The Cougars of Cal State San Marcos get to work on the soccer field, the volleyball court and the cross country course this week as the Fall 2017 season officially begins.

WOMEN'S SOCCER
Cougars Open NCAA Era Hosting Concordia Irvine, Followed by a Road Match at Point Loma
 
Thursday, Aug. 31 - 1:30 p.m. - vs. Concordia Irvine - The Cage
Records: CSUSM 0-0-0, Concordia Irvine 0-0-0
Gameday Outlets: LIVE STATS | COUGAR SPORTS NETWORK
 
Saturday, Sept. 2 - 11 a.m. - at Point Loma - PLNU Field
Records: CSUSM 0-0-0, PLNU 0-0-0
Gameday Outlets: LIVE STATS
 

• The CSUSM women's soccer team has the honor of participating in the school's first contest as full NCAA members when they open up their week at home on Thursday against Concordia Irvine, before traveling down the I-5 for a Saturday morning match at Point Loma.
• Entering the season, the Cougars were picked to finish in a tie for eighth place in the CCAA after finishing the 2016 season with a 7-4-6 overall and 5-4-3 conference record.
• Concordia, also playing its first official NCAA contest, nabbed third in the PacWest preseason poll, after an impressive 12-2-4 overall record in 2016.
• A year ago, CSUSM and the Eagles played to a 1-1 draw in Irvine after Meghan Randig netted the equalizer in the 65^th minute.
• Point Loma was one of four PacWest teams with 10 wins in 2016 (10-4-4 overall). The Sea Lions enter the year projected to finish fifth in the league this year and will face UC San Diego in La Jolla on Thursday before hosting the Cougars on Saturday.
• Last year's match, a scoreless draw in San Marcos, extended a streak of four consecutive matches decided by a goal or less. 
• Bobby Renneisen enters his fourth season as the women's soccer head coach with a 21-16-16 career record (.547). Renneisen has been involved with the CSUSM women's soccer program since its inception in 2006.

 
 
MEN'S SOCCER
Two Top PacWest Challengers Open 2017 Season for CSUSM Men's Soccer
 
Thursday, Aug. 31 - 4 p.m. - vs. Concordia Irvine - The Cage
Records: CSUSM 0-0-0, Concordia Irvine 0-0-0
Gameday Outlets: LIVE STATS | COUGAR SPORTS NETWORK
 
Saturday, Sept. 2 - 10 a.m. - at California Baptist – Lancer Soccer Field
Records: CSUSM 0-0-0, CBU 0-0-0
Gameday Outlets: LIVE STATS AND VIDEO
 

• Cal State San Marcos and Concordia Irvine renew acquaintances in the 2017 opener on Thursday in each program's first official match as members of the NCAA.
• Last season, the Eagles scored four times in the second half to break a scoreless stalemate, prevailing 4-0 in Irvine.
• The Cougars owned a 5-6-4 record overall in 2016 and was 4-4-4 in the CCAA.
• CSUSM, selected 10^th in the league's preseason poll, return their two leading goal scorers from a year ago in juniors Andrew Stalboerger and Bryan Morrison. Stalboerger had a team-best four goals and Morrison paced the club with nine points (3 goals, 3 assists).
• Concordia was picked second in the PacWest preseason poll after an 11-5-2 season and second-place league finish at 10-3. Senior forward Connor Gordon recorded 14 goals and six assists in 2016, ranking third in the conference in points.
• California Baptist is the PacWest preseason favorite edging out Concordia and 2016 champion Dixie State for the top spot. Senior forwards Joey Chica and Aidan Apodaca lead the Lancers' offense. Chica, a transfer from Cal State Dominguez Hills, was the California Collegiate Athletic Association's 2016 Offensive Player of the Year; while Apodaca tallied 22 points last year.
• The Cougars have not played CBU since the opening match of 2006, a 3-2 overtime victory for the Lancers in Riverside.
• This year marks the 12^th season for head coach Ron Pulvers at CSUSM. He notched his 100^th win as the men's head coach on Oct. 7, 2016, in a road victory over Cal State Monterey Bay. From 2006-2013, Pulvers led both the CSUSM men's and women's soccer teams.

 
VOLLEYBALL
Cougars Host 2nd Annual Cougar Classic on Friday & Saturday
 
Cougar Classic @ The Sports Center
Cougar Classic Outlets: LIVE STATS | COUGAR SPORTS NETWORK
 
Friday, Sept. 1 
2 p.m. - vs. Adelphi 
Records: CSUSM 0-0, Adelphi 0-0
6 p.m. - vs. St. Cloud State
Records: CSUSM 0-0, SCSU 0-0
 
Saturday, Sept. 2 
Noon – vs. Fresno Pacific 
Records: CSUSM 0-0, FPU 0-0
6 p.m. – vs. Saint Martin's
Records: CSUSM 0-0, SMU 0-0
 

• The Cougars host three out-of-state programs, Adelphi (N.Y.), St. Cloud State (Minn.) and Saint Martin's (Wash.). This will be first meetings for CSUSM with all three teams.
• In the program's first year of competition (2011), CSUSM upset then-No. 1 NAIA nationally-ranked Fresno Pacific in the Biola Holiday Inn Summer Slam. The Cougars recorded back-to-back 25-22 victories before dropping the third set 25-18. CSUSM rallied in the fourth set, 25-23, to record the victory.
• The CSUSM Cougar Classic was the first event held in the Cougars' brand new home, The Sports Center, last season. CSUSM went 3-1 in the tournament with wins over La Sierra, Johnson & Wales (Colo.) and Fort Lewis. The Cougars lone loss was a five-set heartbreaker to Westmont.
• CSUSM returns 10 including All-CCAA second team selection Maddy Newcombe.
• The 2017 squad features five new Cougars.
• Head Coach Andrea Leonard enters her seventh season in charge of the Cougar volleyball team, a program she has built from the ground up since arriving on campus in 2010.

 
CROSS COUNTRY
Regionally Ranked Cougars Head North for CCAA Preview Meet
 
Friday, Sept. 1 – 9:30 (W), 10:15 (M) a.m. – Kim Duyst Cross Country Invitation – River Oaks Golf Course
Gameday Outlets: LIVE STATS
 

• The journey to Evansville, Ind., the site of the 2017 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships, formally begins this Saturday when the CSUSM Cross Country teams head to Ceres, Calif., for the Kim Duyst Invitational hosted by Stanislaus State.
• River Oaks Golf Course will be the host site for this weekend's event and the CCAA Cross Country Championships on Oct. 21.
• Both of CSUSM's cross country teams have been ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Regional Rankings. The CSUSM women are ranked sixth in the West Region, second-best among all CCAA schools, and the Cougar men are ranked eighth.
• Natalie Rodriguez and Raelyn Werley return to the team as All-CCAA honors from a year ago.
• Rodriguez is the first CSUSM student-athlete to be a three-time All-CCAA selection, while
  Werley collected her first All-CCAA honor after running a personal-best at last season's CCAA Championship.
• Joshua Litwiller returns after a 17^th place finish at the league meet and earning CCAA Men's Freshman of the Year honors. He was the program's first Freshman of the Year since becoming a NCAA institution.
• USA Track & Field Hall of Famer Steve Scott has been the head coach for CSUSM Cross Country since the program's inception in 1999. He has led the Cougars to three NAIA National Championships in his career and had 16 NAIA All-Americans run for his teams.