It’s No Mystery to Mistri: Titans Should Be in Playoffs

Cal State Fullerton men’s soccer Coach Al Mistri was disappointed last season when his team posted a 14-5 record but didn’t receive an at-large bid to the NCAA playoffs.

Mistri hopes the Titans will make the playoffs this season, one way or another.

The Titans are still in the running for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation’s automatic berth, but Mistri also thinks the Titans have a shot at an at-large bid if they don’t win the MPSF tournament championship this weekend.

The Titans, ranked 17th in the National Soccer Coaches Assn. poll, play Denver at 2 p.m. and UC Irvine plays San Jose State at 11 a.m. Friday in the conference semifinals. The winners meet Sunday for the title and an automatic berth.

“I’ve told our team that a loss on Friday would damage our at-large chances,” Mistri said. “That’s why Friday’s match is so crucial for us.”

The Titans (14-4-1 overall, 6-0-1) won the MPSF’s Pacific Division title ahead of runner-up Irvine (12-7-1, 4-2-1). San Jose (18-0-1, 8-0), the nation’s top-ranked team, won the Mountain Division, with Denver (9-5-2, 5-2-1) finishing second.

Senior Duncan Oughton will be back to lead the Titans into the playoffs; he had to sit out the team’s final regular-season game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Saturday because he got his fifth yellow card of the season earlier in the week.

Mistri said Oughton picked up the yellow card on purpose in the victory against Concordia to be sure it wouldn’t happen at a more inopportune time against Cal Poly or in the playoffs.

“It was a calculated risk we took,” Mistri said.

The Titans defeated Cal Poly, 2-1, in overtime despite being without Oughton and their top goalkeeper, Sean Rockwell, who hasn’t played since bruising his foot late in Fullerton’s overtime victory over UCLA on Oct. 26. Rockwell is expected back Friday.

Oughton leads the Titans with 15 goals this season. He is only three shy of the school record of 18 goals set by Eddie Soto in 1994. Oughton this season set the school record for career goals with 39. The previous record was 38 by Soto in 1992-94.

TOUGH RECRUITING

Wednesday marks the start of the early signing period for college-bound senior basketball players. The period ends Nov. 15.

UC Irvine men’s Coach Pat Douglass has indicated that he hopes to be able to make a couple of announcements during the period. But 6-foot-5 guard Torin Beeler of Ocean View High will not be signing early with the Anteaters, according to Seahawk Coach Jim Harris.

“He’s way under-recruited,” Harris said. “He’s going to wait until the high school basketball season ends and see what develops.”

Beeler took recruiting trips to Irvine and Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., the top choice among his family, according to Harris.

Two weeks ago DeVaughn Peace, a 6-2 guard at Torrance Bishop Montgomery, announced that he intends to sign with Irvine during the early period. But Mark Bowens, a 6-2 guard at Glendale (Ariz.) Cactus High, announced that he has chosen Long Beach State over Irvine.

Still on the fence is 6-4 forward Jon Wilkins of Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton High. He visited Irvine several weeks ago, according to Hamilton Coach Kevin Hartwig, and is scheduled to take a trip to Long Beach this weekend. Hartwig said he believes Wilkins will wait until the season is over before deciding.

NOTABLE

Sacramento State has pulled out of UC Irvine’s season-ending women’s volleyball tournament Nov. 24-25, leaving Irvine, Wake Forest and UC Riverside in the field. . . . Concordia, ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, won its second consecutive Golden State Athletic Conference women’s cross-country team title last week. All six runners, led by GSAC runner-up Tricia Mattson, advanced to the NAIA finals in Kenosha, Wis., Nov. 18. The Eagle men’s team was fifth, but Fabio Mathias qualified for the finals with a ninth-place finish. . . . Vanguard, seeking its third consecutive berth in the NAIA playoffs, opens its women’s basketball season by hosting La Sierra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. . . . Big West women’s champion Kareen Nilsson leads Irvine’s cross-country teams at the NCAA Western Regional in Fresno Saturday. . . . The Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. Women’s Southern California Regional Championships run Thursday through Monday at UC Irvine and Irvine Valley. Qualifying rounds begin at 8 a.m. Thursday and play in the main draw begins at 8 a.m. Friday. Singles and doubles finals are at UC Irvine at 9 a.m. Monday. . . . Cal State Fullerton students have approved a referendum that would increase student fees to better fund campus programs, including athletics. The fees would increase from $10 to $18 per student for each of four consecutive semesters beginning next fall. The measure needs final approval from university President Milton Gordon.

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Staff writer Paul McLeod contributed to this report.