2013 Cal Poly Soccer Preview

It’s not just football.

Yes, the Cal Poly football team has high expectations this year, but all three teams who play their fall home games at Alex G. Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly have strong postseason aspirations. Here’s a look at the men’s and women’s soccer teams at Cal Poly and how their seasons could be as good as (if not better than) the football team.

Men’s Soccer

Mackenzie Pridham scored the second most goals in the Big West last season and has his sights set on a big senior season. By David Livingston

Coach Paul Holocher’s team is on the upswing. After a 2012 season during which they beat rival UCSB twice, went 11-7-1 overall, and reached the Big West Tournament semifinal match, this year’s team loses only three key contributors from a season ago.

While Ian Clark, Dakota Collins, Benny Estes, and Chris Gaschen all made positive contributions to Cal Poly’s changeover to an “FC Barcelona” style of play, Holocher’s top-40 recruiting class this season is probably the program’s best ever.

Meet the Freshmen

The freshman class starts with top-10 national recruite Justin Dhillon. Dhillon, whose brother Sean will be a redshirt freshman this season, brings promise of a fast, skilled wing player to take the place of Gaschen in Cal Poly’s fast-paced attack.

Ari Lassiter is another name soccer fans might recognize. His father, Roy, was a member of the US National Team, appearing in 30 games for his country throughout his career.

Add striker Kaba Alkebulan, midfielder Joseph Bolous, midfielder Brett Foreman, and goalkeeper Eric Kam, and there is good reason for optimism for Cal Poly.

Senior Leadership

While last year’s team boasted a few seniors in key positions, the 2013 Mustangs will depend on seniors all over the pitch. Mackenzie Pridham, the 2012 Big West offensive player of the year, returns up front for Cal Poly. Last year, he notched 11 goals.  Midfielder George Malki, who scored one of the most electrifying goals in Cal Poly history to help beat UCSB in Isla Vista a year ago also returns along with fellow seniors Ronald Medrano Williams (MF), Chris Bernardi (F), Mike Hocker (MF), Connor Drechsler (D), Kevin Atkins (MF) and Brett Finkelstein (G), who returns to compete with sophomore Wade Hamilton for net-minder duties.

Last season, Hamilton earned all-Big West Honorable Mention for his play.

The Back Line Could be the Key

For all the talk about the FC Barcelona style of play the Mustangs have adopted, the focus has been on midfielders and forwards. Last season, Cal Poly nearly doubled their goal output from the previous year, scoring 26 goals (they only netted 15 in 2011).

But the ball control, possession-oriented attack they are trying to build depends on defenders and midfielders reading the field and making the right pass. Mistakes from defenders can and will prove costly. Even with the “attractive” style of play the Mustangs are sure to bring, the sure play of defenders will be as big a variable as any other in determining this team’s season result.

The Big West North is TOUGH

The Big West’s Northern Division includes recent national champion and arch-rival UCSB, defending conference champion UC Davis, and Sacramento State, who Cal Poly only managed one point against in two matches last season. To even make the playoffs, the Mustangs will have to be playing their best soccer at the right time.

The coaches preseason poll ranked Cal Poly 3rd in the Northern Division, behind UCSB and UC Davis respectively. The poll results were close, though, and if newcomers like Justin Dhillon can make an immediate impact, the Mustangs can go into the final few games of conference play contending for the division title.

Women’s Soccer

OK, I’ll admit it, I’m a little late on the women’s soccer side of things. I’ll also admit that I’ve watched them play already, though I don’t know how much I learned in their 3-0 defeat of Loyola Marymount. Here’s what I do know about Alex Crozier’s squad.

Sarah Lancaster scoots the first Cal Poly goal of 2013 past the LMU keeper on Friday night. By Owen Main

They were good last season

The women’s team went (9-7-3) overall last season, (6-1-2) in the Big West, but lost to Cal State Northridge 1-0 in the Big West Tournament.

This season, the Mustangs return their leading goal scorer from last season, Elise Krieghoff. Krieghoff’s freshman season was one to remember. She scored 11 goals and notched 22 points in only 15 games, earning Big West Conference Freshman of the Year and first-team All Conference honors.

In their first game…

In the first game of the 2013 season last Friday night against Loyola Marymount, Cal Poly earned a 3-0 victory. Krieghoff managed to get off 8 shots in the game, including her first goal of 2013.

Krieghoff will be the rock at the top and should put lots of pressure on defenses, but a few other players impressed in the first game of the season. Tracy Hong, a junior defender looked quick and assertive in possession on Friday night — a good sign for a wing back.

Senior Jordyn Zander looked strong from the midfield, supporting a balanced offensive attack for Cal Poly. Sarah Lancaster, an attacking midfielder, scored the game’s first goal and had the speed and possession to push the ball up the right hand side into the attacking zone. Sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Giannetti looked comfortable in goal after starting there most of her freshman campaign.

Elise Krieghoff will be Cal Poly’s main goal-scoring threat once again this season. By Owen Main

The Schedule

Alex Crozier’s team is set to play a pretty remarkable preseason schedule. Three of their first four games are at home — all against non-conference teams from California.

Then they hit the road for the remainder of their non-conference schedule. Six straight games. Three straight weekends.

Their opponents will include Baylor, Texas A&M, Oregon State, Seattle, Saint Mary’s, and Santa Clara. By the time they open conference play at Alex G. Spanos Stadium on October 4 vs. Long Beach State, Cal Poly will have gone nearly a month without a home match.

Conference Outlook

So much in women’s soccer seems to hinge on star players, and Cal Poly does have that in Krieghoff. Last season, the Mustangs had a fantastic conference regular season, scoring 4 or more goals in four of nine games. This season, don’t look for it to be that easy. Opposing teams will key on Krieghoff. Look for players like Lancaster, Sarah Epps, and Lauren Heer to benefit from the space that will open-up.

Alex Crozier is a 21st year coach with a winning pedigree. So many things depend on players health and new faces in the conference, but expect Crozier to have his team ready to be in the running for a Big West Conference title once again this year.

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1. Mustang men’s soccer finds answers vs. Yale - Fansmanship says:

   09/23/2013 at 9:44 am

   […] the second half and overtime — were a dominant display by Cal Poly. As discussed in my soccer preview, if the Mustangs are going to have any chance at the Big West title, careless mistakes at the back […]