Cal State San Bernardino has clinched a berth in the four-team California Collegiate Athletic Association championship tournament Nov. 5-8 in Turlock and has its sights set on making the NCAA West Regional tournament the following week as well.
This week, the Coyotes were moved up to No. 3 in the official NCAA West Region poll, voted on by the NCAA championships committee and they are also No. 3 in the National Soccer Coaches Association region poll. The top four teams in the final poll advance to the NCAA tournament.
In addition, CSUSB was elevated to the No. 21 position in the NSCAA national Division II top 25 poll, a rare feat for the Coyotes program which was ranked as high as seventh and finished 12th in the national Division III poll in 1987.
The Coyotes close out the regular season Friday and Sunday with back-to-back matches against rival Cal Poly Pomona. Friday's match is set for Coyote Premier Field at 3 p.m. Sunday's match is at 3 p.m. also at CPP's Kellogg Field.
CSUSB comes into Friday's match with a seven-match unbeaten streak (6-0-1) and a 14-3-1 overall record, equaling the third best record in the history of the program (14-6 in 1990, the team's last season in Div. III). The all-time win mark is 16-3-3 set in 1987 by the team that reached the Div. III Final Four and was the West Region champion.
Last Sunday's 1-0 win over Cal State East Bay enabled the Coyotes to win 10 matches in CCAA conference play for the first time since the university entered the conference in 1991-92.
The Coyotes only losses this season have been to Cal State L.A., ranked No. 1 in the West and No. 7 in the nation (twice) and Sonoma State, No. 2 in the West and No. 14 in the nation. Both L.A. and Sonoma State have clinched berths in the CCAA tournament with one spot open.
The field for the NCAA West Regional will be announced on Nov. 8.
SENIOR DAY -- Friday is Senior Day, honoring six members of the team who will be competing in the final home match of their collegiate careers:
Ryan Larson,
Brock Steele, Danny Rodriguez,
Jeremiah Marquez,
Mark Peters and
Daniel McElroy.
COYOTES VS. CAL POLY – Coyotes lead the all-time series 18-15 with eight ties. CSUSB is 3-2-1 against the Broncos in their last six meetings.
CCAA STATS – Coyotes lead the CCAA in points (116), an average of 6.61 per match, goals scored (42, an average of 2.33 per match) and are No. 2 in assists with 35 (1.94 per match) ….junior
Albert Cabrera leads the CCAA in points (27), ranks second in goals scored with 10 and is fourth in assists (7)….junior
Obi Agwu ranks No. 4 in goals with nine…..senior
Jeremiah Marquez is No. 6 in assists with 6…..senior Danny Rodriguez is sixth in goals (8) and tied for first in match-winning goals with 5….
CCAA PLAYER OF WEEK -- Senior Danny Rodriguez was selected as Wilson/CCAA player of the week for scoring the match-winning goals in a 2-1 win over UCSD and a 1-0 win overtime win over Cal State East Bay this past weekend.
BRONCO BITS – Cal Poly is 7-3-1 in its last 11 matches under first-year coach Lance Thompson (9-7-1 overall, 7-6-1 CCAA) and outscored opponents 20-4 during the second half of the season…..Tyler Rinehart is the team's leading scorer with 10 goals and five assists (25 points), while Miguel Abascal has four goals and six assists for 14 points….
NCAA WEST REGION POLL (Oct. 27) – 1. Cal State L.A. (15-2-1); 2. Sonoma State (13-3-2); 3. COYOTES (14-3-1); 4. Cal State Dominguez Hills (11-5-1); 5. Seattle Pacific (10-4-3); 6. Grand Canyon (11-2-2).
NSCAA WEST POLL (Oct. 27) – 1. Cal State LA; 2. Sonoma State; 3. COYOTES; 4. Cal State Dominguez Hills, 5. Seattle Pacific; 6. Grand Canyon; 7. Cal State Stanislaus; 8. Montana State Billings; 9. Saint Martin's; 10. Hawaii Pacific.
NSCAA NATIONAL TOP 25 – 7. Cal State L.A.; 14. Sonoma State; 21. COYOTES.
