|
THIS WEEK IN TOROS SOCCER
Oct. 5 #3 CSUDH @ Seattle Pacific University Interbay Stadium, 7
PM
Oct. 7 #3 CSUDH @ Western Washington Viking Field, 4 PM
| THE SCOUTING REPORT |
|
THE FLIGHT OF THE FALCONS:
It has been a roller coaster ride so far for Cliff McCrath's
young Seattle Pacific squad. After beginning the season 2-0,
the Falcons went 2-3-1 over its next six games. On Saturday,
SPU made its way back to the top of the tracks with a 4-0
shutout over CCAA squad Chico State. SPU is now 5-3-1 overall
on the year and ranked #9 in the West region. Forward Grant
Falco leads the team with 11 points (4g, 3a) while David Smith
(5g) and Jeremy Yerkes (4g, 2a) each have 10 points. Between
the bars, James Ward has compiled a 1.19 goals against average
with 2 shutouts in 9 starts. Like the Toros, the Falcons
dominate in the second half. SPU has outscored the opposition
16-3 late. |
|
SCOUTING THE VIKINGS:
Western Washington enters the week with a 7-3-1 overall record
and is ranked #6 in the region. They are nearly perfect at
home with a 4-0-1 mark. Midfielder Paul Nissley leads the
Vikings with 11 points (5g, 1a). No other WWU player is in
double figures. In goal, Ben Dragavon has registered an
impressive 0.68 goals against average allowing on 7 goals in
10 starts. He has also tallied 5 shutouts on the season. As a
team, WWU has been outscored 6-5 in the first half, but have
come back to outscore their opponents 9-4 in the late period. |
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Toros will take a break from CCAA action this week as they
travel to the Great Northwest to take on Seattle Pacific and
Western Washington. The squad will return to Carson to host red
hot Sonoma State on Oct. 11 during Homecoming.
TOROS SPEAR TRITONS 4-0:
The Cal State Dominguez Hills men's soccer team, ranked number No.
3 in the nation, proved to be too much for the visiting Tritons of
UC San Diego. The Toros dominated both on offense and defense to
secure a 4-0 win in the California Collegiate Athletic Association
match last Sunday at Toro Field. CSUDH started things off pretty
quickly as an open Scott White belted one to the far post in the
12th minute of play. Victor Guerrero and Eduardo Serrano started
the rally, as they each tallied an assist on the game-winning
goal. UCSD would only have a few minutes to regroup as the Toro
attack came on strong once again, as less than four minutes later
Eduardo Serrano would knock one in from 25 yards out. In the final
minutes of the first half, Juventino Morfin would take a loose
ball and place it to the far post for the 3-0 lead going into the
half. The Triton defense tightened during the second half, but the
offense struggled to get a rally going as they only had three
shots on goal the entire match. It wasn't until the 77th minute
that CSUDH was able to break through and add another one to the
ledger off a goal by Chris Wimmer. Javier Barragan was strong in
the net for the Toros recording three saves on the day. It was his
sixth shutout of the season and his ninth win
TOROS AVERT UPSET, DEFEAT CANYON 2-1:
Senior forward Scott White tallied the game-winner late in the
second half to lift the Cal State Dominguez Hills men's soccer
team to a 2-1 California Collegiate Athletic Association win over
Grand Canyon at Toro Field last week. The victory is the Toros
seventh straight and keeps them unbeaten on the 2002 campaign. It
was a scoreless game until the 34th minute when junior midfielder
Victor Guerrero put the Toros up 1-0. Guerrero took a nice cross
from White in front of the goal and after juking a defender,
tapped his shot past Canyon goalie Nathan Edgin for his second
goal of the year. The score remained 1-0 until Grand Canyon would
tally the equalizer in the 47th minute. Forward Marcelo Soria got
behind the Toros defense and took a through ball from Luiz Araujo.
Soria then beat CSUDH goalie Scott Wilson, who was drawn out, to
the far post tying the game at 1-1. With CSUDH pushing forward
almost the entire second half, they were finally able to convert
on one of their opportunities for the game-winner. Midfielder Rick
Cobb and White connected on a give-and-go in the middle. White got
behind the defense and slotted his ball to the back of the net for
his third goal of the year making it 2-1. The Toros defense was
able to hold off a feisty Antelope squad the rest of the way to
preserve the win. Freshman Toros goalie Scott Wilson was solid in
his first collegiate start and earned the win.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER:
Strong second halves have become almost second nature to the
Toros. While holding a 11-2 goal advantage in the first halves of
all games this year, CSUDH has smoked the opposition in the second
half with a 20-3 goal advantage.
GUERRERO GOING GONZO:
Midfielder Victor Guerrero is going gonzo with already assisting
on 10 goals this year. That mark easily leads the Toros and gives
him 26 career assists, just 2 shy of the all-time career mark held
by former Toros great Sean Lockhart. The mark also puts him in a
tie for fourth all-time in season assists. He is on pace to break
the mark of 15 set by Lockhart in 2000.
SWEET SERRANO:
Newcomer Eduardo Serrano is making his presence felt in a big way.
The 6-1 junior forward, a First Team All-Region selection the past
two seasons at Humboldt State, leads CSUDH with 17 points on 8
goals and an assist. He also leads the squad with 3 game-winning
shots. Serrano has stepped up especially with all-america forward
Gabriel Valencia out with an injury the past 4 games.
VALENCIA READY TO VAMOOSE:
Senior All-America forward Gabriel Valencia couldn't wait to get
back in the thick of things. After sitting out the past 4 games
due to injury, Valencia is raring to go. In 7 games played, he has
scored 11 points on 4 goals and 3 assists. He is an integral piece
to the Toros future success in the second half and makes the squad
even more dangerous and deeper which could spell trouble for the
opposition.
THE COACH:
Head coach Joe Flanagan is in his ninth season at the helm of the
Toros program. Last year Flanagan led CSUDH to its second
consecutive appearance in the NCAA II National Championship game
only to succumb to University of Tampa 2-1 in the final minutes of
the game. Flanagan, the 2001 NCAA II Far West Region Coach of the
Year, became the Toros all-time winningest coach last year and now
is 113-51-9 (.679). CSUDH has now won the past three CCAA titles
and is the two-time defending Far West Regional champ.
MORE FLANAGAN:
Heading into this season, Flanagan in the 15th winningest active
coach at the NCAA Division II level with a 113-51-9 record. The
only coach on the West Coast that ranks higher than Flanagan is
legendary Seattle Pacific mentor Cliff McCrath who leads all
active coaches at any level with 535 wins.
TOROS SPORTS HOTLINE:
For results, schedules and other information on Toros soccer, call
the Toros Sports Hotline 24 hours a day at (310) 243-3174.
TOROS ON THE WEB:
Follow Toros athletics on the web. For latest scores, recaps and
statistics, just stay where you are! |
