Injuries Not Slowing Down Titan Soccer Team

Coach Al Mistri expected to have a good men’s soccer team this year at Cal State Fullerton.

He just didn’t expect it to be so successful early in the season, with some of his top players on the sidelines with injuries.

Sean Rockwell, the Titans’ two-year starting goalkeeper, was ruled out for the season before it began because of a knee injury. Midfielders Rigoberto Bustos and Terry Murray also have been sidelined because of injuries.

Art Ramirez, the team’s second-leading goal scorer last season, hasn’t played as much as he did a year ago because of an asthma condition that developed during the summer.

Despite that, the Titans won their first seven games, their best start at the Division I level. The last time the Titans won their first six matches was in 1993, when they reached the Final Four before losing to South Carolina in the semifinals. That team, which lost to Santa Clara in its seventh game, finished 16-7.

The Titans, who are 8-2 after Sunday’s 4-2 win over Loyola Marymount, were ranked fourth in the nation in the most recent Collegiate Soccer Coaches poll, but losses to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and No. 16 San Diego last week took some air out of the balloon.

Mistri remains optimistic about his team’s chances as it starts Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play this week. The Titans play UC Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. Friday and Cal State Northridge at 4 p.m. Sunday. Both games are at Titan Stadium.

Standout sweeper Marco Mesrobian will be back in the Titan lineup after missing the last three games because of his involvement in a fight during a victory over Cal State Dominguez Hills eight days ago. Mesrobian was ruled out of two games because of the red card he received, and Mistri added a third game to the suspension.

Mesrobian, who moved from midfield to sweeper last spring, has been an important part of Fullerton’s early success.

Another key for the Titans has been the play of junior Scott Alexander, who took over in goal after Rockwell was injured. Alexander gave up only four goals in Fullerton’s first six games, and had shutouts against Syracuse, Sacramento State and Kentucky.

“Scotty has made some big saves for us,” said assistant coach Bob Ammann, a former goalkeeper for the Titans. “But he also is playing behind a defense that is experienced and had a whole year playing together last season. That’s helped.”

Mistri said the offense has been generating more scoring opportunities, even though Ramirez hasn’t been at full strength.

“We’d like to be using Art more than we have, but he has some trouble breathing if he stays in the game too long,” Mistri said. “He’s effective when he is in there, and had a big goal for us against Oregon State.”

Ramirez played nearly 30 minutes in the second half Friday against San Diego and is hopeful he can play more the rest of the season. “I’ve been taking some new medicine for the asthma the last couple of weeks and it seems to have helped,” Ramirez said.

The Titans’ other top forwards last season, Colby Jackson and Duncan Oughton, are having solid seasons. Jackson led the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in goal scoring last season with 17. Senior Antonio Martinez also has become more of a scoring threat.

“We’ve been getting points from more different people this season, and that’s good,” Jackson said. “It’s given us more balance, and opened up the offense.”

SLATER HURTING

Senior Josh Slater, the top runner on the Cal State Fullerton men’s cross-country team, has been struggling with soreness in his right leg, hip and lower back and probably will miss the rest of the season.

“He ran in our first meet, but it got progressively worse after that,” Titan Coach John Elders said. “An MRI showed no nerve or back damage, but they still don’t know for certain what is causing the problem. It’s virtually certain, though, that he won’t be back with us this season.”

Slater finished ninth in the Big West Conference meet last season.

SIMMONS OUT

Chapman senior defender Lehua Simmons, who played at Edison High, will miss the rest of the women’s soccer season with a leg injury. Simmons is a three-time all-region selection, and was named third-team Academic All-American in Division III last year. She injured her ACL that was reconstructed in 1992.