Cal State San Bernardino's women's soccer team will be trying to reach the post-season for the first time since 2003 this weekend when they host UC San Diego Friday and Cal State Dominguez Hills on Sunday at Coyote Premier Field. 
    The UCSD match is set for 3:30 p.m. while the Toros match will start at 11:30 a.m. 
    The Coyotes sit in the No. 7 position in the NCAA West Region with the top six teams advancing to the NCAA tournament when seedings are announced on Nov. 10. 
    CSUSB is currently in the fifth spot in the CCAA standings and could advance to the CCAA championship tournament with a pair of wins this weekend. 
    In other words, the Coyotes are in control of their destiny, facing two South Division rivals that are regionally-ranked in the top six and one of them (CSUDH) has not yet locked up a CCAA tournament berth. 
    “Realistically, if we win both matches we have a good chance to get in the NCAA tournament, but we'll need some help,” said Head Coach Diego Bocanegra. The Toros are ranked No. 5 and Sonoma State No. 6, one spot ahead of CSUSB. 
    “This week is the most focused I've seen our team all season. We had our best practice Tuesday that we've had in a month,” said Bocanegra. 
    The keys for CSUSB in both matches: 
    1. Stay organized and disciplined for 90 minutes. 
    2. No mental mistakes. 
    3. Finish scoring chances. 
    The latter has been a bugaboo for the Coyotes in several matches this season. The
team dominates play in the second half but is unable to score. 
    “Our defenders and forwards will also be key for us,” said Bocanegra. 
    CSUSB's last post-season appearance was also its first – competing in the NCAA Far West Regional semifinals in 2003 at UCSD, losing 1-0 to the Tritons. 
    The Coyotes defeated UC San Diego 1-0 in double overtime on Sept. 28 in La Jolla and lost to Dominguez Hills 1-0 on a goal in the final two seconds of regulation on Sept. 26. 
    The Tritons enter Friday's match 13-2-2 on the season and 9-2-1 in the CCAA having already clinched a berth in both the conference tournament and the West Regional. UCSD is ranked No. 16 in the nation and No. 2 in the West Region behind Western Washington. 
    The Toros (11-7 overall, 8-4 CCAA) are fighting with the Coyotes and Sonoma State (13-4-1 overall, 8-3-1 CCAA) for the two remaining spots in the CCAA tournament to be held at UCSD on Nov. 7-9. Sonoma State finishes up this weekend with matches at home against Cal State Stanislaus and Chico State. 
    “I'm really hoping the weather stays hot,” said Bocanegra. “The hotter it is the better we like our chances. But we can't rely on help. We just have to go out and win and let the rest take care of itself.” 
    CSUSB has nothing to lose. It was pegged in pre-season coaches poll to finish last in the South Division. 
    CSUSB VS. UCSD – The Tritons have dominated the series 24-5 with three ties. This year's victory over the Tritons was the team's first since Sept. 9, 2000, ending UCSD's 15 match win streak over CSUSB. 
    CSUSB VS. DOMINGUEZ HILLS – The Toros lead the series 27-7 with one tie (in 2007). Last CSUSB win over the Toros was in 2004. CSUSB is 0-6-1 since then against the Toros. 
    YOTES NOTES – Sunday will be Senior Day at Coyote Premier Field, honoring six seniors who will be participating in the final home match of their collegiate careers – Lindsey Jordan, Sophie Bruins, Krista Feer, Cathleen Rodriguez, Leslie Rhodes and Shawna Rei-Kam…….Three Coyotes have scored four goals each this season to lead the team – Feer, Jordan and freshman Casey Hirsch. Feer leads in points with 12 thanks to four assists….Katie Liby leads the team in assists with five….CSUSB has outscored opponents 25-15 this season in 18 matches and the goalkeepers – Rhodes, Kam and junior Laura Lyons have a combined 0.77 goals against average with 72 saves and an .828 save percentage…..Eight of the team's 18 matches have gone into overtime and CSUSB's overtime record is 2-2-4…….The Coyotes' nine wins this season thus far is the most since the 2003 season when the team won 11 times 
    TRITONS TIPS – UCSD comes into San Bernardino riding a seven-match unbeaten streek….Natasha Belak-Berger is UCSD's leading scorer with 11 goals and two assists for 24 points….She is co-leader in the CCAA in points (24), and game-winning goals (5) and leads the CCAA in goals and goals per gameAlexia Zatarain is next with four goals and three assists for 11 points….Sarah McTigue has a team-high five assists….veteran goalie Jessica McGovern has eight shutouts this season with 52 saves and a 0.52 goals against average…UCSD's only other loss this season was 2-1 at San Francisco State, the Northern Division champion……UCSD is in the CCAA tournament for the seventh straight season….UCSD leads the CCAA in fewest goals allowed (9), goals against average (0.51)….. 
    TOROS TOPICS – Dominguez lost back-to-back CCAA matches to UCSD and Cal State L.A. by 2-1 margins on Oct. 15-17 before whipping Cal State San Marcos 5-1 in a non-conference match on Oct. 22…..freshman Jessica Murphy has been a force for the Toros, leading the team with nine goals and six assists for 24 points. Melanie DeSalvo has seven goals and four assists for 18 points and Yvonne Vasquez has 17 points on five goals and a team-high seven assists……keeper Alyssa Congdon has made 83 saves but has been scored on 26 times for a 1.47 goals against average. She has four shutouts including the 1-0 win over CSUSB on Sept. 26…..the Toros lead the CCAA in shots (16.1/match) and yellow cards (1.06/match)…..Murphy leads the CCAA in shot attempts, points, shots per game, points per game and is No. 2 in goals scored. 
    WEST REGION POLL (as of Oct. 29/ games against NCAA D2 teams) – 1. Western Washington (12-2-1); 2. UC San Diego (12-2-1); 3. Seattle Pacific (13-1-2); 4. San Francisco State (13-1-2); 5. CSU Dominguez Hills (10-6); 6. Sonoma State (12-4-1); 7. CSUSB (9-5-3); 8. Dixie State (9-5-1); 9. Hawaii-Hilo (10-4); 10. BYU-Hawaii (8-4). 
    CCAA STANDINGS – (South Division ) 1. UC San Diego (9-2-1); 2. Dominguez Hills (8-4); 3. (tie) CSUSB (6-4-2) and Cal State L.A. (6-6-2); 5. Cal Poly Pomona (3-8-1). (North Division) 1. San Francisco State (10-3-1); 2. Sonoma State (8-3-1); 3. Cal State Stanislaus (4-5-3); 4. Humboldt State (4-7-1); 5. Chico State (3-7-2); 6. Cal State Monterey Bay (1-13). 
    NCAA NATIONAL POLL – 6. Seattle Pacific; 16. UC San Diego; 18. Western Washington.