Nov. 3, 2009
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - The No. 16 ranked University of San Diego men's soccer team is climbing back up the national polls this week while remaining in the driver seat of the West Coast Conference Standings in first place with 21 points after completing the home and road sweep of the 2008 WCC defending champions Friday night in the Bay Area. The win also earned senior defender Sam Reeder WCC Player of the week honors.
OVERALL
The Toreros are now 11-4-0 overall and 7-1-0 in WCC action. The victory against San Francisco puts the Toreros at 5-0 when on the road and 4-0 against conference opponents on the road. USD currently holds the fifth best RPI in the country as they approach the end of the season, a number that will help their post-season chances. The 2007 season was the last time the Toreros had an 11 win season. They are on the verge of tying their best ever conference record in the new double round-robin format, an 8-3-1 mark also in 2007. The Toreros are two-thirds of the way done with their WCC schedule with four matches remaining.
REWIND
The Toreros traveled to San Francisco last week to take on the Dons of University of San Francisco. USD defeated the defending WCC Champions for the second time this season 3-1. USD's Sam Reeder scored in the first half while teammates Andrew Feld and JT Howlan scored in the second half against the Dons. Goalkeeper Kelin Briones tallied six saves allowing only one goal in the match. USD recorded 19 shots and 10 shots on goal against USF.
WCC STANDINGS UPDATE
The win this weekend gives No. 16 ranked San Diego 21 points in the WCC standings as they remain in first place. They have a 7-1-0 mark against WCC teams this season and looking to match their 2007 outcome of eight wins in the new double round-robin format. Saint Mary's is hot on their heels with 19 points in the standings (10-3-3, 6-2-1 WCC) holding second place followed by Portland in third place with 12 points (8-4-4, 3-3-3 WCC). Gonzaga is in fourth place with 10 points (6-7-3, 3-5-1 WCC), San Francisco is in fifth place with nine points (6-8-1, 3-5-0 WCC), Santa Clara is in sixth place with eight points (4-9-4, 2-5-2 WCC), and Loyola Marymount is in seventh place with seven points (7-8-1, 2-5-1 WCC).
CLIMBING THE NATIONAL POLLS...
San Diego finally broke into the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Top 25 poll after not receiving enough votes the past three weeks. The Toreros rocketed into the No. 16 spot. Other ranked teams that USD has faced include UCLA who dropped from 7th place last week to 10th place this week. Teams USD has faced that received votes include San Diego State, Dartmouth, Saint Mary's and Michigan State.
In the NSCAA Far West Regional poll USD is tied for second with UCLA, jumping up from fifth place last week. UC Santa Barbara is in first place in the region. Saint Mary's is in sixth place, San Diego State is in seventh place, while University of Portland holds on to ninth place.
Soccer America has USD at No. 19 in the country, up from 23rd a week ago. UCLA dropped to 5th place and Michigan State jumped into the poll at the No. 24 spot.
Soccer Times has the Toreros also at No. 19 in the country, another jump after being 22nd last week. UCLA dropped from 6th to 7th place while Dartmouth dropped from 32nd after being 23rd. Other schools to receive votes include Saint Mary's, San Diego State, and Michigan State.
Finally, the College Soccer News poll has the Toreros up to No. 22 in the nation from No. 24 last week. UCLA is 6th this week dropping from 4th place last week. Other schools receiving votes were Dartmouth and Michigan State.
PREVIEW OF WHAT'S NEXT
The Toreros will face Portland and Gonzaga this week. San Diego avoided the winter freeze when they traveled to the Pacific Northwest in early October returning home with the rare sweep of the Pilots and Bulldogs defeating Portland 2-1 and Gonzaga 1-0. The last time San Diego swept Gonzaga and Portland both at home and on the road was in 2006.
A LOOK AT PORTLAND
Portland is currently holding third place in the WCC standings with a 8-4-4 overall record and a 3-3-3 WCC mark. The Pilots hosted Saint Mary's on Friday losing 1-0 followed by a 1-1 tie on Sunday against Santa Clara. USD controls the all-time record against Portland with a 16-13-3 advantage. Senior midfielder Collen Warner currently leads the team with five goals and give assists for 15 points. He has 18 shots on goal, two game-winning goals and is 3-for-3 on penalty kicks.
A LOOK AT GONZAGA
Gonzaga is right behind Portland in the standings in fourth place with a 6-7-3 overall record and a 3-5-1 WCC mark. The Bulldogs faced Santa Clara on Friday losing 1-0 in overtime and hosted Saint Mary's on Sunday defeating the Gaels 5-0. San Diego controls the all-time record against the Zags with a 17-5-1 record. Senior forward Tye Perdido leads the team with six goals and four assist for 16 points. He's taken 24 shots on goal and has one game-winning goal for the Bulldogs.
HONORING COACH McFADDEN
The Torero Marketing department will be honoring Coach McFadden on Friday night for his 300 career victories with a commemorative poster. Coach McFadden is in his 31st season at USD and is one of the few coaches to reach such a milestone at a single institution. Following the match, the players will be available to sign autographs.
SENIOR DAY
The University of San Diego soccer team will say goodbye to some of their fellow teammates on Sunday afternoon when they pay tribute to the 2009-2010 senior class. The Toreros host their final home match of the season and will recognize the graduating class with a ceremony prior to kickoff.
The Toreros are ready to host their final homestand starting with the Pilots on Friday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m. and the Bulldogs on Sunday, November 8 at 1:00 p.m. from Torero Stadium.
