Hamilton, Kody Wakasa, Kip Colvey, and Ruben Duran. As a fan, I would probably prefer to give Ruskin at least one more season without the interim tag to both show what he could do with recruiting and to maintain some level of consistency for next year’s senior class, who has been through a ton.

Maybe people want the program to head in a different direction, but I think, for the sake of continuity and snapping up a young, dynamic coach, Cal Poly men’s soccer would be best served to keep Ruskin around next year.

Mustang captain, Matt LaGrassa’s headed goal and subsequent celebration drove the crowd of nearly 7,000 fans at Alex G. Spanos Stadium into a frenzy. By Owen Main

Yes, Cal Poly men’s soccer is a somewhat improbable 5-1-1 this season.  Yes, they’ve scored more than one goal in five of their seven matches. Yes, they are unbeaten in six straight after beating San Francisco 2-1 on Friday night at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

The key stat of the night — 6,856. That’s how many fans — mostly WOWies — showed up to take-in the game. The WOWies came ready — faces painted, and impressed with chants and songs that they clearly had studied-up on.

On the pitch, San Francisco played as well as the Mustangs for much of the match. Cal Poly got on the board in the 12th minute when freshman, Joseph Bolous tapped a rebound into the corner, sending the WOWies — many of whom were still finding their seats — into a frenzy.

USF outplayed Cal Poly for most of the second half, but the Mustangs scored again. Captain Matt LaGrassa sailed high in the air to head Cal Poly’s second goal home in the 70th minute to put the Mustangs up by two.

The way the second half went, it would have been a miracle if San Francisco didn’t find the net at some point. The Dons finally emerged when Joshua Smith put one home in the 87th minute, but it was too little, too late for the Mustangs’ West Coast Conference opponents.

If Cal Poly freshmen wanted to know whether the soccer environment was all it was cracked-up to be, they found out on Friday. Interim Cal Poly coach Phil Ruskin has talked about wanting to get big crowds for games that aren’t UCSB games. He got one on Friday.

One British USF fan summed up the atmosphere quite nicely.

“Brilliant,” he said. “This is better than some of the professional games back home.”

The Mustangs next face former Big West rival Pacific on Sunday at 1pm at Alex G. Spanos Stadium.

Photos by Owen Main

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Phil Ruskin, who took over for Paul Holocher 12 days before the season began, looks for his first home victory as a head coach this weekend. By Owen Main

Less than a month ago, Phil Ruskin was a second-year assistant coach under Paul Holocher, preparing for the fast-approaching NCAA soccer season. Now, two games into the season, Ruskin is the program’s interim head coach, trying to put his own stamp on a program that has shown flashes of brilliance over the past few seasons.

“I don’ think you’re ever really prepared,” said Ruskin, who was thrust into the head coaching position just 12 days before the first game of the season. “Certainly, when a situation like this occurs, there’s absolutely no preparation, but even still it’s a great opportunity for our staff to learn, it’s a great opportunity to put our mark on the program, and it’s a chance to do something that’s never been done.”

A big win at UCLA early last season gave the Mustangs some early confidence. After a hot conference start, Cal Poly looked poised to be real Big West contenders. Instead, they limped to the finish line, managing only three wins out of 10 Big West regular season matches. In 2013, Cal Poly lost their final three matches of the season by a combined score of 8-2, and bowed-out of the playoffs with a decisive 4-1 loss to Cal State Northridge in the Big West Tournament.

Ruskin is looking at the season as an opportunity to show what he’s made of as the leader of the program.

“I think that’s the only way to look at it,” said Ruskin. “You have to be excited every morning to get up and to bring the energy to the training session, to have the preparation and the planning… . We want to look at our week each week and look at what days we want to do certain things. We want to manage the week for the players.”

At least one player has left the program since Holocher’s departure, and Ruskin has worked hard to keep everyone together as a unit.

“The biggest challenge right now is just making sure the guys are bought-in, and I think that their response this weekend showed us that they are,” said Ruskin. “I think the hardest thing is to come into a season with the idea in mind that you’re preparing one way and then a week before to understand that now, everything’s different. We’ve tried to keep things as consistent as we possibly can, I think the one thing we can ask from them is that they continue to do the same thing as well.”

Junior, Chase Minter, leads the Mustangs so far this season with three goals in the first two games. By Owen Main

Junior, Chase Minter has three goals in the first two games and believes that the controversy the team has gone through has helped develop some amount of chemistry between the players that might not have been there before.

“Our coaching staff and players started worrying more about what was in our control. Doing so made us more complete and a more solidified group,” said Minter. “In the time I’ve been here we’re probably the closest that we’ve ever been. I think we’re kind of born through fire, we’re getting closer through [adversity]. It’s really making us more solidified as a group and we’re working for each other more. I think it’s unfortunate what happened, but we’re definitely moving forward. We’re getting closer as the season goes-on.”

A dangerous and diminutive winger, Minter has been given the green light by Ruskin to play more freely and take advantage of attacking opportunities when they arise.

While the offensive numbers are gaudy, overall results haven’t quite been what anyone in the program wants. Last season, the program scored a program-record 43 goals in 21 games, but also gave up 34 en route to a 10-9-2 overall record.

“We’ve been working throughout the off-season on getting behind the ball, balancing, and so far it’s been looking better this year,” said junior goalie, Wade Hamilton. “We’re definitely still working, but we’re getting the hang of it.”

Last week, Cal Poly showed they can still be potent offensively, scoring six goals in two games in North Carolina. The Mustangs showed they still also have some work to do. They gave up five goals including a 4-3 loss to Davidson in their first game of the year. In that match, they lost an early 2-0 lead.

The 3-1 victory two days later over ACC foe North Carolina State was Ruskin’s first win as head coach and gave the Mustangs some confidence going into their home home opener against Northern Illinois.

“We figured out what we were doing wrong in the first game [vs. Davidson],” said Hamilton. “We had a plan and we stuck to the plan and we capitalized on what we needed to do.”

Cal Poly’s non-conference home schedule includes six games this seaon against Northern Illinois, Massachusetts, Grand Canyon, San Francisco, and Pacific.

Their first two conference games are at home also. Conference contenders UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton will be in town October 2nd and 5th, respectively.

The schedule doesn’t get easier, but Ruskin gives off an aura of confidence and assuredness. While carrying on the possession-oriented, offensive style Holocher has developed, he also seems a little more open to adjust styles of play based on the game.

“We want to continue to play attractive soccer,” said Ruskin. “But I think we’ve asked the players to really read the game in a way where they understand that there are certain moments when we do have to play a bit more direct, at times, because that’s what the game calls for.”

Cal Poly Men’s Soccer at a glance:

Current Record: 1-1

Goals for: 6

Goals against: 5

Leading Scorer: Chase Minter (3)

Tonight’s game: 7:00 PM, Alex G. Spanos Stadium vs. Northern Illinois

Sunday’s game: 12:00 Noon, Alex G. Spanos Stadium vs. Massachusetts

Photos by Owen Main

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.

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 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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