The penultimate event of the Big West men's soccer season is upon us as the conference tournament is set to commence this week. #1 seed UC Santa Barbara and #2 seed Cal Poly host #4 Cal State Northridge and third-seeded UC Irvine in the semifinal round Wednesday, with the winners to meet at the highest remaining seed for the championship and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament Saturday.
Big West Tournament Field Set
It came down to the final day of the regular season, but the 2009 Big West men’s soccer tournament field is finally set. The #1 seed was clinched by UC Santa Barbara, #2 went to Cal Poly, the #3 slot belongs to UC Irvine and the final position was claimed by Cal State Northridge. The top three seeds all made it to the inaugural tournament a year ago, while the Matadors will be making their first appearance in the league tournament. The semifinals matchups set for Wednesday night at the higher seeds pit #4 CSUN against #1 UCSB and #3 UCI at #2 CP. Both matches are slated to kick off at 7 pm.
Vom Steeg Stands Alone in Big West Lore
Now in the 11th year at the helm of his alma mater, UC Santa Barbara head coach Tim Vom Steeg has achieved a major Big West milestone this season. Thanks to the Gauchos’ 1-0 win over Cal Poly on October 7, Vom Steeg is now the all-time winningest coach in Big West lore, passing former Fresno State manager Jose Elgorriaga’s total of 126 wins. Vom Steeg is already the career leader in league-only triumphs, posting his 60th career win against Big West foes with the Gauchos’ victory against UC Irvine on September 27. He is the lone coach in Big West history to post 60+ wins in conference play and 120+ overall wins during league membership.
#4 CSUN vs. #1 UCSB
One of the biggest rivalries in the conference and west coast is set against the backdrop of the Big West Tournament as fourth-seeded Cal State Northridge takes on top-seeded UC Santa Barbara in one league semifinal. The Matadors are one of only three teams, and the only one from the league, to beat UCSB in 2009. The teams each won on their respective home fields in the two matchups this season, so the home field advantage for the Gauchos may prove to be the deciding factor. Also, these two teams have met before in the postseason. The heated rivals squared off in a second round NCAA Tournament match in Northridge back in 2005, with CSUN posting a 3-2 win on its way to the Sweet 16.
#3 UCI vs. #2 CP
Third-seeded UC Irvine and #2 Cal Poly renew acquaintances in a Big West Tournament semifinal matchup Wednesday, the second consecutive year the Anteaters and Mustangs have met in the postseason. A year ago, the two clubs met in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with UCI posting a 3-0 win over CP on its way to a Sweet 16 appearance. The two clubs met just once this season, a 2-1 'Eater win at home over the Mustangs. This is also a classic matchup of strength vs. strength as UCI posted 33 goals, including a league-best 17 in conference play, while Cal Poly allowed just eight goals to its conference opponents.
UCSB Wins Big West Regular Season Crown
UC Santa Barbara continued to be the flagship team of the Big West as the Gauchos won the regular season title for the sixth time since the league reinstated men's soccer in 2001. In all, UCSB’s six regular season championships is the most in Big West history, surpassing former member Fresno State’s total of five regular season crowns. In addition, the Gauchos' eight conference wins tied for the third-most victories in a 10-game conference season in Big West history, while their .850 winning percentage in conference matches is also tied for the third-best in Big West lore.
CSUN...So Hot Right Now
Cal State Northridge was put in a precarious situation to make the Big West Tournament after going 1-5-1 from October 3-28, but the Matadors caught fire at the right time to clinch a berth in the tournament. CSUN won its last three regular season outings against league foes UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine, outscoring the trio by an 8-1 count. CSUN has made a habit of late season goal scoring surges as the club scored five goals in its last three games of '07 and seven in its final three outings of the '08 season.
Turnaround by CSF
Cal State Fullerton may have just missed out on the postseason, but the Titans had plenty of highlights in a solid bounceback year. After going just 19-35-5 in coach Bob Ammann’s first three seasons, including a 5-14-1 mark last year, the Titans rebounded in '09 to the tune of an 8-9-2 mark. In addition, after winning just eight conference matches since 2005, CSF posted a respectable 4-5-1 mark against Big West opposition this year. Cal State Fullerton showed signs of a big turnaround coming in ‘09 as the club downed Penn State 2-1 in overtime in its season opener. The win was the program’s first over a BCS school on the road since 2001.
Another Big Crowd for Central Coast Rivalry
Last week’s scoreless tie between UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly was witnessed by 9,824 fans at Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo, the second-largest crowd in the Big West and NCAA this season. The attendance figure is also the seventh-largest in NCAA regular season history and the third time in the last five meetings between the two rivals that the crowd has exceeded 9,000 spectators. In fact, of the 10 largest crowds in NCAA regular season history, four of them have involved the matchup between the Gauchos and Mustangs.
Hayden Close to Shutout Mark
UC Santa Barbara goalkeeper Sam Hayden continued his stellar 2009 season between the pipes with his 12th and 13th shutouts in two wins for the Gauchos last week. His 13 clean slates tie the UCSB single season record and is just one shy of tying the Big West single season mark. Also, the 13 shutouts as a team is just two off the 2004 Gaucho squad for the most in a single season in conference history.
Big West Live to Twitter
The Big West Conference is excited to bring Big West Live to Twitter, a Twitter feed designed to give fans an in-the-stands view of select Big West Events. Bringing near-instantaneous photos, commentary, and updates, Big West Live is the first feed of its kind. Moving beyond the scores and stats, Big West Live delivers the “color” of Big West events.