SAN MARCOS, Calif. – The Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team kicks off the 2013 season with a road match against the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) on Saturday.
THE SCHEDULE
Match 1
Saturday, August 31 – 4:00 p.m.
Cal State San Marcos (0-0) at California Institute of Technology (0-0)
Pasadena, Calif. – North Field
Live Stats
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Home Opener Set for September 4
CSUSM returns home after Saturday's match to play Hope International in its home opener on Wednesday, Sept. 4 at the Multipurpose Field. The Cougars are 3-0 all-time against HIU, outscoring the Royals, 7-0, in the teams' series.
New Look, New Feel for CSUSM
The 2013 Cougars will have a drastically new look to them when they take the field on Saturday. CSUSM returns 15 letterwinners and just six starters from a squad that went 6-7-3 a year ago. Also back is senior Richie Kaiser, who missed the entire 2012 season after helping CSUSM to an Association of Independent Institutions title in 2011. Leading goal scorers Scott Rice and Ryan VanDenburg are back, along with Eric Lopez, who contributed a pair of goals and four assists in 2012. 12 newcomers will grace the pitch for the Cougars, six transfers and six freshmen.
A Look Back
It was a tale of two seasons for the Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team in 2012. The Cougars got out to a rough start with just one win in their first nine games, but rebounded to win five of their last six regular season contests. CSUSM earned a trip to the Association of Independent Institutions Championship Tournament where the team fell to top-seeded Ashford in the semifinals to finish out the season at 6-7-3 overall. For a complete recap of 2012, click here.
Season Opener History
The first game of the season hasn't always been kind to the Cougars. CSUSM is 2-4-1 all-time in its opener. An interesting note: CSUSM has gone into extra time four times. In 2012, the Cougars trailed 3-1 in the second half, but rallied back to force a 3-3 tie with Holy Names.
The Lowdown on Caltech
Caltech hails from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) and is an NCAA Division III institution. CSUSM is 2-0 all-time against the Beavers, winning 5-0 in 2011 and 6-1 in 2006. Caltech went 0-19 a year ago and is 1-37 over the last two seasons. Despite their struggles on the field, the Beavers attend one of the most highly touted academic institutions in the country; Caltech is home for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
CSUSM History
The Cal State San Marcos men's soccer team officially enters its eighth season on Saturday. Head coach Ron Pulvers started the program in 2006 and has guided the Cougars to a 65-44-11 (.588) record in his seven seasons at the helm. In 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Pulvers is the 19th-winningest active coach in the NAIA with a 191-115-25 (.615) overall record at CSUSM and Baker (Kan.).
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