Chapman Game Plan Nets Soccer Playoffs

Last season, the Chapman men’s soccer team missed the NCAA Division III playoffs by a slim margin. This year, the Panthers decided to make it impossible to be passed over.

“We were hurt last year because we beat some good teams but struggled against teams we should have taken care of easily,” Chapman Coach Gregg Murphy said. “Our motto this year all along has been ‘One game at a time.’ ”

It might be the hoariest of sports cliches, but it’s hard to argue with success: Chapman rarely faltered, losing only to Division I Cal State Fullerton, Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills and tough Division III rival UC San Diego.

Second-seeded Chapman (15-3) faces No. 3 Colorado College (14-4) in the first round of the West Regional at 11 a.m. Saturday at UC San Diego. Top-seeded UC San Diego (10-5-2) plays No. 4 St. Thomas 12-5-1) at 1 p.m. The winners will play Sunday at 1 p.m. for the regional championship and a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals.

Chapman beat Colorado College, 2-1, in overtime this season and lost to San Diego, 1-0, on a late goal.

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Defense has been a strongpoint for the Panthers this season. Senior goalkeeper Craig Bennett, a first-team All-West Region pick last season, has seven shutouts and has given up only 12 goals in 17 games for a goals-against average of 0.69. Bennett is playing with a bone spur in his right foot that might require surgery after the season.

He is fronted by a strong line of defenders, seniors Joe Hernandez and Shawn Kailey and sophomore Albert Pedraza. Bennett has needed to make less than four saves a game.

On offense, Chapman is led by Gary Hurtarte, who has 13 goals, and Dustin Kemmerer, who has 11 goals and seven assists.

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Record breaker: Cindy LeClair, a forward on the Chapman women’s soccer team, broke the school single-season goal record Tuesday in the final minutes of the season.

LeClair, a senior from Katella High, scored two goals in the Panthers’ 2-0 victory over The Master’s, giving her 21 this season, one more than the record she established last season and that was equaled this season by Kim Wyer, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last month.

LeClair’s final goal came with about three minutes remaining in the game and gave her a school-record 54 goals in her four-year career.

“It’s been neat to see the transformation in her,” said Murphy, who also coaches the women’s team. “She came in as kind of a so-so player, but she has developed a love and passion for the sport.”

Chapman finished 13-6, its best record in school history, but missed qualifying for the postseason. Chapman lost, 2-1, to La Verne on Sunday, the day the playoff pairings were decided, and Murphy believes that if the Panthers had beaten La Verne, they would have received a bid.

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NAIA soccer: The Southern California College men’s soccer team will play at Fresno Pacific in the first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference playoffs. The Vanguards (10-9-1) finished second in the Coastal Division. Fresno Pacific (11-4-3) won the Inland Division.

The winners will play the winner of Saturday’s game between Azusa Pacific (13-7) and Westmont (16-2-2).

Amy Lewis, a senior on the SCC women’s soccer team was named conference player of the week after giving up only two goals in two games last week. Lewis had 12 saves in the Vanguards’ 1-0 loss to Westmont, ranked eighth in the nation, and one in a 4-1 victory over Biola.

Notes

Southern California College’s Nikee Pool is among the favorites to win the Golden State Athletic Conference women’s cross-country championship Saturday at Bonelli Park in San Dimas. Pool, a junior from Great Bend, Kan., has not been beaten by a conference opponent this season, but should get a challenge from Miriam Niednagel of Westmont and Mathea Kok of Azusa Pacific. The SCC women’s team, ranked 20th in the NAIA, should battle Fresno Pacific for third place and a possible at-large bid to the NAIA national championships. The SCC men, ranked 14th in the NAIA, are expected to finish third and win an at-large berth in the national event. . . . The Chapman football team plays host to Azusa Pacific at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Panthers’ second to last game of the season. Azusa Pacific is 4-3-1. Chapman, which finishes against Whittier next week, is 6-1.