Cal State Northridge sophomore Carlos Benavides notched an assist hat trick and Cal Poly freshman goalkeeper Chase Hauser led his team to a win over a top 10 opponent, giving the two Big West Men's Soccer Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week accolades.

Benavides Notches Three Assists In Win Over No. 19 Cal State Fullerton

Carlos Benavides (Woodland Hills, Calif./El Camino Real HS) assisted on all three Cal State Northridge in a win over ranked Cal State Fullerton, helping the sophomore collect Big West Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week plaudits.

Benavides set up all three goals on a through ball.  He also took three shots against the Titans as he played a much more attacking role in the 3-0 victory.   The Matadors netted goals in the 35th, 40th and 81st minutes.  In a 3-0 shutout of UC Davis on Wednesday, Benavides concentrated more on the defensive side of the ball.

The two victories put CSUN in sole possession of first place in the Big West standings after one week of play.

Others nominated: Patrick Sigler (Cal Poly); Matt Wiesenfarth (UC Davis); Miguel Ibarra (UC Irvine); Alex Racca (UC Riverside)

Hauser Pins Shutout on No. 7 UC Irvine

Cal Poly freshman netminder Chase Hauser (Chino Hills, Calif./Damien HS) captured Big West Men’s Soccer Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording a shutout against UC Irvine for a win against the highest-ranked opponent in school history.

Hauser faced a barrage of shots from the Anteaters, 18 in all, and made a career-high eight saves to help Cal Poly preserve the 1-0 victory against the No. 7 team in the nation.  Hauser made four of those eight saves after the Mustangs had taken the lead during the 53rd minute.  It was Hauser’s first career shutout.

Others nominated: Michael Abalos (Cal State Northridge);  Omar Zeenni (UC Davis); Andrew Fontein (UC Irvine); Cody Suppé (UC Riverside)