Soccer Team Hurt, but Still Kicking

It hasn’t been the kind of men’s soccer season Cal State Fullerton Coach Al Mistri was hoping it would be, but Mistri thinks there’s still time for it to become a lot better.

Mistri knew it would take some rebuilding when two of his top players from last year, Brian Dunseth and Joe DiGiamarino, signed pro contracts with Major League Soccer after their sophomore seasons.

And he knew this team was going to be young and inexperienced.

But Mistri didn’t expect so many injuries to key players.

“That’s really been a killer,” he said.

Two of the players Mistri recruited to replace Dunseth and DiGiamarino ran into problems virtually from the start.

Freshman Duncan Oughton, who played on one of the New Zealand national teams in 1996 while in high school, was expected to provide a big lift on offense, but he went to the sidelines because of a knee injury on the second day of practice.

Then Mark Lamb, a promising freshman defender, was sidelined for the season because of a broken leg in the third minute of the second game. One of the team’s two goalkeepers, Zoltan Nagy (shoulder separation), also went out early in the season.

Still, the Titans managed to win four of their first five games and were ranked No. 12 in the nation briefly. Then the bottom fell out during a four-game losing streak, and there were more injury problems.

Midfielder Marco Mesrobian continued to have trouble with chronic tendinitis in his leg, and midfielder Rigoberto Bustos went out with a collapsed lung. Sheldon Thomas, the top scorer in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation last year, missed one game with a foot injury and was below par in another.

“Those kinds of things adversely affect a team, especially one that is as young as we are,” Mistri said. “The worst thing that can happen to a young team is to constantly be changing things because of injuries.”

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The Titans appear to be showing signs of a comeback after victories over UC Irvine and Loyola Marymount last week that boosted their record to 6-5. The improvement gave Mistri renewed hope that his team can still squeeze out an NCAA playoff berth.

“It’s certainly not out of the question,” Mistri said. “We still have enough games left to do it if we play well. But that’s still a tall order for a young team.”

It will take a strong showing in the Mountain Pacific Soccer Assn., where the Titans have a 1-0 record after Sunday’s 4-3 victory over Irvine. The team that wins the MPSF gets an automatic NCAA berth, but an at-large berth is possible if the Titans finish strong.

The next two conference games could be telling. Fullerton plays at UC Santa Barbara Friday, and then faces nationally ranked UCLA Oct. 17 in Titan Stadium.

A lot might depend on how healthy the Titans are the rest of the way.

Oughton has been back in the lineup the last two games, and Mistri says he has made a difference. Thomas’ injured foot also appears to be better, and he showed signs of being the player he was a year ago Sunday when he scored two goals.

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The women’s soccer team also has been having its troubles, losing four consecutive games.

The Titan women, the Big West Conference regular-season champions last year, are 3-8 this season, 0-2 in the conference.

“Our goalkeeping hasn’t been consistent, and we’re not scoring as well as last year,” Mistri said.

Last year’s top goalkeeper, Suzy Strazzulla, completed her eligibility, and heir apparent for the job, Jennifer Halladay, was sidelined with a career-ending knee injury last spring. Two inexperienced players, freshman Marla Nelson and sophomore Dawn Bitsie, have shared the position.

Junior Dolores Browning, who has had two outstanding seasons, hasn’t been as effective this year, scoring only four goals in 11 games. “She hasn’t been the same player because of nagging injuries,” Mistri said.

The Cal State Fullerton Notebook runs each week during the school year. Suggestions are welcome. Call (714) 966-5780 or e-mail Lon.Eubanks@latimes.com.

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Coming Attractions

Key games this week for Cal State Fullerton:

* Women’s soccer at Cal State Northridge, 7 p.m. today.

* Men’s soccer at UC Santa Barbara, 7 p.m. Friday.

* Women’s volleyball at UC Irvine, 7 p.m. Saturday, and against Pennsylvania, 7 p.m. Sunday, Titan Gym.