SCC No Patsy Against Aztecs
Southern California College men’s soccer Coach Dave McLeish usually schedules several games a season against NCAA Division I programs. The games serve as recruiting aids for future players and confidence builders for the current team.
Usually, they serve to add to the Vanguards’ loss column.
But Monday, SCC defeated San Diego State, 1-0, when Kevin Villar scored on a penalty kick with 10 minutes remaining.
“I think it’s the biggest victory since I’ve been at SCC,” McLeish said. “We have beaten other Division I schools but not a soccer power like San Diego State.”
San Diego State outshot SCC, 20-4, but McLeish said his team wasn’t dominated.
“In the first half we had a lot of the play,” McLeish said. “In the second half we had a flurry of brilliant saves by our goalkeeper.”
Goalkeeper Brent Rogers had eight saves, including a point-blank shot from about 15 yards.
Senior midfielder Nguyen Tran set up the winning goal when he took a pass, beat the player guarding him and then beat they only player standing between him and the goalkeeper. The second player pulled Tran down from behind.
SCC, which is 3-4 after losing to another Division I team, UC Santa Barbara, 4-0, Wednesday.
McLeish says this team has the potential to be the best in his eight seasons at the college, although play has been spotty so far.
“When they play up to their abilities they’re really good,” he said. “It’s just a matter of them coming together.”
Villar, a junior midfielder from Tustin High and Orange Coast, Peter Schumerth, a sophomore sweeper from Esperanza, and Jason Allen, a junior fullback who transferred from San Diego State two years ago, have been standouts so far.
SCC’s schedule won’t get much easier when the Vanguards start their Golden State Athletic Conference schedule Oct. 1. Westmont, ranked third in the nation in NAIA, lost to UCLA in double overtime and No. 16 Azusa Pacific recently tied Cal.
But no matter what happens the rest of the way, the Vanguards still had their day in San Diego.
“Anyway you look at it, when a NAIA school with 900 kids beats a big Division I school, it’s a great day,” McLeish said. “We really enjoyed the ride home.”
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Unranked: UC Riverside, ranked No. 18 in NCAA Division II women’s volleyball, ended Southern California College’s seven-match winning streak, winning 15-6, 15-12, 15-11 Tuesday. Last week, the Vanguards won their first two Golden State Athletic Conference matches, defeating Concordia and Point Loma Nazarene, then ranked No. 9 in the NAIA.
The Vanguards (11-2, 2-0) are the only undefeated team in conference play. Yet, they still haven’t received mention in the national poll. Six other conference teams--No. 4 Westmont, No. 5 Cal Baptist, No. 12 Azusa Pacific, No. 15 Fresno Pacific, No. 21 Biola and No. 25 Point Loma Nazarene--are nationally ranked. Concordia received votes in the poll.
“I guess I do find it curious that we’re leading the toughest conference in the country and not receiving any votes whatsoever,” SCC Coach Eric Boyles said. “It’s frustrating in the sense that I really feel like these girls have been working hard and their level of play has gotten better and they haven’t been given their due respect.”
Simone Burgesmeir, a senior outside hitter from Johannesburg, South Africa, was named the conference player of the week. She had 36 kills, 32 digs and a service percentage of .958 in three matches.
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After starting the season with a 1-0 loss to Cal Baptist, the Chapman men’s soccer team is building up steam. The Panthers’ last two games have gone to overtime, a 3-3 tie with Claremont and a 5-4 victory over Cal Lutheran. Chapman is 3-1-1.
This weekend, Chapman will travel to Colorado for games Saturday against Regis and Sunday against Colorado College.
Colorado College is coached by Horst Richardson, who coached Chapman Coach Gregg Murphy in club soccer.
Notes
The Chapman water polo team started its season by winning three of its first four games and finishing third in the Whittier tournament. The Panthers lost to Occidental, 8-6, in the semifinals and beat Loyola Marymount, 22-13, in the third-place game. . . . Southern California College recently announced the college’s spring 1994 scholar athletes. They are: Tedla Mekonnen (cross-country), Jennifer Caruso (softball), Rick Homutoff (baseball), Wendy Andel (tennis), Cathy Binnquist (tennis), Ross Andel (tennis), Joel Kuipers (basketball), Wes Hinson (track and field), Content Lyke (basketball), Christi Hosman (basketball), Jason Allen (soccer), Shannon Moreno (softball), Tina Demarsh (basketball), Genevie Wright (volleyball), Tracy Schofield (softball), Cheri Mills-Bowling (cross-country) and Andrea Oleson (soccer). . . . Ryan Seidel, a current SCC baseball player, and Jason Brissey, a former player, each had outstanding summers. Before being signed by the Cubs and assigned to their Class-A team in Peoria, Brissey, a third baseman, batted .377 with 10 runs batted in for the Swift Current Indians in the Saskatchewan League. Seidel, a senior outfielder, also played for the Indians and led the league in five categories: batting average (.471), hits (48), home runs (seven), RBIs (31) and steals (10). He was named the league’s most valuable player.