UCSD Damages Chapman Playoff Plans

Although some Tritons put a damper on Panther postseason soccer plans last week, the Chapman men’s and women’s soccer teams didn’t go down without a fight.

Last Friday, UC San Diego, ranked second in the nation, narrowly defeated 22nd-ranked Chapman in women’s soccer, 1-0. The Tritons also posted a 2-0 victory in a men’s soccer game that featured nine yellow cards and two Chapman ejections.

Both losses seriously damaged playoff hopes for the Panthers.

The women’s team is ranked third in the West Region, and only the top-two ranked teams in the West Region will go to the playoffs.

Chapman fell to eighth in the men’s soccer Far West/North Central Region rankings. Only six teams from the region will qualify for the playoffs, but the Panthers are not necessarily out of the running. They have beaten two teams ranked ahead of them--fifth-ranked Claremont and sixth-ranked Colorado College--and the NCAA selection committee operates separately from the coaches’ poll.

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Player of the week: Shelly Bage, a freshman forward on the Southern California College women’s soccer team, earned player of the week honors in the Golden State Athletic Conference last week.

Bage had three goals and an assist for the Vanguards (12-4, 5-2), who will host a key conference match at 7 Saturday night against Azusa Pacific. SCC, ranked fourth in the West Region, trails second-ranked Azusa Pacific by one game in the conference.

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Flying High: The Concordia women’s cross-country team finished first at the UC San Diego Invitational last weekend, finishing 15 points ahead of conference rival Point Loma Nazarene, which was second.

Freshman Rachel Lafady finished the 3.1-mile course in 19 minutes 14 seconds, finishing in 19th place. Freshman Tricia Mattson finished 22nd in 19:10.

Robert Seaman finished 26th for the Concordia men’s team, finishing the eight-kilometer course in 26:27. He was one of six Eagle runners who set personal records.