Long Beach State starts its quest to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Big West regular season women's soccer title when the 49ers host Pacific on Thursday. Preseason league favorite UC Santa Barbara battles UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge on the road.
NOTEWORTHY
Keep An Eye On
Rochelle VanBuskirk, UC Davis
VanBuskirk posted her fourth multi-goal game of the season to lead UC Davis to a 2-1 victory over Nevada on Sunday. Her two goals versus the WolfPack increased her season totals to nine goals and 22 points. She ranks No. 2 nationally in points per game (2.75) and No. 3 in goals per game (1.13). VanBuskirk has accounted for nearly half of the team’s 22 goals, and the main reason the Aggies lead the Big West in goals per game (2.75).
MORE NOTABLES
Four Of Top Five Wins Leaders Current Coaches
Longevity and success have permitted current Big West women’s soccer coaches to occupy four of the top five spots on the all-time victories list. Cal Poly head coach Alex Crozier leads the group with 154 victories. Pacific’s Keith Coleman is second overall with 132 wins and UC Santa Barbara’s Paul Stumpf is third on the list with 102. Veronica O’Brien, with 81 victories at UC Riverside, sits in fifth. The Big West began sponsoring women’s soccer in 1996. The four coaches have a combined 44 years of head coaching experience in the Big West.
COACHING VICTORY LEADERS
(as member of the Big West)
154 Alex Crozier, Cal Poly
132 Keith Coleman, Pacific
102 Paul Stumpf, UC Santa Barbara
92 Marine Cano, UC Irvine
81 Veronica O’Brien, UC Riverside
bold denotes active Big West head coach
Long Beach State Goes For Fourth Straight Title
As the calendar flips into October, so does the schedule from non-conference to Big West play. Long Beach State aims to expand its record streak of regular season Big West championships to four. The 49ers, which shared titles in 2006 and 2007, and wore the crown outright in 2008, are the only program in Big West history to mount such a streak. However, LBSU was picked to finish second to UC Santa Barbara in the preseason coaches poll.
We Meet Again
Long Beach State’s quest for a fourth straight Big West regular season title begins on Thursday, Oct. 1 in the only conference match that day. The opponent is a familiar one as far as 49er conference openers go. LBSU hosts Pacific in a Big West opener for the fourth time in five years. The 49ers won three consecutive openers versus the Tigers from 2005-08. LBSU defeated UC Davis in the 2008 league opener. The 49ers have not lost their first game in conference play since 2004.
Cal Poly Upsets Top 10 Opponent On The Road
Last week’s top highlight undoubtedly was Cal Poly’s 1-0 victory at No. 7 California. It was the third win over a ranked opponent by a Big West team this year. The Mustangs put away the Bears in the third minute of overtime to close out a six-game roadtrip in fabulous fashion. Cal Poly went 4-2-0 on the roadtrip, including wins in each of the last three matches. After giving up at least one goal in the first six games, the Mustangs have shut out their last four opponents.
Big West’s Non-Conference Record
A glance at the Big West’s record in non-conference games reveals a mark of 42-37-10 (.528).
And Another For Good Measure
Following the epic victory over a top 10 California opponent, Cal Poly faced another Pac-10 foe less than 48 hours later in Alex G. Spanos Stadium. There was no letdown as the Mustangs blitzed Arizona, 3-0, and improved their record to 6-4-0.
Pacific Just Misses Upset
In a week with Cal Poly winning twice against the Pac-10, combined with Cal State Fullerton’s 1-1 tie against Washington, the Big West hoped for more success in a week filled with a steady diet of Pac-10 opponents. Pacific nearly delivered another win to put on the menu. The Tigers held a 2-0 lead on USC with 35 minutes to play in the game, but watched the Women of Troy score three unanswered goals to escape with a 3-2 victory.
Whiteout
UC Riverside has allowed a miniscule five goals through 11 games this year. The Highlanders rank eighth in the nation in goals against average (0.43). They have recorded seven shutouts and are 5-0-2 in those games. In addition, sophomore goalkeeper Jessica White has patrolled the net the entire game for UCR in six of those shutouts. Her six clean sheets ranks her fourth on the UCR single-season chart. White is only two away from tying the school record of eight shutouts set by Tawny Poggio in 2003 and 2005.
Hoover Earns National Recognition
Coral Hoover, who has won Big West Player of the Week the last two weeks, received additional recognition from the online publications TopDrawerSoccer.com and Soccer America. Hoover was named to the 11-player TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s College Soccer Team of the Week and also earned the publication’s Player of the Week honor. She also was named to the Soccer America Team of the Week. Hoover made nine saves in a 1-0 overtime win at California and three more in a 3-0 triumph versus Arizona.
Gaucho Offense Gone South
In 2008, the UC Santa Barbara offense produced 40 goals, a tremendous improvement over the 2007 squad that scored just 19 goals. A host of injuries that has beset the 2009 squad has contributed, in part, to the Gauchos scoring just nine goals through 10 games this season. Genelle Ives, the 2008 Big West Offensive Player of the Year, is scoreless in 2009. Only five players have found the back of the net, led by three goals from Jacqui Simon.
Big West Live Comes 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. The next Big West Live women's soccer event takes place this Thursday at George Allen Field when Long Beach State hosts Pacific in a battle of conference contenders.
Follow Your Team On BigWest.TV
The Big West Conference and the CBS College Sports Network are partnering to bring you exclusive coverage of Big West sports, press conferences, interviews, and features to your home via the Internet! Now in its fifth year, BigWest.TV covers every home and conference contest in men’s basketball as well as women’s basketball and volleyball. Also covered are select contests in men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and Big West Conference Championships. A monthly subscription of $9.95 or an annual subscription of $79.95 delivers exclusive coverage to you. If you can’t make it to the gym or the field, you can still catch all the action on BigWest.TV!